New Seasons Market adopts sustainable PaperSeal® tray packaging

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Mar 30, 2022, 06:30 ET

ATLANTA, March 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global provider of fiber-based consumer packaging, Graphic Packaging International ('Graphic Packaging') is helping grocer New Seasons Market to build on its commitment to the highest levels of environmental stewardship.

The company's PaperSeal® tray product – which was developed in partnership with world leader in tray sealing technology, G. Mondini – has been selected as a winning solution by New Seasons Market to replace the plastic clamshells currently used on the grocer's Partner Brand Fresh Pasta.

New Seasons Market's product in Graphic Packaging's PaperSeal tray

The new PaperSeal tray-packed pasta will appear in stores beginning this April and will enable New Seasons Market to eliminate 120,000 plastic packs from entering waste streams each year.

Ricardo De Genova, senior vice president of global innovation and new business development at Graphic Packaging, says: "The PaperSeal tray is a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic food packaging trays. Since its launch, it has been widely adopted across Europe, Japan and Australia, winning numerous sustainability awards, and has become a go-to choice for businesses looking to reduce plastic use in their packaging while maintaining freshness."

Available in multiple formats, including modified atmosphere (MAP), vacuum skin (VSP) and non-MAP top-seal trays, PaperSeal can be used to pack fresh and processed meat, chilled and frozen ready meals, cheese, snacks, salad, fruit and more.

It combines a paperboard tray, which is produced using renewable fiber sourced from sustainably managed forests, with a film that can be easily separated post-use. As they are made from paper, PaperSeal trays offer high levels of recyclability and can be recycled through existing curbside collection programs when the liner is removed. They also offer a significant reduction in plastic usage compared to traditional trays. For example, by switching to PaperSeal trays for its Partner Brand Fresh Pasta, New Seasons Market will use 91 percent less plastic in each pack.

"We're constantly assessing the trade-offs between product preservation, upstream material impact, and downstream disposal opportunities in our packaging work, and our customers expect our leadership in this area," said Athena Petty, senior sustainability manager at New Seasons Market. "The decision to adopt PaperSeal packaging reflects the process we take when making decisions, and this change is a positive step to balance our impacts on people, the planet, and our business."

About Graphic Packaging International
Graphic Packaging International, LLC, the primary operating subsidiary of Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is committed to providing consumer packaging that makes a world of difference. The Company is a leading provider of sustainable paper-based packaging solutions for a wide variety of products to food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer products companies. The Company operates on a global basis, is one of the largest producers of folding cartons and paper-based foodservice products in the United States, and holds leading market positions in coated recycled paperboard, coated unbleached kraft paperboard and solid bleached sulfate paperboard. The Company's customers include many of the world's most widely recognized companies and brands. Additional information about Graphic Packaging, its business and its products is available on the Company's web site at www.graphicpkg.com

SOURCE Graphic Packaging Holding Company