During the 2007 Christmas season, Buchs, Switzerland-based confectioner Chocolat Frey AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the MIGROS Group, began packaging its chocolate confections in recyclable paperboard cartons that incorporate compostable, biodegradable tray inserts supplied by Plantic Technologies, Ltd. (www.plantic.co.uk [10]). The packaging is a recipient of a 2007 DuPont [11]Award for Packaging Innovation.
The thermoformed tray inserts are made primarily from water-soluble cornstarch. And according to information provided by Chocolat Frey spokesperson Nadine Bachmann, the energy consumption required to manufacture these compostable trays is 50-percent less than that needed for petroleum-based plastic inserts.
The outer, white, satin-varnished paperboard box with gold blocked relief is litho-printed in six colors and supplied by Limmatdruck AG (www.limmatdruck.ch [12]). Labeling on the back of the box informs consumers that the tray insert is compostable and water-soluble. British food marketing giant Marks & Spencer is Chocolat Frey’s private-label distributor in the U.K.