• Kuraray (Plantic Technologies Ltd) PlanticR bio-based package for Cole’s Lean Mince Australian Beef advances the next-generation genre of hybrid packaging
  • The eco-responsible package enables retailers and brand owners to achieve their sustainability goals without compromising product quality, shelf life or performance

Package Focus
Brand and Product Name: Plantic Technology Ltd, Plantic™ R
Primary Package: Bio-based ultra-high barrier film material
Product Category: Retail processed meat

 
Package Innovative Factors: The technology combines the best of recyclable materials (polyethylene terephthalate/PET) and Plantic’s bio based ultra-high barrier material, which dramatically increases the shelf life of packaged meats.

 
Ranked as the world’s 7th largest producer of beef, Australia takes great pride in its cattle industry heritage and the quality of the beef products it produces. Now, with the introduction of a “next-generation” package material, Australian consumers have a reason to be even more confident in the home-grown meat products they buy.

 
Cole’s Supermarkets has recently begun to offer its own-label brand of lean minced beef in a revolutionary new package. Plantic™ R is a bio-based, renewable and recyclable plastic material with ultra-high barrier. The Plantic™ R package, produced by Plantic Technology Ltd – with offices, manufacturing, and R&D facilities in Australia – is a multilayer film converted from thin layers of PET over a core layer of renewably sourced, high-barrier Plantic™ HP, which provides the oxygen and gas barrier, while the PET provides moisture and water vapour barrier.

 
This next-generation material is a boon to Australia’s beef industry that is estimated to be worth AUD$4bn, as it affords dramatically increased shelf life of packaged meats. That increase in shelf life gives consumers greater confidence that the beef will be fresher at the time of purchase. According to Mintel research, freshness is the leading attribute consumers seek in food packaging.

 
Adding to the shelf-life advantages of the Plantic™ R package material, unlike typical multilayer films, Plantic™ is soluble. The HP barrier layer is washed away and, according to the manufacturer, biodegrades in the recycling process, while the PET layer is recovered.
In addition to being renewable and recyclable, the Plantic™ R packaging requires approximately half of the energy to produce than traditional fossil fuel plastics.

 
While these eco-attributes may not be readily apparent to consumers, Cole’s has exploited a show-and-tell design scheme. One half of the film lidding is clear, which allows shoppers to visually inspect the beef product, while the other half has very succinct on-pack messaging. That communication includes a ‘No-hormones Added’ claim, which according to Mintel Global New Products Database, is one of the top five fastest growing claims in the category. Also included is an easy to read and understand visual graphic that provides directions for proper disposing of the tray and film, both of which are recyclable. The pack also proudly displays the ‘Product of Australia’ certification logo.

 
Perhaps most impressively, the technical and consumer-facing elements of this package innovation have not gone unnoticed by the global packaging community. Cole’s use of the Plantic™ R packaging innovation, has earned it the lofty status as a ‘Diamond Finalist’ in the 2017 DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation. This global, independently juried competition cited the package for its excellence in technical achievement, responsible packaging, and enhanced user experience. The DuPont competition is generally considered the most prestigious packaging competition in the world, honouring brands, technologies, and processes that demonstrate major advancements in packaging technology that address the diverse and particular needs of consumers in markets around the world.

Mintel point of view

  • Plantic™ enables retailers and brand owners to achieve their sustainability goals without compromising product quality, shelf life or performance
  • Brands using Plantic™ can build eco-equity among consumers, who increasingly expect big companies to do more to protect and preserve the environment than they could as individuals
  • Cole’s could have built greater equity among consumers and capitalised on the investment in the Plantic™ technology, by bringing the story, attributes, and actionable end-of-life scenario of the technology to consumers’ attentions, simply with on-pack messaging

A video describing Cole’s use of the Plantic™ R package innovation can be viewed here
Mintel is the leading global consumer market intelligence agency. David Luttenberger is a Global Packaging Director at Mintel, with over 25 years of diverse global packaging experience.