With OutNature, PreZero is developing new and sustainable fibre and paper products for packaging solutions. Following a successful pilot phase, the new packaging based on the silphium plant will first of all be introduced in the Fruit & Vegetable department in Kaufland stores.
“OutNature’s sustainable concept has allowed the new cup plant packaging to strengthen the identity of our ‘K-Bio’ own-brand”, says Jürgen Schartschinski, Head of Purchasing Fruit & Vegetable at Kaufland. “Vegetables including cress, white and brown mushrooms, and tomatoes will be the first to be offered in the innovative packaging.”
The Silphie-paper can be used in a multitude of paper applications. The focus is on packaging applications, particularly those which come into direct contact with food. Dietmar Böhm, COO PreZero, adds, “The launch of our silphium plant packaging at Kaufland is an outstanding starting point for OutNature’s market entry and will enable us to impress other customers with our innovative packaging solutions in future. With OutNature, we are unlocking a completely new source of raw materials and we will continue to forge new paths.”
OutNature received the German Packaging Award in the ‘New Material’ category at the end of 2020 for the novel idea of manufacturing sustainable packaging from silphium plant fibers. At the start of 2021, this was followed by the World Packaging Organisation’s (WPO) WorldStar Awards in the ‘Packaging Materials & Components’ category.
What makes the idea so special is that the silphium plant is an energy crop that has previously been exclusively used to produce biogas. OutNature uses a biothermal method to separate the plant fibres before bioenergy generation and enables its use as a new raw material produced in Germany. Besides replacing paper and cardboard packaging, silphium plant products will also be tested as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging in future.
