Bonduelle, a provider of plant-based food products in Europe, partnered with ExxonMobil and Constantia Drukpol to develop a recyclable, non-laminated freezer film that aligns with its sustainability goals and meets the rigorous demands of freezer packaging.
The project aimed to transition from traditional laminated metallised films to a mono-material polyethylene (PE) solution, enhancing recyclability and reducing complexity.
ExxonMobil and Constantia Drukpol collaborated to create a packaging solution that they say not only meets the functional requirements of freezer films, such as sealability, mechanical strength, and puncture resistance, but also supports Bonduelle’s commitment to a circular economy.
Utilising ExxonMobil’s Exceed polyethylene, the new film reportedly achieved better performance in puncture and tear resistance, especially for challenging-to-pack vegetables like spinach and broccoli. This development enables Bonduelle to meet its 2025 goal of 100 per cent recyclable or reusable packaging and represents a step forward in reducing plastic usage, with a 25 per cent reduction in packaging material for its frozen product range in France, it said.
“For our retail Frozen Bag Category, we wanted to replace our historical multi-material metallised film since it was difficult to recycle,” said Arnaud Warusfel, packaging development manager at Bonduelle Europe Long Life. “We selected a mono-material PE solution without adhesives so it can be easier to recycle compared to multi-material solutions. We faced many challenges during the development process but managed to overcome them due to the technical expertise of Constantia Drukpol and ExxonMobil.”
