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Brazil: Elefante (Cargill) replaces tinplate with plastic
Cargill Brazil has substituted a polypropylene solution for the tin can of its Elefante brand of tomato pastes.
This announcement could be considered surprising in these times of "plastic bashing". In Brazil, the Elefante brand of tomato paste has opted for a polypropylene (PP) container made by Berry Superfos to replace its traditional tin can. Among the arguments put forward by Cargill Brazil to justify this choice are effective product protection, ease of use, waste reduction and potential reuse by consumers.
"The Elefante brand of tomato paste has over 75 years of history behind it; everyone knows it in Brazil," says product manager Brayan Luque in a statement. "However, we wanted to add a little spice to the tradition and create something completely new. It has been a bold move to replace the traditional can with a plastic pot. Fortunately, this choice has proven to be a wise and successful one."
Potential reuse
The container produced by Berry Superfos at its French plant in Bouxwiller (Bas-Rhin) includes a thermoformed, sealed jar and a lid that is "easy to open and close", according to the manufacturer. The container is slightly oval in shape and can be emptied easily with a spoon. In addition, it can also be reused in the home. "So once emptied, the jar still retains value for consumers, and on social media people have expressed enthusiasm about its multiple uses, particularly food storage," adds Berry Superfos. "We are more than satisfied with the response from end users," says Brayan Luque. "The idea was to modernize the look and feel of our Elefante brand; it was not to increase sales, but that is precisely what is happening."
"The success of this project demonstrates that plastic remains a highly relevant material for today's packaging, allowing brands to build a modern image while continuing to offer important sustainability benefits such as product protection, food waste reduction and reusability," commented Søren Rohleder, president of Berry Superfos.
Berry Global is a US-based flexible and rigid plastic packaging and non-woven products company with sales of USD 13.9 billion in 2020/21, 47,000 employees and 295 manufacturing facilities worldwide. Berry Superfos is a European division of the group, specialized in rigid, injection molded and thermoformed packaging.
Sources: packagingmagazine.com
