Italian confectionery giant Ferrero is best known for producing some of our best-loved sweet treats, including the hazelnut sandwich spread, Nutella, (a jar is sold every 2.5 seconds in the UK) and, of course, the Christmas family favourite, Ferrero Rocher chocolates. With so many hazelnut based products, it’s no surprise the corporation is the world’s fourth largest buyer of hazelnuts in the world, purchasing over 25% of the world’s supply. Of course, with hazelnuts come waste. Each year the company’s production requires disposal of 70,000 hazelnut shells.
Until recently, this waste has simply been incinerated. Incinerators emit substantial quantities of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, which contribute negatively to global climate change. However, Ferro is adopting a greener solution by investing in a revolutionary innovation that will transform their waste products into the very packaging that protects their goods.
Waste is a problem
In Europe, each person currently accumulates 16 tonnes of material each year, with 6 of those becoming waste. Waste, as defined by gov.uk means: “…a material being discarded, intended to be discarded or required to be discarded by law.” Today, only a third of our waste is recycled, which leads to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution damaging our planet. The EU’s legislation states that waste must be turned into a resource in order to meet their ambitious 2030 targets to “close the loop” on product lifecycles, meaning no waste or pollution is created where possible. The EU’s priorities include:
- Reducing the amount of waste generated
- Maximising recycling and re-use
- Limiting incineration to non-recyclable materials
Ferrero Rocher’s Innovation
Turning waste into a resource is one key to developing a sustainable economy, and Ferrero Rocher has realised it is sitting on a minefield of resources. Recent years have seen consumer demands change, and now, environmental consciousness is a must for a brand’s success. In a study by Neilson; it was discovered that 52% of respondents have purchased one or more products in the last six months due to the company’s social responsibility. Ferrero chose to listen to EU and customer requests and teamed up with Papiertechnische Stiftung (PTS), a fibre based development company to solve their waste problem.
EcoPaper
The solution comes in the form of EcoPaper. The total material is made from vegetal products that were formerly discarded as waste. Non-edible hazelnut shells are used to protect the hazelnut products the company sells. This brings great value to the supply chain and to the consumer.
Benefits of EcoPaper
- By investing in EcoPaper, wood fibres are replaced with by-products of confectionary production. Natural resources are therefore protected by increasing the share of recycled material in the packaging.
- Ferrero has been able to enjoy new marketing opportunities thanks to their adoption of sustainable packaging supplies.
- The once incinerated products are now part of the paper recycling cycle, closing the loop and extending the product’s lifecycle.
The Production of EcoPaper
Hazelnut shell waste is unavoidable when making Ferrero’s confectionary, EcoPaper allows for the waste to be dry milled and repurposed. What’s more, in the development stages of this product, it was discovered that the properties held in the shells allowed for the paper to have a thicker volume though using the same amount of material. Volume is extremely important for effective packaging. It increases stiffness and reduces the ability for the product to bend, allowing for safe transit and a pleasing aesthetic display.
Production
- The hazelnuts are treated to eliminate their allergenic ability.
- The milled product is emptied on to a fabric mesh conveyor belt where it forms a continuous web that is then drained. The hazelnuts improved the drainability of the web, which increased productivity by reducing drying time.
- A multi-ply board machine produces multiple layers which are then combined and couched before being pressed and dried.
- Three-dimensional boxes are created from the two-dimensional cut-outs which involved the typical folding and glueing methods.
The Future of EcoPaper and Sustainable Packaging
Though EcoPaper is still being developed, it’s thought that one day this product will roll out throughout Ferrero Rocher’s entire packaging strategy. Currently, the EU creates 8.6million tonnes of cartonboard each year. With the correct innovation, it’s thought that 10-20% of this could be replaced with by-product packaging. Currently, there is a plethora of underused agricultural stock that could be utilised in the future:
- 45,000 tonnes of hazelnut shells:
- 33-60 million tonnes of crop straw
- 3 million tonnes of tomato stalks
- 130,000 tonnes of cherry pits
By creating usable products from the inedible parts of plants, we are able to give them new life and reduce the incineration process that has damaged our planet. In order to meet the EU’s guidelines of building a circular economy, it seems that packaging producers of the future are making steps in the right direction.