Cracking the aluminium challenge
In the third part of our Unpacking Sustainability series, we look into what it takes to offer aluminium free packaging in an aseptic world.
In recent times, aluminium has come under a lot of scrutiny but its role in food safety cannot be denied. The invisible aluminium in your shelf-stable aseptic carton is “almost” indispensable. Seven times thinner than a human hair, this ultra-thin aluminium barrier plays a vital role in keeping foods and beverages safe and nutritious for months – without any need for refrigeration. But is there another way? Can food and beverage manufacturers provide a greener alternative to consumers looking for more sustainable products and packaging?
Ahead of the pack
At SIG, we challenged ourselves with the same questions and the answers lie in our sustainable innovations. Not only do we offer packaging with responsibly sourced aluminium, as discussed in part two of the series but we also developed the first-ever alu-free aseptic packs in the industry, taking sustainability in a packaging to a new level. Even today, our combibloc EcoPlus, SIGNATURE PACK 100 and Heat&Go are the only alu-free aseptic carton structures on the market.
How does it work?
Offering alu-free packaging while ensuring food safety is challenging. SIG has made it feasible with a combination of technologies and equipment. For example, combibloc EcoPlus has a special composite structure in which the content of paperboard that is obtained from wood is 82 per cent, giving the carton its rigidity. This paperboard ensures protection from light while the addition of ultra-thin polyamide layer keeps the flavours inside intact. The polyethylene layers form a liquid barrier and also keep the moisture out.
All SIG cartons are delivered to manufacturers as flat-packed sleeves with the longitudinal seams already hygienically sealed. The prefabricated sleeve technology ensures that the product never comes in contact with any uncoated edges.
Inside our filling lines, carton bases are folded and sealed before being sterilized and dried.
After being filled with the sterile product, the sterilized cartons are ultrasonically sealed above the filling level – eliminating any risk of contamination. The ultrasonic sealing process of our filling machines is the differentiator that enables us to ensure food safety in cartons without the use of aluminium.
The alu-free packs do not require any special equipment as they can be filled on standard SIG filling machines with a simple change to the filling parameters.
Sustainability meets convenience
After removing the aluminium layer in our combibloc EcoPlus and SIGNATURE PACK 100, we have gone one step further with our most recent alu-free offering, Heat&Go. This new packaging structure offers the convenience of warm drinks in a carton by using a high-barrier foil alternative that safeguards products in ambient temperature and allows the pack to be microwaved without compromising product quality.
In the next part of the series, we will explore what it takes to offer the world’s first aseptic pack 100% linked to plant-based renewable material taking a deep dive into the mechanics behind circular packaging and mass balancing. Subscribe to the SIGnals Update, our exclusive bi-weekly newsletter, to get the story straight to your inbox.
- May 20, 2021