winning gold for environmental & sustainability achievement, the hot n handy biopouch from robbie manufacturing www.robbiemfg.com has the numbers at hand to back up its sustainability claims versus traditional packaging for freshprepared coldcase sandwiches.results from a thorough life cycle analysis lca of the renewable wood pulpbased film pouch versus rigid polystyrene containers provided a plethora of detail for the flexible packaging assn. competition judges to evaluate.among the notable figures gleaned from the lca the biopouch uses 92 less crude oil, reduces co2 emissions during production by 56, and reduces the weight of the packaging material waste by 75, compared to rigid ps containers.the biopouch is a gusseted bag made from innovia films&rsquo www.innoviafilms.com natureflex&trade wood pulpbased film. the clear, seethrough pouch is available in two stock sizes that accommodate 6 and 12in. sub sandwiches, but can be customsized to fit any size sandwich, robbie product manager tara downing relates. the pouch uses a clear, resealable adhesive strip that allows the consumer to keep leftover contents fresh.targeted for supermarkets, convenience stores, foodservice providers, and others that offer fresh wraps or sandwiches, the biopouch is said to provide enhanced product freshness, as the film&rsquos woodpulp construction naturally absorbs moisture, providing less soggy bread. the film is fully compostable, meeting astm d6400 certifications&mdasha feature that is printed on the bag with random, repeating fourcolor copy that reads, &ldquoback to nature.&rdquorobbie.jpgsays downing, &ldquonatureflex film was selected because sustainability and environmental responsibility are key concerns for the food packaging industry, as well as for retailers, with the new environmental initiatives they must meet.&rdquorobbie conducted the lca report using simapro 7.1 lca software, from netherlandsbased pré consultants www.pre.nlsimapro, and filmproduction data supplied by franklin assoc. www.fal.com. comparisons were made on a rigid ps hinged container versus the hot n handy biopouch based on annual sandwich sales of 163 million sandwiches sold at retail supermarket deli counters annually. 
