Sustainability

Special products deserve special packaging

09/05/2022 | 2 min read

Antonios Kampouris

Vegan yogurt and cheese alternatives in new, sustainable packaging
New Roots and Greiner Packaging pursue shared goals
Bespoke packaging variants for different products
Cardboard-plastic combinations: an ideal solution

Swiss start-up New Roots has set itself the goal of making vegan food accessible to as many people as possible and increasing their awareness of animal rights. The business is very successful at combining Swiss tradition with a can-do mindset and inventive spirit, producing vegan cheese and yogurt alternatives based on cashew nuts. These products are developed using traditional cheese-making methods. Craftsmanship paired with a focus on sustainability and ethics is at the beating heart of the start-up, so it should come as no surprise that the products’ packaging also plays a special role.

Common objectives

In 2021, the vegan creamery underwent rebranding, with the packaging becoming even more informative and user-friendly. Since last year, Greiner Packaging has been responsible for the K3^® cardboard-plastic combinations now used by New Roots. As well as guaranteeing close proximity to production and bottling, the packaging experts’ location in Switzerland pursues sustainability goals that are just as ambitious as those of the young start-up founders.

Sustainable packaging, easy to recycle

Originally, the products were packaged in plastic cups wrapped in a paper sleeve. The downside? The first time the product was opened, the wrap was thrown away and valuable information about the contents was lost. With the switch to cardboard-plastic combinations, the information remains on the cup even after opening. In addition, cardboard-plastic combinations have a number of positive attributes when it comes to sustainability. The cardboard wrap – which can be made from recycled material – lends sturdiness to the plastic cup so that it can be produced with particularly thin walls, meaning that it uses less plastic. Once the cup is empty, this wrap is especially easy for consumers to detach thanks to a new, innovative tear-off system, with the two components then disposed of separately and recycled. The reverse of the wrap can also serve as an attractive means of communicating with the consumer. Since the white or transparent plastic cup is unprinted, it is ideal for recycling. In addition, the carbon footprint of K3^® cups is significantly smaller than that of alternative packaging solutions.

Greiner Packaging supplies New Roots with several different K3^® cup variants, allowing the yogurt and cheese alternatives as well as various vegan spreads and a crème fraîche alternative to all be packaged sustainably yet attractively according to each product’s requirements.

Ethical alternative

We want to open the door to a more ethical world via delicious food – and win over as many people as possible with the taste of our plant-based dairy products. Cheese is a staple for many people, which is why we wanted to find an alternative consistent with our ethics. It goes without saying that our products need to be packaged sustainably, so we are delighted to have found a partner in Greiner Packaging that is committed to a functioning circular economy and acts accordingly.

Freddy Hunziker, CEO and cofounder of New Roots AG

Working together toward a circular economy

For some years, Greiner Packaging has been championing the transition from a linear economic system to a circular economy. As Antonios Kampouris, key account manager at Greiner Packaging, explains: “We want to keep plastic out of the natural environment and circulating in the economy for as long as possible. Our goal is to turn today’s consumer goods into tomorrow’s raw materials. It is always nice to see that more and more customers like New Roots are just as focused on sustainability as we are – and that the industry is moving in the right direction.”