SÜDPACK is the recipient of two German Packaging Awards. The German Packaging Award’s jury honored the film manufacturer with a recyclable bag for cheese ripening in the “new material” category and a recyclable film concept for blister packaging for solid applications in the “sustainability/recyclability” category. Both solutions are based on recyclable mono-material with material efficiency and reduced carbon footprints. On September 13, the SÜDPACK and SÜDPACK Medica teams accepted the two awards during the traditional ceremony in Berlin. The polyethylene-based concept has been certified with a recyclability of 96% by the Institute cyclos-HTP. 

Compared to conventional film structures, this packaging reduces resource consumption by 23% by using a thinner film measuring 30 µm in thickness while maintaining the same functionality. SÜDPACK has reduced the carbon footprint by -52 g. CO₂/m², or 19%. “These results could indeed be of particular interest to milk processors who operate internationally and who are focusing more and more on sustainable packaging concepts,” says Haux. 

 “With our Tubular Bag PurePE, we have an ideal substitute for conventional PA/PE structures because it maintains the same high requirements for product protection and functionality. This covers the individual barrier properties that are essential for cheese ripening, the maturation process and puncture resistance.” The packaging concept reportedly has efficient processing on full and semi-automatic packaging machines. 

SÜDPACK Medica’s PP-based and recyclable film concept for blister packaging has also been launched on the market. The base and lidding films produced in a coextrusion process feature transparency and barrier functionality. “What is worth particular mention is the excellent water vapor barrier thanks to having PP as the base material,” adds Haux. 

A life cycle assessment conducted by Sphera has revealed that the packaging concept is associated with a reduced climate impact (in CO2-eq) of up to 47% and lower energy and water consumption compared to other commonly used PVC/PVdC and aluminum blister solutions. 

With the 46th German Packaging Award ceremony, 34 innovations from Germany, England, the Netherlands and Austria were distinguished this year. What impressed the independent jury was the “high quality, diversity and range of the submissions as well as the clear focus in the areas of sustainability, circular economy and climate and environmental protection.” 

The winners received their awards on September 13 in Berlin’s Meistersaal at Potsdamer Platz. SÜDPACK and SÜPACK Medica, teams came from the Application Technology, Business Development, Sales and Sustainability departments. The jury says, “With its [PharmaGuard ] use of PP as a successful alternative to conventional, non-recyclable blister packaging, making it a recyclable packaging solution. The very good shaping of the cavities of the blister and the balanced PP-based covering film, which showed a clear functionality, are particularly noteworthy in this development.”

The jury’s statement for the Tubular Bag PurePE concept concluded that it “succeeded in converting an existing PA/PE packaging into a mono-solution through successfully selecting and combining innovative granulates, whilst at the same time ensuring the functional barrier for cheese ripening as well as puncture resistance required for this product. On top of this, the material reduction of 23% compared to conventional cheese maturing bags was impressive.”