Plantic Technologies awarded for sustainable meat packaging
Melbourne packaging manufacturer Plantic Technologies has triumphed at the Coles Supplier Awards by taking home the trophy for Sustainable and Ethical Excellence.
In June, Coles committed to replace packaging for a wide range of meat and poultry products with packaging made from recycled and renewable materials. One month later, thanks to its partnership with Plantic, the company became Australia’s first national supermarket retailer to introduce meat packaging made entirely from a combination of recycled and renewable material.
Plantic’s barrier trays are made from recycled PET, with a thin layer of Plantic’s renewable barrier material which helps keeps the meat fresh. During the recycling process, the thin Plantic plant starch layer washes away, allowing the PET tray to be recycled.
“For four years, our Coles Brand beef, lamb and pork mince has been packaged in recyclable trays sourced from Plantic,” Coles Fresh Food Director Alex Freudmann said at the time. “We now want to take the next step by transitioning a wider range of our fresh meat and poultry trays to Plantic’s new packaging so that it is not just recyclable but also made from recycled plastics and renewable plant materials, including corn.”
At the Coles Supplier Awards gala dinner, held in Melbourne last week and attended by around 1100 Coles suppliers and team members, Plantic Technologies’ work in sustainable meat packaging was rewarded with the Sustainable and Ethical Excellence award — one of seven award categories recognising suppliers’ excellence in providing merchandise and services across Coles’ business.
“We are delighted to be working with such an innovative supplier who is helping us support our sustainability commitments,” said Freudmann, stating that Plantic Technologies was a deserving recipient of the award.
Plantic Technologies CEO Brendan Morris said his team was delighted to win the award, noting, “Coles’ support has been fundamental to our company’s development as a local manufacturer.
“We share Coles’ passion for sustainability, and its insights and collaboration has helped guide our product innovation and led to a world-first packaging development combining recycled and renewable materials for fresh meat packaging,” Morris said.
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