A smooth switch

Allos wanted to replace its multimaterial muesli pouch with a recyclable alternative. Walki responded with a monomaterial solution that runs smoothly on Allos’ existing production lines.

I you want an energetic start to your day, what better way to start it with than a hearty portion of muesli? Even better if you make it organic, such as Allos’ popular fruit muesli, sold on the German market. A solid packaging is needed to keep the muesli fresh and guarantee a long shelf time. Up until now, the material chosen has been a triplex laminate which is notoriously difficult to recycle. So Allos wanted to find a more sustainable mono-material option and turned to its long-standing supplier Walki Folian.

There were several challenges to be solved. One was to find a mono-material that could run smoothly on all Allos’ existing production lines which vary in terms of age and suppliers.

“The smooth processability of the new material had to be guaranteed on all lines without negatively influencing the output,” explains Carina Jagla, Packaging Procurement at Allos.

The material also had to be heat-resistant, also on the outside layers. Another challenge was that the packaging needed to comply with different recycling systems across Europe. And then there were aesthetic aspects to consider.

“The outer material also had to be matte as the previous pouch to not lose the familiar look and feel,” explains Jagla.

To meet these demands, numerous machine and storage tests were conducted to rule out any deviations.

“After a period of about 12 months, we finally landed on the right solution,” says Emanuel Bohl, Sales Manager at Walki Folian.

Only minor adaptations

The team chose a PE duplex-laminate due to its property of behaving completely differently during filling compared to all other materials.

“The PE-laminate is very easy to pull and stretch. And it is also more sensitive to heat than other composites, which meant that the temperatures had to be adjusted during sealing,” explains Jagla.

The muesli pouch is constructed as a quadro seal pouch, offering good stability and a premium look. To keep the shape with four corners, minor machine adaptations were needed to produce the same bag with the new duplex film.

Another important condition for Allos was to continue the use of water-based inks as solvent ones give rise to CO2 emissions.

Smooth collaboration

Allos belongs to Ecotone, a major European organic food company where sustainability is a core value. That is why the group’s objective is to switch to recyclable materials by 2025 rather than 2030, as PPWR requires.

“We want to strengthen our pioneering role in the marketand resonate with our eco-conscious customer base,” says Jagla, adding that in this way Allos was also able to meet the demands of their retail partners.

She describes the collaboration with Walki as smooth.

“We were able to proactively develop a solution that was tailored to our needs. We have taken a big step forward towards sustainability for our packaging and look forward to exciting new projects with Walki in the future.”