• Detpak has produced a paper-based platter box for Subway.
    Detpak has produced a paper-based platter box for Subway.
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A partnership between Detpak and Subway aims to remove 26 garbage trucks full of plastic from the environment each year through the design of a new fibre-based catering platter.

Global sandwich chain, Subway, says it will replace its plastic takeaway catering trays with the 100 per cent kerbside recyclable platters, which will be manufactured in ANZ by Detpak, a subsidiary of South Australian packaging business Detmold Group.

Designed and tested at Detpak’s LaunchPad R&D laboratory in Adelaide, South Australia, the company says the new fibre-based catering platter, which has been designed for easy assemble and efficient storage and transportation, will see 205 tonnes of plastic removed from the environment each year.

Detpak Group general manager Product & Brand, Keith Bishop, said the sustainable initiative was an excellent example of how strong collaboration with industry partners such as Subway delivered innovative sustainable packaging solutions.

“Assisting brands with their sustainable packaging and reducing single-use plastic is key to Detpak’s commitment to the environment and social responsibility,” he said.

Managing director for Subway Australia and New Zealand, Shane Bracken, said replacing Subway’s catering platter with a 100 per cent recyclable alternative, worked towards the aim of designing 100 per cent of packaging to be recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable.

“Packaging, in particular, plays a huge role in the choices we make towards our sustainability commitments. It’s critical that we’re considering the circular economy and how our packaging can be better designed for sustainability through its entire lifecycle, versus focusing only on the end product and how it is disposed of,” he said.

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