The Italian-made 100 g chocolates in the Rapunzel portfolio are protected by packaging material that consists of very thin paper (only 35 g/ m2) bonded with a metallized bio film. The metallization is vapor-deposited, making this layer 400 times thinner than conventional coatings. Nevertheless, it protects the products just as well. The bio film is made from 80 % renewable resources (corn starch) and vegetable oil. All the corn that is used for the production of the film is grown in Europe and all materials are guaranteed GMO-free.DisposalThe novel package material was certified by the TÜV as industrially compostable. In Germany, however, the packagaing cannot be disposed of in the organic waste bin, because the retention time of the organic waste in the composting plants is too short for a complete degradation. In other European countries, however, e.g. in Italy, the packaging material can be discarded in the organic waste. In Germany, the packaging should be disposed of in the yellow pastic refuse bin.
The film that we use to package our hero coffee is made from 49 percent to 67 percent renewable resources. It is produced in a CO2-neutral way. Sugar cane is the main renewable resource that is used for the production of this bio film. Conventional PET and PE plastic materials are the other ingredients. At this point, we cannot yet entirely dispense with these plastic components, because they form a reliable barrier against humidity and odor, making them important for product and aroma protection. Moreover, bio films cannot yet ensure a sufficient stability nor an adequate sealing of the package.
Rapunzel uses plastic materials, such as extra thin plastic foils, very sparingly. The plastic foils that we use consist of PP, PE or PET.For the packaging of beans, lentils and peas, cereals and oilseeds we invested in a new, state-of-the-art, highly-efficient packaging plant with an optimized plastic bag output. This machine helps to save nearly 20 tons of plastic foil per year.The packagings for the special nuts as well as the refill bags for the organic mints have been switched to aluminium-free materials and consist of a plastic-paper-composites.In spite the current criticism of plastic materials, these materials also have many benefits. Plastic foils are machinable, can be adapted to different product sizes, protect the products perfectly against external influences and can be sealed. In addition, food products packaged in plastic can be transported more economically due to their lower weight.