Airnov Healthcare Packaging, a developer of controlled atmosphere packaging, has introduced a sustainable packaging option designed to help reduce plastic waste. 

The packaging is aimed to replac plastic pails, which are harder to recycle than carton boxes and use non-renewable resins for production. 

“With this new option from our plant in Belen, we hope to pull hundreds tons of plastic out of use by converting secondary packaging from plastic to cardboard,” said Nicolas Martinez, Global Product Manager at Airnov, NM. “Furthermore, cartons are more lightweight and efficient in the space they use, optimising transport and warehouse space.” 

The product not only targets plastic consumption but aims to reduce transportation emissions by using double-stackable cartons. The carton is more durable than standard cardboard, Airnov claims, allowing pallets to be double stacked with 50% more material in the same footprint as a single pallet. With the additional materials, the company aims to help customers reduce freight costs while reducing the number of trucks needed to transport goods. 

In addition, Airnov is removing humidity indicator cards (HICs) to reduce extraneous materials and chemicals used in the packaging. 

“It’s a noble thing to offer a more sustainable option. However, without demonstrable benefits to our customers, it is still often challenging to encourage adoption,” said Martinez. “This new endeavour not only reduces plastic and other waste but helps our customers mitigate skyrocketing freight and commodity costs. With the volatility in the resin supply chain, who knows what’s next with plastic prices.” 

The company says its carton packaging performs equally to plastic pails by utilising high-barrier bags to provide a shelf-life of three years.