Sormapeel, the innovative and ultra-light packaging line for fruit and vegetables, is entering the Selex Group’s supermarkets. Once the test stage has been successfully completed, the Sorma Group solution will be adopted for all the mesh packaging in the fruit and vegetable sector used for the Selex distributor’s brand name products. The Group thus ranks as the first company to have made a total and radical change, applying Sormapeel to its entire distributor’s brand name range.

This is a small, but major revolution: the plastic component of the packaging chosen by Selex will be on average 30% lower than that of traditional packaging and the paper component will be 30% higher, conveying the Selex Group’s brands’ focus on environmental sustainability.

“This step,” commented Luca Vaccaro, Distributor’s Brand Name Director of the Selex Group, “is part of a wide-ranging project concerning the sustainability of all the distributor’s brand name products. Selex, as the second largest Group in the modern distribution sector, has been working for over a year on a process that covers four pillars: safeguarding the working conditions of our suppliers and the supply chain, the quality of the raw materials used, nutrition education and reducing the environmental impact of our packs. With regard to the latter, we are working to reduce the amount of plastic required for the same performance, to replace virgin raw materials with recycled raw materials, to convert non-recyclable packaging into recyclable packaging and to eliminate overpacking.”

A test stage was carried out to determine whether the Sormapeel line met one of the Group’s specific requirements: Selex aimed to adopt a solution that would ensure the lowest environmental impact, not only in terms of recyclability, but also in terms of plastic reduction. Sormapeel fully meets both of these conditions since it is recyclable and lighter, thanks to the paper component, than a mono-polymer solution.

“We are very pleased that companies of this calibre have taken such swift action to implement their commitment to sustainability,” commented Mario Mercadini, Large Scale Manager at Sorma Group. “Sormapeel fulfils the 3 r: reduction, recyclability and reusability”.

In addition to robustness, functionality and lightness, Sormapeel’s strengths also include ease of recycling. Paper and plastic recycling is easy, quick and efficient: recyclers receive mono-polymer packaging, without inks and glues, which would compromise the quality of the recyclate. The paper, which has been awarded Aticelca A certification, is fully recyclable through the usual production processes, making it possible to reuse the cellulose in the strip.

Moreover, the incorporation of paper, with FSC certification, means that the packaging is made from 30% renewable raw materials, and thus meets the goals of European regulations (Directive 904/2019).

Finally, another major benefit of Sormapeel is the printable area, which is about twice the size of that of normal packaging. Once the paper layer has been removed, the inner part has a second surface available for communications: for example for brand storytelling, points for collection, recipes or drawings for colouring.