A fibre-based lid to replace plastic: Project Picadeli

Project Description

Europe’s leading healthy fast food company Picadeli, replaced their single-use plastics lid with a formed fiber lid. The new lid is plastic-free, PFAS-free, renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and saves about 120 tonnes of plastic waste annually.

Project Purpose

With a strong focus on sustainability, Picadeli set a target to reduce their plastic use by 50% by 2025. Because of this, they wanted a plastic-free lid for their take-away packaging. The new PureFiber™ lid helps to save 120 tonnes of plastic waste annually.

Project Evaluation

Picadeli’s concept provides over 2000 stores throughout Europe and the U.S. with their digitalized salad bars where the consumers mix their own salads. In the very beginning Picadeli used plastic bowls and plastic lids. The bowl was changed to a cardboard bowl a few years back. Leaving the next challenge for Picadeli: Replacing the plastic lid. These types of lids only existed for drinking cups but not in bigger sizes. Stora Enso helped Picadeli to develop a brand-new product that no one had done before. 

Stora Enso started production of ready-made formed fiber single-use packages during 2020 and help brand owners such as Picadeli to reach their sustainability targets. The raw material used in products is wood pulp from sustainably managed forests in Scandinavia. PureFiber™ by Stora Enso is Stora Enso’s next generation formed fiber eco-products. The products can be produced to almost any shape where today conventional PE, PET and other plastics are being used. As such, PureFiber™ can be used in a wide range of applications including single-use food packaging items such as plastic-free cups, bowls, clamshells, plates and coffee cup lids. These products promote food safety by having a transparent supply chain.  Products are produced in Sweden with 100% bio-based electricity, using local sourcing of raw material, short transportation routes of raw material and creation of job opportunities in Europe.

Stora Enso’s PureFiber™ products are plastic free and free from PFAS. They are designed for their  intended use and can either be recycled or composted after use. A critically reviewed LCA study show that PureFiber™ products enable approximately 75% lower CO2 footprint compared to alternative packaging materials, such as plastic or bagasse.

“We tested the first prototype in a big mall in Gothenburg. I was there myself and got comments like ‘finally, the plastic lid is gone!’ Since they pick the salad themselves the need to see the food after closing with the lid was non-existing”, says Christine Soome.

Other features are, a “puff” sound the lid makes when it’s attached to the bowl, proving that it’s tightly sealed. Also: You can stack salad packages on top of each other for easy carrying and the lid has a round compartment suitable for a dressing cup. The design was a collaboration between Picadeli’s marketing department and Stora Enso’s packaging designer. Picadeli did the graphic design for the debossing on the lid whilst Stora Enso was responsible for the structural design.

 “We’ve been close partners in all steps which is a big part in the success, it’s not been a customer/supplier relationship but a cooperation between our companies. It has been great fun and very rewarding!” Christine ends.