En Route International, a leading provider of food and service solutions for the onboard travel market, has launched an innovative new alternative to plastic lined cardboard packaging, following commitments made as part of its ‘Four the Future’ environmental strategy.
Originally developed by En Route’s in-house design and development teams for a range of hot hand held snacks, the ovenable packaging can be used across a variety of products that require a grease or moisture barrier without the need for plastic, which is environmentally costly to produce and dispose of.
In 2017, 4.1 billion flight passengers generated 5.7 million tonnes of cabin waste. Of that, 30% was single use plastics, equating to approximately 500g per passenger. As the number of flight passengers grows (2018: 4.4 billion), so too is the need to find a meaningful alternative to single-use plastic packaging.
By using natural materials, En Route can now provide the industry globally with a plastic-free solution that offers positive environmental benefits while maintaining the stringent hygiene and quality control standards expected of food packaging.
Its performance is comparable to its predecessor, which would require the plastic lining to be removed before it could be recycled.
En Route’s plastic free alternative is fully recyclable in the paper chain while also being fully biodegradable and compostable.
The launch of this new packaging solution, which can be used across the company’s product range and in all temperature states, is a key part of En Route’s Four the Future environmental strategy. Launched in April this year, it aims to reduce the company’s impact on the environment and help its customers meet their individual environmental targets.
Ed Gatland, design manager at En Route, said: “There is a bigger demand from passengers than ever before for sustainable packaging. This is now one of the most critical issues in our sector and we are very proud of the progress we are making to tackle some of the challenges that our industry is facing.
“In line with our ‘Four the Future’ strategy, we will continue to strive to develop solutions for sustainable skies.”
En Route International Ltd
Assurant House
6-12 Victoria Street
Windsor
SL4 1EN
UK
+44 (0) 1753 465555
