In a significant advancement for the European meat sector, Faerch and Norfersk have successfully increased the adoption of circular PET meat trays that consist of 70% CIRPET+.
This innovative material, which is a food-safe recycled PET (rPET) sourced from repurposed food trays rather than plastic bottles, marks a notable progression towards establishing a genuine tray-to-tray circular economy.
For meat producers, this collaboration illustrates that it is possible to lessen dependence on virgin plastics or dwindling streams of bottle-recycled materials without compromising operational efficiency or product safety.
Historically, food-grade rPET has primarily been gathered from recycled beverage containers. However, as the beverage sector intensifies its efforts to close its own recycling loops, meat and fresh food producers are encountering a shortage of available recycled materials.
Faerch’s CIRPET+ tackles this issue by establishing a dedicated loop specifically for thermoformed packaging. Used trays are gathered, processed into recycled content, and transformed back into new food-grade trays. This initiative guarantees a consistent supply of high-quality material tailored to meet the stringent requirements of meat packaging, which includes high-speed production lines and rigorous hygiene protocols.
One of the key concerns for meat processors during packaging transitions is maintaining line efficiency. Norfersk, a prominent Norwegian fresh-meat producer, has reported a seamless transition to these high-performance circular trays.
“Since the launch, the transition has been very smooth from a production perspective,” stated Anne Maren Krog Engeloug, product developer at Norfersk. “The trays have performed well on the line, helping to ensure a more stable operation. It’s a win for both production efficiency and the environment.”
In addition to circularity, this initiative demonstrates substantial environmental advantages. Independent lifecycle assessments have shown that CIRPET+ results in significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to both virgin plastics and rPET sourced from bottles.
The launch also capitalizes on Norfersk’s existing implementation of Faerch’s Ultra Low Stacking solution. By minimizing the space between stacked trays to a mere 1.5 mm, the company has previously reduced pallet counts by as much as 67%, leading to considerable decreases in delivery distances and waste from transit packaging.
As retailers and regulatory bodies increasingly demand reduced carbon footprints, the success of Norfersk’s launch serves as a model for meat producers throughout Europe.
“With CIRPET+, we are facilitating the introduction of food-grade, tray-to-tray recycled content in the meat section at scale, without necessitating that producers sacrifice line efficiency or shelf performance,” noted Mette Grotrian, sales director at Faerch Nordics.
By demonstrating that 70% recycled content from tray-based sources can preserve both the shelf life and safety of fresh meat, Faerch and Norfersk have eliminated a significant hurdle for the adoption of circular packaging in the protein industry.
