Vegan food producer Upfield has launched a plastic-free, recyclable tub for its butters and spreads.
The firm began rolling out the innovative packaging for Flora Plant items in Austria shortly before Christmas.
It aims to replace up to 2 billion plastic containers with the new solution, comprised of compressed wet paper fibres, by the end of this decade.
Upfield worked for four years with science firm Footprint, mold labels producer MCC Verstraete and decoration specialist Pagès Group to come up with the innovation.
The tubs, which are waterproof, oil-proof and recyclable as paper waste, have received Plastic Free Certification and are intended to be stamped as suitable for home composting by 2025.
Upfield chief executive David Haines said: “We take our responsibility to make a positive impact on the world seriously.
“Globally, 40 per cent of all plastic produced is for packaging that is used once and then discarded. It is clear that the issue of plastic waste is one of the most critical facing our environment.
“When we established Upfield, innovating our way out of plastic tubs was our moon-shot and I am very proud of all Upfielders that continue to work towards this goal.
“We’re excited about the potential to launch this across our most iconic brands in some of our most important markets.”
Yoke Chung, chief technology and innovation officer at Footprint, added: “We are proud to collaborate with Upfield on this transformative endeavour, as it resonates with our shared objective of assisting customers in realising their sustainability goals.”
