KÖLLA is aware of the importance of sustainable packaging and wants to contribute to its consistent implementation. “Since 2017, we have been working on a concept for our core competence, grapes. The packaging of loose grapes had to become more sustainable,” says Italy expert Angela D‘Antuono. “At that time, KÖLLA already packed part of the loose goods in paper bags to save on using the separating strips made of foam and to test the acceptance of paper packaging.” In 2018, KÖLLA developed a separator strip model that reduced by 50% the foam separators in multi-way trays.
However the goal of completely moving away from foam and thus avoiding lots of packaging waste had not yet been achieved. The research continued. Then in 2019, a discovery that could be put to test. A strip of paper, strong enough to hold the grapes, covered with a layer of natural wax, allowing it to be coloured and also compostable. After extensive testing, this version was presented to the food retailers. Firstly in a unprinted version and since 2020 in the customers’ design.
With this development, KÖLLA has reduced packaging waste by more than 1.3 million foam separators in the season of 2019/2020 alone. Accordingly, only compostable paper separator strips will be used for KÖLLA’s own brands OTELLO and Emilie in 2021.