Singapore-headquartered VektroPack, which recently opened an Australian office, has launched kerbside recyclable paper-based packaging for Coles’ Bake & Create and Simply baking chocolate range. Recyclability has been verified by Opal.
The move to replace traditional plastic based flexible film with VektroPack’s High Barrier Paper Flex product aligns with VektroPack’s commitment to sustainability, and will play a big part in helping brands meet APCO’s 2025 national packaging targets, the company says. The shift to paper-based film will remove plastic from the recycling stream, and facilitate kerbside recycling of the material by end users.
The fully recyclable coated paper was developed in-house by VektroPack. The proprietary coating is a new technology brought to market after a year of research and development.
“Our High Barrier Paper Flex is a truly unique product, and a great option for food manufacturing businesses looking to meet and exceed sustainability targets without compromising on shelf life and packaging performance,” said VektroPack’s managing director Robin Thumar, who spearheaded the development of the product.
According to VektroPack, the High Barrier Paper Flex film offers performance comparable to that of traditional plastic-based films, in terms of moisture and oxygen barrier properties as well as sealing performance. The company confirms it has also been independently tested for recyclability by Opal to ensure it meets the requirements to pass through the recycle stream without any issues.
“We have done the testing to ensure our packaging meets our customers' expectations and works under existing packing and recycling conditions with minimal changes to existing processes,” Thumar said.
Coles is just one of the companies VektroPack supplies in Australia, where its customer base has been expanding in the 10 years it has been in operation. Headquartered in Singapore, the company has recently opened an Australian corporate office based in Southbank, Melbourne.
“We are really excited to be launching cutting edge products like High Barrier Paper Flex. We have a sales and technical team based right here in Melbourne working on developing new sustainable packaging options to present to the marketplace,” Jason Grech, general manager VektroPack Australia told PKN.
VektroPack’s High Barrier Paper Flex is one of many products in its sustainable packaging product portfolio, which also includes traditional flexibles, rigid and fibreboard packaging, which it supplies to both Australian and Asian customers.
The company says it has committed significant investment into the Australian arm of its business to further enhance its ability to provide Australian manufacturers with sustainable and cost-effective packaging solutions.
