The innovations form part of Linpac's LINbake range, which includes bakery bags supplied in pre-made sizes or on-the-reel, its SmartBox cake boxes, trays, paper film laminate and hinged boxes, trays and lids.
Barbara Laing, divisional communications manager for Linpac, commented that its packaging developments were prompted by a combination of requests from the sector as well as Linpac recognizing that there was a gap in the market for more sustainable bakery packaging materials.
Its LINbake Lite range of hinged boxes, trays and lids is made from crystal clear APET and is suitable for use with multiple cakes and pies.
Where environmental standards or specifications need to be met, the LINbake Lite range is now also available in an RLite version, which the company said is based on post-consumer-recyclate to help companies meet local ‘eco-tax’ requirements and to meet the growing demand from consumers for a product with stronger green credentials.
Laing explained that the RLite version incorporates “not less than 50 per cent RPET" in the boxes, trays and lids.
And, while confirming that challenges exist in terms of a ready supply of RPET for food packaging uses, Laing told BakeryandSnacks.com that Linpac has developed strong relationships with numerous suppliers of the material to prevent any bottlenecks in deliveries.
The company also said that its new paper laminate film is available as a barrier or OPP film and can be heat sealed to provide maximum product freshness.
The paper laminate can also be used for automatic sandwich and snack wrapping.
Laing said that the paper laminate is "an alternative to the current film used on Flowpak type machines and offers an alternative style of wrap for morning goods. It can be barrier coated and, when combined with modified atmosphere packaging, offers an extension to the product shelf life reducing food wastage."
She said that bakery bags in the range offer an alternative to plastic bags for sliced bread, commonly used by most bakers. The bags come in pre-made sizes or can be supplied ‘on the reel’ for use with in-store automatic bagging machinery and have a 60mm or 80mm window panel option.
Linpac maintains that the bags have a low carbon footprint. “Furthermore, a paper bread bag is easier to recycle in comparison to the plastic standard,” argues Laing.