Novamont's Bioplastic Container Aids Airline Caterer to Retain Eco Sustainability of In-fligh Meals

Swedish airline Malmö Aviation recently introduced a new catering container on its flights aimed at significantly reducing the problem of disposing of waste from their on-board catering service.

It was the airline caterer Picknick served by Omikron, packaging manufacturer, who was searching for a new sustainable solution.

The Swedish manufacturer Iggesund Paperboard supported them with suitable material for the purpose. Iggesund, specialized in coated paperboard for the premium packaging market, is a long-standing partner of Novamont.

In addition to the box, which is made from a virgin fiber-based paperboard called Invercote, the solution also includes a serving tray suitable for fresh food, made of Invercote Bio, extrusion coated with Mater-Bi®, Novamont's biodegradable and compostable bioplastic (according to EN 13432).

Produced in a modified atmosphere to ensure the food remains fresh, the serving tray — thanks to the use of Mater-Bi® — can be disposed of together with food scraps and sent to composting and anaerobic digestion plants, which transform wet waste into compost and biogas

"Using this combination of paperboard and bioplastic, both of which certified compostable to European standards, means the new box is perfect for today's recycling systems and also for future systems," said Jonas Adler, commercial manager of Invercote Bio products at Iggesund.

"This solution not only saves space but also helps protect the environment," added Malin Olin, Inflight and Lounge Manager at Malmo Aviation.

Mater-Bi® — the range of biodegradable and compostable bioplastics produced by Novamont — is rapidly becoming one of the reference materials for food packaging and catering thanks to its biodegradability and compostability. These are features that bring a highly added value when dealing with products contaminated by food scraps that would otherwise be difficult and uneconomical to recycle.

"Increasingly organizations and individuals are thinking about the 'end-of-life' issue of many products in everyday use, and therefore the creation and disposal of waste. We believe bioplastics can provide part of the solution to certain aspects of this issue as they can be composted together with organic waste," said Catia Bastioli, CEO of Novamont.