IICC best packaging solution award recognises new colour and design modifications
A pack produced by Berry Global for Norwegian ice cream manufacturer Diplom-Is’s Royal brand has won the International Ice Cream Consortium (IlCC) award for best packaging solution. Key factors in the decision included the introduction of a new non-carbon black colour to improve recyclability, and design adjustments that improve efficiency and reduce waste during production.
Thanks to its collaboration with Berry, Diplom-Is has pioneered the use of the non-carbon black, making the plastic containers for Royal ice cream easier to recycle for the first time.
“Our switch to non-carbon black has resulted in up to 130 tonnes of plastic annually going from being unrecyclable to becoming easier for recycling*,” says the company’s Packaging Developer Almantas Dubra.
Unlike traditional carbon black, the new non-carbon black containers are detectable by Near Infra-Red (NIR) scanners for waste sorting processes. This means that they can be identified for recycling purposes. Berry employs a specific high-quality non-carbon black masterbatch with special pigments to further enhance NIR technology detection and sorting.
As a further example of its commitment to packaging innovation, Diplom-Is, with the assistance of Berry, has also introduced a design tweak for its 0.9-litre Royal containers to address issues of boxes sometimes sticking together during production. According to Diplom-Is, the alteration has significantly diminished plastic waste in Diplom-Is’ production.
"We are constantly striving for improvement, and our work on the Royal portfolio exemplifies this," says Almantas Dubra.
Find out more about Berry’s non-carbon black packaging solutions: https://www.berryglobal.com/en/news/articles/non-carbon-black-masterbatch-increases-recycling-capabilities.
*Estimation, recyclability will depend on the availability of recycling infrastructure in the region of disposal.