In collaboration with Privately owned factory GmbH & Co KG, Constantia Flexibles addressed this challenge by developing a more environmentally friendly capping solution. Through close collaboration, they optimized their EcoPeelCover to meet Bauer's specific needs, resulting in an award-winning product. This success was recognized with the prestigious German Packaging Price (German Packaging Award) in 2024 in the Sustainability category (material reduction).
Privatmolkerei Bauer, a major German dairy producer, wanted to improve the sustainability of its packaging while maintaining quality. To support this, they developed a thinner, more environmentally friendly die-cut lid for their polypropylene (PP) cups.
The goal was to reduce material usage and improve efficiency by creating a lid with a 25 µm aluminum layer and a 13 grams/m² extrusion coating, significantly thinner than standard 38 µm and 24 grams/m² coatings.
EcoPeelCover stands out as the thinnest die-cut lid available, featuring ultra-thin layers of aluminum and co-extruded PP. Despite its reduced thickness, it offers exceptional performance in terms of peelability, corrosion protection and puncture resistance. In addition, it provides superior barrier protection, shielding dairy products from moisture and oxygen while maintaining freshness.
“EcoPeelCover demonstrates how innovation in thickness reduction can deliver exceptional material efficiency without sacrificing performance. Our collaboration with Privatmolkerei Bauer allowed us to push the boundaries of more sustainable packaging while ensuring product protection and reducing resource consumption,” he says. Claus Dworschak, strategic product manager for die-cut lids at Constantia Flexibles.
By reducing the aluminium layer to 25 µm and the extrusion coating, which provides the sealing function, to 13 grams/m², they achieved a 25% reduction in aluminium thickness and a 50% reduction in coating material. This not only minimises resource use, but also improves transport and packaging efficiency.