Substituting plastic with cardboard for smoked fish packaging

A future without large-format EPS boxes was what Production Manager Dominik Raser envisioned. But reusable packaging does not meet the hygiene requirements for the niche smoked fish market, so what would a more sustainable packaging solution look like?

Southern Bavarian company Ferdinand Bierbichler approached STI Group with the task of converting its 1 kilogram smoked fish packaging from styrofoam to corrugated cardboard. Their aim was to significantly reduce its volume and optimise its recyclability, while saving costs and CO2. ‘This was a perfect challenge for our Circular Innovation team, which is dedicated to developing innovative sustainable solutions,’ says Jakob Rinninger, CEO of STI Group. ‘We take a holistic approach to optimisation, looking at everything from the product to logistics and material cycles, when developing new packaging.’

This Circular Innovation solution is a compact packaging design, made from virgin fibre corrugated cardboard, which is protected from grease by a water-based barrier coating that is suitable for direct food contact. For better handling, the fish remains wrapped in waxed paper and the pack is sealed with an anti-fog film. 

Less volume, less CO2, less cost

When empty, the corrugated packaging takes up an impressive 92% less storage space than its polystyrene predecessor while its shipping volume, when filled with fish, is 53% less. At the same time, the CO2 footprint of the packaging material is around 60% lower. Finally, proving that sustainable doesn’t have to mean expensive, the new packaging is less than half the cost of the styrofoam version it replaces. 

Fishmongers, along with retailers EDEKA and REWE, are also delighted with the new solution as it significantly reduces their own storage volumes and recycling costs. The empty corrugated cardboard box is easy to recycle with waste paper, while the film sleeve is sorted into plastic waste. 

Now that the first container size has been successfully replaced, the next step is to address corrugated solutions for the 2.5 and 4 kilogram fish boxes.