A major British retailer and its convenience food producer have transformed sushi production lines with linerless. Both organisations reached out to Ravenwood Packaging, the ‘leaders in Linerless’, and leading European packaging manufacturer, Coveris, for significantly improving labelling processes. The partnership would also deliver major sustainable benefits for the retailer’s sushi category.
Since fully automating the sushi labelling with linerless, a broad range of benefits have become apparent. These include faster label application speeds coupled with a reduction in manpower, plastic and CO2.
The range includes Korean Style Chicken Dragon Roll, Classic Vegetable Selection, Tuna Snack Pack and Salmon & Prawn Nigiri.
The food producer supplies the UK retailer with convenience foods and ‘food to go’ products, and the sushi category is just one of the ranges they supply. The packaging development team wanted to address the number of labels being applied and tackle plastic reduction across the labelling process. After discussions with both Ravenwood and Coveris, the decision was made to opt for Ravenwood’s linerless technology, after seeing positive results from both current and previous linerless labelling projects. The move would provide a holistic approach and bring about further benefits whilst addressing key objectives.
Before linerless, multiple self-adhesive labels were applied to each sushi pack. These labels included automatically applied top and base labels and manually applied clear plastic tamper proof labels. Since making the switch to the one D wrap linerless label, all information featured to the top and base self-adhesive labels are now featured to the one linerless label. And opting for the D wrap format, has resulted in the sushi packaging now becoming fully tamper proof as the D wrap completely wraps itself around the product. The separate plastic tamper proof tab is no longer required, and the pack aesthetics have also greatly improved.
To complete the transition to linerless, the food producer needed four Ravenwood Nobac 5000 linerless applicators for the project. Two applicators in the factory were repurposed, resulting in two further sleevers being purchased from Ravenwood.
Paul Beamish, Managing Director of Ravenwood said: “Ravenwood and Coveris enjoy a great business partnership and we have worked together on many successful linerless labelling projects. Food retailers and producers regard linerless as a winning formula with a holistic approach for cost effective, consistent, fault free and climate conscious labelling.”
Since fully automating with linerless, labelling speeds have increased to a steady and consistent 100 packs per minute. CO2 emissions have also been greatly reduced resulting in 8,507 kg of CO2 now being saved on an annual basis. Equating to 30% overall.
Craig Bevan who is the Food Fresh Category Director at Coveris said: “This collaboration highlights the exciting possibilities for linerless labels. We are thrilled to have been part of this project to enhance the packaging and reduce the number of packaging components required. In addition, supporting the commitment to sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint”.
Ravenwood’s linerless technology is supplied across a world-wide network of machinery distributors and label converters. Unlike self-adhesive labels, linerless does not feature backing paper. Eliminating the liner carries many benefits and alleviates the need to recycle, incinerate or landfill this by-product. All of these processes come at a financial and environmental cost. Linerless offers a more environmentally friendly and sustainable labelling solution resulting in a much-reduced carbon footprint.
Coveris is a Ravenwood Approved linerless printer and is a leading European packaging company that manufactures flexible and sustainable solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands.
For further information, contact marketing on +44(0)1284 749144.
