Ence Energía y Celulosa SA

08/20/2021 | Press release | Archived content

Ence and PackBenefit join forces to supply sustainable and safe food trays

Ence, European leader in eucalyptus pulp production, and PackBenefit, a company specialized in the production of ecological packaging, have joined forces to launch to European markets - mainly France, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden or Austria - innovative food trays. This product, based on sustainability and food safety, made with natural fibers, compostable, easily recyclable and a substitute for plastic material, is intended for use in collective catering (such as school and work canteens) or for prepared foods ('food- to-go ').

Recently, PackBenefit, based in Valladolid (Spain), has introduced Ence's short fiber cellulose in this type of trays intended for food use. It is, in detail, Decocell pulp, belonging to the Ence Advanced series of special products, with properties that allow them to replace plastic and long-fiber cellulose in multiple uses (materials with which, until now, this type of food packaging). The characteristics of this cellulose make it especially suitable. In addition, they allow the incorporation of increasingly valued aspects such as sustainability, safety in the use of materials in direct contact with food, and the ability to keep the content in optimal conditions, thus avoiding food waste. The use of a raw material of national origin also implies a lower carbon footprint of the final product.

In parallel, Ence and PackBenefit continue to develop R&D projects related to the application of microcelluloses and nanocelluloses in these types of products. This joint work aims to produce containers with greater resistance to heat and greater impermeability, which will mean greater versatility of this type of trays, and an optimization in the preservation of food.

Ence and PackBenefit share their firm commitment to the circular bioeconomy, by providing products made with natural, renewable, biodegradable and recyclable fibers, replacing others made with raw materials of fossil origin. Both companies are world pioneers in obtaining EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for their cellulose and their packaging, respectively, and they work to offer society sustainable alternatives within the framework of the implementation of the SUP (Single Use Plastic) directive to reduce the impact of certain plastics on the environment.