Grass carton instead of plastic packaging
Gaia Sustainable Concept UG is committed to profound social change: less waste, more social and ecological awareness. The aim is a way of life and moderate consumption that is more closely geared to the actual needs of people and the environment, that integrates sustainability into our everyday lives as a matter of course and avoids plastic waste wherever possible.
That's why Gaia doesn't even give plastic a chance when it comes to the packaging of its products. This also applies to the innovative and sustainable cling film made from beeswax and the straining cloth for preparing vegan drinks or milk alternatives. The right, ecologically harmless packaging alternative for simple household products was found at folding carton producer Paul Kläs GmbH from Meinerzhagen. Its packaging solution made from grass cardboard harmonizes with Gaia's plastic-free products.
The keep-fresh alternative in the household
The beeswax cloths from Gaia are a natural and reusable alternative to cling film. They are made from organic cotton, organic beeswax, organic jojoba oil and tree resin. Like cling film, they can be used to wrap different foods and keep them fresh for longer. Fruit, vegetables, bread or cheese retain their taste and appetizing appearance. The beeswax cloths can also be used to seal containers, tins or jars. Thanks to their air permeability, no moisture forms on the food. This also prevents the formation of mold. After use, the natural product, which is handmade in Germany, is very easy to wash out and can then be used again and again for up to two years.
Straining cloths for making vegan drinks
With the help of the so-called nut milk bag from Gaia, actually a straining bag or cloth, you can prepare vegan drinks or milk alternatives yourself in just a few simple steps. In contrast to conventional drinks cartons with a high plastic content and a recycling rate that is often only around 36% due to the difficult-to-separate composite material, this filter bag is made from organic cotton certified in accordance with the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which comes from a Fairtrade project in Kyrgyzstan. The bag is produced in cooperation with the Elbewerkstätten in Hamburg. In this way, the company also supports work for people with assistance needs.
Sustainable packaging for sustainable products
The absolutely ecologically harmless products from the Hamburg-based manufacturer set the bar high for appropriate packaging. It goes without saying that only an equally sustainable solution could be considered. Gaia Managing Director Paol Groß puts it like this: "From the outset, our aim was to work with a producer who thinks along with us all the way. The packaging had to fit in with our understanding of sustainability. It was important to us not only to have a high-quality, aesthetically pleasing look, but also to find a consistently sustainable material that is also processed in Germany."
A partner was finally found in Paul Kläs GmbH, an owner-managed family business from Meinerzhagen that specializes in packaging alternatives made from virgin fibre, recycled and grass cardboard as a replacement for plastic packaging. "The demand for environmentally friendly packaging alternatives to avoid plastic packaging has been increasing for years. Customers are paying more attention to sustainable, ecological packaging when shopping. In addition, the extreme increase in disposal fees for plastic waste makes the use of plastic unattractive. This gives us additional motivation to continue to focus on the production of environmentally friendly cardboard packaging," says Werner Reiß, Managing Director at Paul Kläs.
Packaging with a high grass content
The packaging for the Gaia products was made from a folded blank printed on both sides with an insert card. In the cardboard with grass content and a grammage of 300 g/m², part of the groundwood pulp is replaced by processed grass fibers. Compared to conventional virgin fiber cardboard, more than 250 kg of CO2 and more than 3,000 liters of water are saved per ton of cardboard during production. Typical areas of application are ecologically harmless packaging. For Managing Director Reiß, this is the new benchmark in sustainable packaging, even if printing and processing pose a particular challenge.
"According to the manufacturer, the raw material is only suitable for printing on the lightly coated side," says Reiß. However, in order to meet the customer's request, who wanted the uncoated grass look on the outside, the cardboard was turned. The company found a way to print this very open-pored surface, which absorbs a lot of ink, with low-migration ink for food packaging. The desired color strength was to be achieved, particularly in the area of spot colors, and the material presented the experts with special challenges. In the end, the extremely authentic and native-looking solution with high ecological standards was successfully implemented using the offset printing process.
For the Hamburg-based start-up Gaia, it was crucial to find a supplier that could meet the qualitative and ecological requirements, even for small quantities at first, but that could also easily manage future, growing demand. Groß: "Knowing that we are in a kind of pioneering position with grass cardboard packaging, it was important for us to find a producer who is able to deliver reliably even in small quantities, but who can also support us in the process of growth."
Everything from a single source
These premises were no problem for the family business Paul Kläs, which has been in existence since 1951. The company specializes in the development and production of packaging made from folding boxboard, G and F flute - from small runs to large quantities - and supplies customers at home and abroad. The spectrum ranges from simple transport packaging and blister cards to complex and highly refined sales packaging. Production is certified in accordance with the FSC and PEFC standards, while quality management is certified in accordance with DIN ISO 9001:2015. In 2016, Paul Kläs received the Eco Vadis Silver Award for sustainability. 85 qualified employees offer all production steps from a single source on 12,000 m² of production and storage space: development, toolmaking, graphics, printing, processing, packaging service, logistics. By concentrating on one location, intermediate transportation and long value chains are avoided, which pays off for the customer and is also reflected in reduced CO2 emissions. The packaging can be supplied with FSC or PEFC certification and up to 98% of the raw materials used are recycled. This has made the company a sought-after partner for discerning customers who are looking for environmentally friendly alternatives for plastic packaging. "In terms of sustainability, we are constantly developing," says Reiß: "In 2020, a 356 KWp photovoltaic system will be put into operation, which will now supply a significant proportion of our own electricity consumption sustainably."
Gaia Managing Director Groß's conclusion about the collaboration with Paul Kläs is correspondingly positive: "We opted for the packaging solution from Paul Kläs because all the factors that we discussed in our search for packaging for our sustainable fresh-keeping alternative were ultimately confirmed. Not only the very good personal support, but also the transparent and fast-responding production right through to delivery made a lasting impression on us!"