Dr. Schär, a specialist in gluten-free and special nutrition, is further reinforcing its commitment to sustainability with the development of new packaging for the Schär Wholesome bread range, its most popular product on the global market. As a result, the company will cut plastic in Schär packs by 15%.
In the food sector, plastic has proven to be a highly effective packaging material for ensuring the freshness, preservation and safety of food, especially when it comes to specific products such as gluten-free ones. However, it is causing significant damage to the environment and disposing of it without due care can cause even more negative consequences.
Combining sustainability, safety and good product storage is the challenge taken up by Dr. Schär. The goal is to ensure that in the future all Schär branded product packaging is recycled, recyclable and compostable across the extensive portfolio of over 200 products.
The company’s commitment runs along two parallel tracks: continuing to guarantee consumers safe, high-quality gluten-free products and optimising the use of plastic by reducing quantities and replacing it with paper whenever possible.
Wholesome Loaf, one of Schär’s most popular sliced breads, will feature with new environmentally-friendly packaging. By reducing the film and eliminating the tray, the Company is able to reduce the use of plastic in Wholesome Loaf packaging by 38% and the overall plastic use for Schär packaging by 15%.
Nicole Mattei, head of global design and packaging strategy at Dr. Schär said: “Keeping the promise, we made to our consumers to offer them products with a high standard of quality is essential for us. Most of our products, including the Wholesome Loaf range, are preservative-free and our packs need to be able to maintain that freshness and taste.
"Our approach to sustainable packaging and the actions we put into practice are the result of extensive research into solutions that meet our quality and safety requirements”.
Wholesome Loaf represents a new step in the route the South Tyrolean company has set out on to help support a better world, one pack at a time. Already in 2020, in fact, 35% of product packaging was made from recyclable material, and in 2021, with Panini Rolls, the world’s first certified circular plastic packaging for gluten-free bread was launched, made from 46% recycled material. Dr. Schär currently utilises product packaging as an element to communicate its commitment to sustainability, directly to consumers.
All further steps in this direction are made in collaboration with the Dr. Schär R&D Centre in Trieste, which studies and develops new, consistent solutions for the needs of consumers and the environment.
“Packaging is an integral part of the experience we offer our consumers - we have enthusiastically taken up the challenge of sustainability on this important touchpoint as well. Consumers who hold our Wholesome Loaf product in their hands will know that our commitment to seeding a better world is indeed concrete," commented Hannes Berger, CEO of Dr. Schär.
