In Finland, foodstuffs and confectionery major Oy Karl Fazer Ab (Fazer) and compatriot start-up sustainable packaging developer Sulapac Oy have begun collaborating, with the aim of researching, developing and testing plastic-free, biodegradable packaging solutions for foodstuffs. The cooperation, which started in May 2018, aims to start with Fazer launching a confectionery gift box for Christmas 2018 that uses a Sulapac solution.
The collaboration supports Fazer’s strategy and objective of becoming a responsible, modern food company that seeks to reduce the use of plastic used in its product packaging with the help of new technologies and materials.
Fazer points out that while packaging is needed in the food industry to protect the products, to ensure the safety of foodstuffs, to increase the shelf life and ultimately help to reduce food waste and to provide product information to consumers, not all packaging needs to be from fossil-derived plastic.
Fazer is actively involved in discussions on recycling and re-use of packaging waste, as well as the development of new kinds of environmentally friendly packaging solutions, said Nina Elomaa, Corporate Responsibility Director of the Fazer Group.
Sulapac Oy is a young Finnish growth company that develops fully biodegradable packaging materials and solutions that contain no microplastics. Sulapac is an award-winning packaging innovation made from woodchips and natural, biodegradable binders. The woodchips come from sustainably managed forests.
Fazer says it wants to “reform” the food sector and to promote more extensive and transparent cooperation with universities, companies in different areas, and new startups. An ecosystem that produces innovations promotes a renewal of the food sector and provides new entrepreneurs with opportunities for growth, collaboration, and networking.
Fazer can offer strong consumer and food expertise to interesting startups. Entrepreneurship is a natural part of Fazer, a company that has scaled up over 126 years from the innovative business idea of a single business owner to the leading producer of food and food services in the Baltic region, said Päivi Juolahti, Head of Fazer Lab, Fazer’s research and innovation unit.
Premium products can also be responsible
With the new cooperation, Fazer will support Sulapac’s research and development into food packaging to develop a Sulapac packaging material for food packaging, and to be the first food company using this unique innovation in its packages.
Collaborating with Fazer is an excellent opportunity to develop and learn together. It also shows that we can meet extremely demanding quality requirements. We will start with premium products, but the aim is to make Sulapac material available for all consumers around the world, said Suvi Haimi, CEO, and co-founder of Sulapac.
The current plan is that consumers will get their first taste of the cooperation between Fazer and Sulapac when Fazer launches assorted confectionery in biodegradable packaging that contains no microplastics.
