Packaging at Josera
When we talk about super premium pet food, the focus of course is on the quality of what's inside our food bags and tins. But the packaging must also be right if the contents are going to meet the highest standards.
What might have seemed like a pioneering solution a few years ago may already have been surpassed by the latest designs. With a view to constant improvement, we are always open to new concepts and regularly review our processes. Our latest change has probably led you to this page: Our new packaging material!
Due to new draft EU legislation combined with constantly evolving technological possibilities and more advanced knowledge, we now have access to completely new solutions when it comes to sustainable, practical packaging for our food products. With the new packaging size, we now want to gradually switch from a composite material to a monoplastic (single-polymer plastic).
This is new:
- The material is now a fully recyclable plastic that can be fed into the circular economy
- The new material offers even better protection for our food
- The largest packaging unit is being changed to a more manageable 12.5 kg or 10 kg (no hidden price increase).
- The zip has been adapted but still ensures resealable, secure packaging
The demand for really good packaging
Packaging has to fulfil a multitude of tasks and requirements. First and foremost is product protection and that our products retain their freshness and taste throughout the entire minimum shelf life. In addition, our packaging ensures that products pass through logistical processes in good condition and arrive safely at our customers - so that they are transportable. And of course, it has to look good and make a great impression on our customers - after all, it serves as a communication tool and is the first thing they see when they go shopping, for example.
Product protection always comes first for us, because the most valuable and resource-intensive thing, our products, must be well protected. And in this sense, product protection is of course also a question of sustainability: how long and how well can the packaging used protect the product? Are there more efficient ways? Here we always weigh up the best durability of the product and the idea of sustainability. A calculation that is not always so easy, that we often have to rebuild and that we are continuously working on.
Honestly explained: Our big goal
With optimal product protection in mind, we aim to reduce our use of materials to the absolute minimum, significantly increase recyclability, and use more sustainable, environmentally friendly materials wherever possible. And let's be very clear: this change does not come with a hidden price increase!
The four Rs - the paths to sustainable packaging
One or two people who are concerned with sustainability and packaging have certainly heard of the "four Rs". Basically, these are four ways to make packaging more sustainable. We took a close look at all four to determine what is the right path for us.
This means avoiding packaging waste and is basically the best option for now, as long as it works for the product. Pet food without packaging? Unthinkable today.
Over many years, together with our suppliers, we have always continuously developed our packaging materials to make them as thin as possible. All this, of course, without losing sight of product protection.
A good example - our cat food pouches
By switching from individual bags to tubular bags for the 2 kg bags of cat food in 2018, we save 4.1 tonnes of plastic every year. Further optimisation of the format in 2019 led to a further reduction of plastic by 3.4 tonnes per year. For example, we now save 7.5 tonnes (- 22.7 %) of plastic per year on cat products in 2 kg bags. By the way, that's the equivalent of about 1,500 big cats!
We have also looked at and gone through this system several times for our Josera pet food. So far, however, we have unfortunately not been able to develop a sensible system that enables the reuse of our packaging. Challenges here include issues such as: cleanliness of the packaging and product protection, logistical challenges (stackability, transport of air in rigid packaging), handling by customers, return options, deposits and the costs. Unfortunately, these are very unrealistic in relation to the benefits. Therefore, this R is also not a solution for us at the moment.
Once the previous three options have been exhausted, there is still the issue of recycling to minimise the negative environmental impact. When recycling, care should be taken to use only one material if possible in order to prevent mixing in the waste facilities. Finally, new plastics (so-called regranulates) can best be obtained from them. Composite materials made of different plastic layers must therefore be avoided and are not really recyclable.
The big goal: a closed cycle
After extensive analyses, product tests and discussions of the various possibilities, our declared goal is to ensure that our packaging can be recycled. So that our packaging can also become new packaging again. For this to be possible, it is necessary that our packaging is recyclable.
Recyclable means that the recyclable material can also be sorted and reused after disposal via the yellow bag or the yellow bin. Unfortunately, this is not so easy with many mixed materials.
That is why we are working on optimising our packaging, but we also make sure that new products are already recyclable during the development process. This means that our packaging can remain a resource within the cycle. This is what we call Design4Recycling and the circular economy.
That's why we focus on recyclability & circular economy
By contributing to the gradual conversion of packaging, we are helping to close the circular economy. Through the permanent presence of recyclable packaging, markets can ensure that they always have enough material for their products made of recyclable material in good quality. This is the basis for other manufacturers to be able to use recycled material permanently for their products and to be able to do without plastics from crude oil-based sources.
Why plastic?
- Plastic is lightweight, has good mechanical properties and is ideal for protecting the product. It is therefore multifunctional and can be adapted precisely to the product to be packaged.
- The use of plastic as flexible packaging, such as a bag or feed sack, is particularly resource-saving!