In a collaborative endeavor, SABIC, Lamb Weston, and OPACKGROUP have engaged in a value chain initiative to produce sustainable packaging for frozen pre-fried potato products. This innovative packaging utilizes SABIC polymer made from mass-balance certified bio-renewable feedstock derived from used frying oil, leading to a 30% reduction in carbon footprint and a 20% decrease in coextrusion film thickness. Lamb Weston has become the first in the industry to utilize such packaging since its market introduction in September.
The sustainable packaging solution is part of a closed-loop process, incorporating at least 60% bio-renewable polymer material into the packaging, which is sourced from used cooking oil collected from Lamb Weston's production processes. This initiative falls under SABIC's TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio, aiming to enhance circularity by converting used cooking oil into certified bio-renewable polymers like SABIC® HDPE and SUPEER™ mLLDPE. These polymers are then transformed by Oerlemans Plastics, a member of OPACKGROUP, into a multilayer PE film for packaging Lamb Weston's products.
Khaled Al-Jalawi, Global Director of Circular Economy Business at SABIC, emphasized the project's role in demonstrating circularity by reutilizing used cooking oil to produce circular polymers designed for recyclability. Sebastiaan Besems, VP Commercial EMEA at Lamb Weston, highlighted the growing consumer demand for sustainable packaging and the company's commitment to meeting this demand with their bio-circular retail packaging solution. Laura Hanegraaf, Sales Manager at Oerlemans Plastics, also remarked on the significance of the project in promoting low carbon and renewable products within the industry.
The new packaging, which has an average unit weight of only 10 grams due to a 20% reduction in film thickness, not only contributes to a 30% lower carbon footprint but also meets the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and U.S. Federal Drug & Food Administration (FDA) requirements for food-contact. Following thorough testing, Lamb Weston launched the first frozen potato products in this new packaging in the UK and the Netherlands in September.
Source: SABIC