Cascades launches recyclable Respak for packaging

The Kingsey Falls, Quebec-based paper and packing firm Cascades has introduced a new product called Respak, which the company says is a substitute to the use of polycoated packaging products. The new product has been designed primarily for the food and food services industries.

Cascades says that Respak is recyclable and compostable, all the while maintaining the performance and durability characteristics of traditional polycoated packaging.

Conversely, Cascades points out that polycoated packaging, while providing strength for customers, is not a recyclable product.

“The development of Respak goes hand in hand with the company’s values of respect for the environment and innovation that have made Cascades a leader in eco-friendly packaging for 50 years,” says Marc-André Dépin, president and CEO of Norampac, the Cascades group specializing in packaging solutions. “As the designers and producers of Respak, we are very pleased to be the first to offer the packaging and food industries, as well as consumers, a green alternative that will significantly reduce the impact of food consumption on waste.”

The company claims that based on results from a preliminary life cycle assessment, Respak’s environmental impact is 50 percent less than that of the polycoated cardboard currently in use.

Cascades adds that Respak complies with the main food safety standards, including those established by the Food and Drug Administration for packaging that comes in contact with dry, aqueous and fatty foods.