CINCINNATI and HANOVER, Pa. (PRNewswire) — Major U.S. snack foods manufacturer Snyder's of Hanover has developed the first certified, fully compostable outer retail package for multipack salted snacks. The packaging, a renewable, cornstarch-based plastic made with a blend of natural polymers and organic materials, was sourced and co-developed by xpedx®, one of the largest U.S. distributors of packaging equipment and supplies.
The renewable handle-bag packaging, which contains individual-size pretzel packs, is new to the North American market and represents an important step in expanding the company's environmental profile. No other U.S. snack food maker offers a 100-percent compostable outer sack made from a blend of natural and organic materials, according to Snyder's of Hanover.
Based on initial sales projections, the packaging will offset approximately 200,000 pounds of fossil fuel consumption annually. The benefits from the new packaging complement other recent improvements across Snyder's of Hanover operations that have eliminated more than 2.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
America's Pretzel Bakery Since 1909®, Snyder's of Hanover is the No. 1 selling brand of pretzels in the U.S. and one of the largest manufacturers of snack foods in North America. Over the past year, Snyder's saw increasing consumer demand for single-serve pretzel products and decided to bring large variety packs containing 22 individual packets to the retail market.
But the company also wanted to expand its commitment to reducing environmental impacts and knew that creating conventional plastic packaging was inconsistent with that goal. "We have been working diligently to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our use of fossil fuels," said Mike Brookhart, director of marketing at Snyder's of Hanover. "We wanted to expand our push toward a more sustainable business model with the introduction of this new product."
"Developing fully compostable packaging that is made from renewable, natural and organic materials is an important step for Snyder's," Brookhart added. "We will use this as a continued stepping stone to more renewable, sustainable packaging across a range of products."
xpedx leads the search for sustainable substrates
Snyder's turned to xpedx, one of its core suppliers, to help them develop an environmentally preferable outer package that would enclose the single-serve packs. xpedx has a decade-long relationship with Snyder's providing product design and a variety of packaging supplies such as tape, stretch wrap and polybags.
A Snyder's procurement officer discussed the company's desire to find an environmentally responsible outer package with Jeff Fisher, a Hanover, MD-based sales representative for xpedx. At that point, xpedx worked to become a key player in Snyder's new, green packaging initiative.
"We asked a lot of questions to really understand their needs," said Fisher. "We immediately started looking into a variety of materials."
Fisher discussed the situation with his contacts at Waterford, CT-based DRP Flexpak, a sales and marketing company that sells flexible packaging materials through distributors such as xpedx.
He and DRP Flexpak owner Mike Meehan reviewed several potential materials and alternatives. One of the alternatives was a compostable corn-based plastic. They decided the corn-based film was the best overall choice for the environment.
The hitch? The product had never before been printed or converted into bags, particularly ones that needed to withstand the rigors of retail distribution and also attract customers at the point of purchase.
Extensive R&D gets the packaging spot on
After confirming the new substrate could help Snyder's exceed its own environmental goals for the project, Fisher turned to Gardner, MA-based Garlock Printing and Converting Corp., a privately held printer and converter serving the fresh cut produce, seafood and snack food markets.
Over a 12-week process, xpedx and Garlock went through a number of R&D trials to find the formulation that created the proper texture and thickness -- and could be flexo printed and converted. They did all this while also meeting the stringent American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specs for organic compostable materials and third-party Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) requirements for renewability and compostability certification.
"We originally produced a material that did not have the desired structural characteristics," explained Fisher. "We ended up experimenting with the formula, and manufacturing parameters different until we got the final product were we wanted it."
Once Garlock received samples of the newly engineered product, printability was tested. Although the substrate was challenging to print, the results were impressive.
"The final product has the feel of soft vinyl, has a matte finish, and the printing is really high-impact," said Fisher.
"Even more important, this product is a prime example of how the drive for sustainability in the consumer packaged goods marketplace can generate increased customer value and business value," Fisher added.
"The project took a lot of work, trials and reconfigurations, but in the end it produced a high-quality printed piece that was the first of its kind for the snack food market," said Phil Ceryanek, co-owner, Garlock Printing and Converting Corp.
"xpedx did quite well on this project," added Brookhart. "They're certainly one of our valued suppliers because they come to us with packaging expertise and new ideas."
Synder's new certified packaging a 'first'
The new Variety Pack outer package is made from natural and organic materials including corn and stiffening agents. It is certified as 100-percent compostable by ASTM and BPI — the first multipack outer sack to achieve this certification in the snack food market. The bag also was printed using ASTMD-6400 certified inks to ensure the final package is fully compostable.
In addition to this project, Snyder's of Hanover has taken many steps to use products and practices to offset environmental impacts, including use of recycled content and environmentally preferable products, conserving natural resources, minimizing pollution and reducing waste and hazardous materials. Visit www.snydersofhanover.com/Sustainability for more information.
Founded in 1909, Snyder's of Hanover, Inc. is a privately held company that employs over 2,250 associates and operates nearly 1,800 distribution routes nationwide. Snyder's of Hanover is headquartered in Hanover, PA, which is the location of its flagship snack food manufacturing and distribution center. This location produces and distributes products to the eastern half of North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. The Goodyear, Arizona plant produces products for the Western half of the United States and Pacific Rim countries. The Jeffersonville, Indiana manufacturing facility produces and distributes products primarily for the Midwest and Central United States.
xpedx, a large distributor of packaging supplies and equipment, serves manufacturers across many industries including food/beverage, high technology, durable goods and automotive. For more information visit xpedx.com.
