Packaging materials

Food packaging is essential to ensure a high level of food safety and minimise wastage. Plastic materials often offer the best properties for this purpose. At the same time, their use leads to the depletion of raw materials and a significant environmental impact. As a manufacturer of packaged products, we are therefore committed to reducing this impact as much as possible.

Van Loon Group packages its products for reasons of quality and product safety. This applies to all products marketed by Van Loon Group.

We strive to minimise the environmental impact of using packaging materials as much as possible. In doing so, we give preference to recyclable materials, without compromising on food safety. Although technically recyclable packaging is not always actually recycled in practice, we consciously choose these materials over completely reducing packaging volume.
 
To make well-informed and realistic choices, we follow the guidelines of the Verpact Foundation and the Knowledge Institute for Sustainable Packaging (KIDV). Furthermore, the choice of packaging material is always made in close consultation with both suppliers and customers.

Manager R & D

In 2025, we carried out extensive production tests using new trays made from mono-PET and featuring a thin adhesive layer for the top-seal film. The adhesive is washable, meaning the tray meets the recycling requirements of the Verpact Foundation.

We had expected to be able to use the recyclable trays in our production by the end of 2025. Unfortunately, the switch has not yet been implemented. On an annual basis, this involves approximately 100 million trays. The tests have, however, provided useful insights for further steps.

To reduce the amount of packaging material, in 2025 we switched the film we use for packaging our bulk products from 60 µm LDPE to 40 µm MDPE. Thanks to the superior properties of MDPE, the film can be made significantly thinner, enabling us to save approximately 18,000 kilograms of film annually.

In 2026, we will continue testing the recyclable trays, with the aim of phasing them into production. The focus here is on technical reliability, processability on the production lines and ensuring compliance with recycling requirements. This will enable responsible large-scale implementation

In addition, a project is underway focusing on standardising and, where possible, further reducing bulk packaging materials. This includes, amongst other things, crate bags and cover sheets for pallets and standard trolleys. The guiding principle here is that quality and product safety must be guaranteed at all times. Preventing the formation of tears and the presence of foreign particles is an absolute prerequisite. Material reduction will only be implemented where it is technically and qualitatively sound.