Valio Gets Outstanding Value For Money
The daily pint of milk, delivered to the doorstep in a glass bottle, is one of the oldest examples of a returnable packaging solution. Arca Systems has brought the use of returnables in the dairy industry right up to date. The company has added a new returnable crate, designed to meet the special requirements of the dairy industry, to its wide range of food industry containers. It has been developed in partnership with Valio, Finland’s biggest food business, a company that takes its environmental responsibilities seriously.
The new product is a special combination crate, designed with a choice of neat inserts, to keep packs of cheese and butter or yoghurt pots secure during storage and distribution to the retailer. Both crate and insert are manufactured from food industry approved polypropylene. In-store, the inserts simply lift out making a very attractive display unit for the products in the chiller cabinet. Once used, crates and inserts stack together for return to the dairy and reuse. Smooth surfaces, inside and out, and a perforated base ensure that the crates are easy to keep clean.
With the introduction of this innovative new product, many UK dairy product manufacturers should be able to make further savings by extending their use of reusable packaging. It is also worth considering that returnables are, currently, exempt from inclusion in the packaging directive’s producer responsibility obligations after the first trip! What’s more businesses investing in dedicated reusable containers are allowed to spread the first use obligation costs over 4 years.
Valio has invested some 2.2 million euros in the new packaging concept for the distribution of its range of processed dairy products. It is part of Valio’s policy to reduce the amount of packaging material it uses through the growth of multipurpose reusable transit packs. As a direct result of this investment, the company expects to reduce the amount of single trip corrugated board packaging it uses by around 3600 tonnes per year.
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