Innovation That Matters

Ornua describes its new cheese shape as “less plastic, more fantastic” | Photo source Ornua

Cheese shaped in a way that saves on packaging

Food & Drink

A food company says simply changing the shape of its cheese will allow huge savings in plastic waste and CO2 emissions

Spotted: If we are going to make a real difference in reducing global warming, then almost every aspect of our lives need to change: nothing is too small to help. Now, Ornua Foods, makers of the popular Pilgrims Choice cheddar cheese, has developed an innovative way to reduce plastic waste – by changing its shape.

The cheese will now be chunkier, which will ensure that there is 40 per cent less plastic to wrap. The new Megablock shape has also been designed to be easier to hold, and therefore to grate and slice. The deeper shape delivers the same weight as before, but with a smaller surface area, reducing the amount of air surrounding the block. The company has also eliminated the zip previously used on packaging.

According to Ornua, the Megablock shape will save the company around 110 tonnes of plastic packaging and 27 tonnes of cardboard packaging each year. Moreover, as the cheese can be packed more efficiently, reducing the number of lorry loads, they will save around 1,321 road miles and a subsequent 1.75 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Mike Harper, Ornua Foods UK’s Marketing Director said, “We set ourselves the challenge of creating a format that enabled us to pack the same amount of cheese, using less plastic, whilst improving the experience of consumers.” The company is planning further changes to reduce packaging across the Pilgrims Choice range. Says Harper, “We’re on a mission to help the planet one block of cheese at a time.”

Packaging reductions can actually make a massive difference and achieve huge cumulative savings in materials, energy and CO2 emissions. At Springwise, we have seen this in innovations such as seaweed-based bio-packaging, a mobile refill system and even a design company devoted to creating sustainable packaging.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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Email: pilgrimschoice.uk@ornua.com

Website: pilgrimschoice.com