PaperSeal®

Q: What is the difference between paper-based skin trays and plastic (rPET) trays?

Both formats seal, protect and present fresh food in skin, MAP or topseal; the difference is the base material and the recycling route. A paper-based tray such as PaperSeal is a cardboard tray with a thin peelable barrier film: it contains over 80% less plastic than an all-plastic tray, the film peels off after use and the board goes with the paper. It is printable on every surface, single-piece and leak-proof, and runs on standard tray sealers with the right tooling. An rPET tray is recycled PET throughout: all plastic, but made from recycled material and recyclable again in the PET stream, with glass-clear product visibility from all sides. What you choose depends on your focus: plastic reduction, print on every surface, or visibility of the product from every angle. It can be a product-by-product decision rather than a company-wide one. GREENFLEX supplies both formats and provides counter-samples of both.

Introducing PaperSeal®, designed and patented by Mondini and Graphic Packaging International, a tray made from pre-cut cardboard and a protective barrier film. The plastic film is easy to remove, after which the cardboard goes into the paper stream. It uses up to 80% less plastic than a comparable plastic tray, without compromising on quality.

Alternative for plastic MAP and skin trays.

PaperSeal® is a cardboard tray with a separable film for skin, MAP and top-seal applications. It uses up to 80% less plastic than a comparable plastic tray, and the paperboard comes from FSC-certified sources. The cardboard is recyclable in the paper stream once the film is separated (recycling code C/PAP 81), where local sorting rules allow. The one-piece seal edge has no corner joins, so there is no leak path at the corners, keeping products fresh and preventing food waste.

What is the difference between paper-based skin trays and plastic (rPET) trays?

Both seal, protect and present fresh food in skin, MAP or topseal. GREENFLEX supplies both formats, the paper-based trays on this page and plastic (rPET) skin trays, so we have no side to pick. The differences at a glance:

	Paper-based tray (PaperSeal)	rPET tray
Material	Cardboard tray with a thin peelable barrier film	Recycled PET, one material throughout
Plastic content	Over 80% less plastic than an all-plastic tray	All plastic, but made from recycled PET and recyclable again
After use	The film peels off the board; the board goes with the paper	The whole tray goes into the PET stream
On shelf	Printable on every surface, matte paper look	Glass-clear, the product visible from all sides
On the line	Runs skin, MAP and topseal on standard tray sealers with the right tooling; single-piece and leak-proof	Runs the same formats on the same sealers

What you choose depends on your focus: plastic reduction, print on every surface, or visibility of the product from every angle.

This can also be a product-by-product decision, not a company-wide one. Ask us for counter-samples of both and judge them on your own product and your own line.

PaperSeal

Product types

PaperSeal® MAP

PaperSeal® Skin

PaperSeal® Slice

PaperSeal® Cook

PaperSeal® Shape

PaperSeal® Wedge

Benefits of PaperSeal®

Product presentation

Make your product stand out on store shelves with a fully printable carton.

Consumer-conscious

The materials are perfectly separable from each other, allowing the customer to perfectly recycle plastic & cardboard.

Recycling

The PaperSeal® uses up to 80% less plastic than a comparable plastic tray and is recyclable in the paper stream once the film is separated (recycling code C/PAP 81).

Shelf life

PaperSeal® guarantees the same shelf life as with traditional plastic packaging for MAP or SKIN.