HZ Group, through its company Interpack, is expanding the BIOHZ line of recyclable and biodegradable cardboard products. It is introducing BIOHZ® ice cream packaging, which degrades in less than 18 months, while EPS foam containers take more than 500 years.
BIOHZ ice cream tubs are designed to replace EPS foam, and a very high positive impact on the planet is expected, given that annual per-capita ice cream consumption in Argentina is 7 kg per person.
In mid-June, HZ Group launched the first product in the BIOHZ line. It was a spoon, and now it is time for the ice cream tubs and cups, which are also: biodegradable, suitable for direct food contact, structurally strong, free of bleaching agents, and feature moisture- and grease-resistant treatment.
The ice cream tubs feature a novel design, unique worldwide, because their modular insulated box is completely one of a kind. The range includes 250 g, 500 g, and 1 kg ice cream tubs and an insulated box. This packaging is designed primarily for delivery and take-away, so a modular tub concept was developed. Assembly is simple and fast; the outer box is delivered flat-packed, optimizing transport and storage space at the point of sale.
The packaging keeps the product at temperature for more than 45 minutes. In addition, the insulated boxes can be used more than once, encouraging reuse.
The market launch of the ice cream tubs includes the launch of cups in various sizes. Unlike poly-paper tubs and plastic cups, these cups are made of cardboard with a moisture barrier, without plastic laminates, making them a biodegradable and recyclable alternative.
This second launch phase of the BIOHZ line will consist of around two hundred thousand units in its different formats. Interpack anticipates a third phase in which it will produce trays and food containers by the end of the year; and a fourth phase in early 2022, when it will introduce cutlery, small spoons, and drink stirrers.
Single-use disposable plastics are one of the global challenges to be addressed. Disposable cutlery is used for an average of about 20 minutes, and if it is plastic, it takes around 400 years to degrade. The BIOHZ line, being made of biodegradable cardboard, will take less than a year and a half. HZ began developing this BIOHZ utensil line with the spoon because, within the cutlery range, it is the product most used and consumed in public spaces. “As a business group, we are aware of the need to drive social change that moves us to be more sustainable, mitigating environmental impact. We promote recycling, implement environmental policies across all our plants, and seek to develop sustainable product alternatives,” says Pablo García, regional commercial manager of HZ Group. Interpack, a packaging company in Argentina, worked together with three other Group companies on its development: Celomat (flexible packaging), Selecta, and Innovapack, cardboard packaging companies in Chile and Brazil.
“We challenge ourselves to think differently, focusing on needs, on changes in the world, and on new trends, developing attractive value propositions for different markets. We do not settle for what we know; we are constantly searching for new designs, materials, and applications.” explains Santiago Villagra, commercial manager of HZ Group.
BIOHZ products are initially marketed in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. The suggested retail price is competitive with the alternatives available in the market.
“To create the ice cream tubs, we used the “job to be done” perspective, and the question we asked ourselves was: How can we transport ice cream for 45 minutes in a sustainable way?
We focused on temperature retention and the choice of biodegradable materials. As an added value, we worked on optimizing storage space, which is so useful for ice cream shops; we developed an innovative and eco-friendly product.” says James Mac Donald, Regional Innovation + Development Lead.
