Cascades expands eco-friendly packaging line with recyclable tray

Cascades Inc., a Kingsey Falls, Quebec-based packaging producer, has announced the expansion of its eco-friendly packaging line with the addition of a 100-percent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tray which can be widely recycled in Canada and is recyclable in limited communities in the United States.

The company says the composition of its tray and optimized design for recycling make it an alternative to other hard-to-recycle food packaging, and adds that the design makes the tray compatible with packaging equipment already in use by food processors and retailers.

"This latest innovation is the fruit of our continuous efforts to find more sustainable solutions and develop a truly circular economy for food packaging," says Luc Langevin, president and chief operating officer of Cascades' specialty products group.

According to Cascades, the PET tray took three years of research to develop what it calls a unique design that allows for minimal use of materials while ensuring optimal rigidity, and its rolled edges reduce the risk of tearing when using shrink-wrap, helping to prevent food waste. The company also says the desire to include the product in the "logic of circular economy" was a priority from the outset of its design.

The material used to manufacture the tray is compliant with U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada requirements and made in an SQF-certified facility, according to Cascades.

The tray is manufactured in Quebec at Cascades' Inopak facility, which has gained more than $30 million from an investment program aimed at supporting the development of packaging made from 100-percent recycled PET flakes. The investments are part of Cascades' plan to grow its eco-friendly packaging footprint in North America and contribute to what the company says is an achievement of one of its goals in its Sustainability Action Plan which is that 100 percent of its manufactured packaging be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030.

In February, Cascades unveiled its three-year strategic update, which pointed to projected growth in the tissue sector and increased containerboard capacity thanks to its Bear Island, Virginia, mill project. Company President Mario Plourde at the time referred to Cascades as the sixth-largest containerboard producer in North America and added that one of its top priorities was the Bear Island project as well as "accelerating the pace of new sustainable product development and commercial launches."