The packaging pilot at SPAR Austria’s TANN facility in Marchtrenk also saw the food retailer reduce CO₂ emissions by around 70%.
SPAR Austria decided to review fresh meat packaging ahead of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) being phased in across the EU.
Previously, it packaged fresh minced meat products using a tray-and-lid system and partnered with Sealed Air to explore the move of eliminating the tray.
Cryovac brand MonoPP Flowpack features a range of flexible, high-barrier rollstock and films, which are certified as recyclable by Cyclos-HTP Institute.
In the Marchtrenk pilot, SPAR said the Cryovac solution’s barrier performance matched conventional tray formats for the product range tested, maintaining equivalent shelf life without compromise.
SPAR Austria maintained high-speed packaging of 44 packs per minute, without any increase in waste or reject rates. The reduction in packaging material usage means warehouse operations now require 176 fewer pallets per year.
Roman Auinger, Plant Manager at SPAR TANN Marchtrenk, said tray-and-lid systems have dominated fresh meat packaging for decades, offering product visibility and structural support.
“Working closely with Sealed Air, a tray-free solution was specified, Cryovac brand MonoPP Flowpack, which has helped us to cut plastic by 70%, whilst keeping shelf life and line speed unchanged.”