NWP portfolio company Petainer, has helped Orkla Foods Sweden achieve award winning sustainability results and improved product quality through the use of PET preforms and the development of bespoke barrier materials and technologies.
By using petainerSmallContainer™ PET preforms for its Felix ketchup, Orkla can blow-mould on-site eliminating the need to transport empty bottles to its plant in Fågelmara in southern Sweden, ultimately reducing carbon dioxide shipping emissions by 90%.
Annemieke Hartman-Jemmett, Petainer’s group commercial strategy director comments: “With preforms we are reducing transport costs, increasing operational flexibility with less storage and easier handling and, of course, achieving significant savings in emissions. For brand-owners, shippers and retailers, the integrity of PET containers means fewer breakages and therefore less waste.”
The environmental benefits achieved resulted in Orkla winning the prestigious Packaging Sustainability Award in Sweden for its new Felix ketchup bottle in 2014.*
Brand Manager at Orkla Foods, Lars-Erik Jönsson, says, “The Swedish Packaging Industry Award is an acknowledgment that we have succeeded in making and supplying packaging that is both kinder to the environment and more convenient for consumers. It also reinforces Petainer’s sustainability credentials which were strengthened in 2014 with a new Zero Waste programme to promote behavioural changes that actively reduce environmental impact.”
Orkla sells a Felix product on average every three seconds in Sweden which has a high consumption of ketchup, so product quality and convenience is hugely important. Ketchup is highly sensitive to UV light and its shelf life is dependent on a number of factors, including exposure to oxygen. Petainer worked alongside Orkla to develop UV barrier materials and filling technology that actively removes oxygen in the bottle to extend shelf-life to up to 18 months, improving quality and reducing waste.
Åke Larsson, Petainer’s Nordic Sales Director adds, “Food companies increasingly have a responsibility to minimise their impact on the environment. Equally important, of course, is that they listen to consumers and understand what they demand from products. Felix is a premium ketchup with very high specifications to ensure its quality, end-user convenience and sustainability.
“Petainer is one of Europe’s leading designers and manufacturers of PET preforms. In addition, we are a high volume manufacturer of complete containers for the food, brewing and water industries. We can support our customers’ container blowing operations with technical assistance and consultancy. We can also offer customers the option of a full service contract or the supply of preforms only.”
