Graphic Packaging : GPI Partners with Liffey Meats to Support Lidl’s Sustainability Goals

Graphic Packaging International has announced its PaperSeal® tray solution will be used on a new premium steak range for the Irish market.

The production of the range is in partnership with Liffey Meats and Lidl Ireland. Liffey Meats has been exporting high-quality Irish beef to retailers and wholesalers for more than a century, and through their longstanding partnership with Lidl, the retailer will become the first Irish supermarket to introduce Graphic Packaging's innovative solution.

Available now, Lidl's premium Deluxe Angus Steak range will be on sale in 167 of the retailer's stores across Ireland. The launch is part of the retailer's corporate social responsibility strategy, A Better Tomorrow, which involves reducing plastic packaging volumes by 20 percent by the year 2022, as well as delivering 100 percent of its fresh beef from locally sourced suppliers.

Working with Liffey Meats, Graphic Packaging will supply two million PaperSeal tray units annually. This includes supplying a fully lined, cut and glued PaperSeal tray - a barrier-lined paperboard alternative to Vacuum Skin Packaging (VSP) - exclusively to the Irish market. As such, Lidl's new range will feature top-tier steaks, including Angus and Dry-Aged Angus, with full farm-to-fork traceability from Liffey Meats.

Paul Tye, business development director at Graphic Packaging International, said: 'We're delighted to work with Liffey Meats and Lidl on its premium Deluxe Angus Steak range. Our PaperSeal tray features 80-90 percent less plastic than traditional trays, supporting our customers' sustainability goals and providing consistent seal integrity to keep the product fresher for longer. For ease of recycling, the consumer can easily separate the liner from the tray post-use, making the tray itself 100 percent recyclable.'

'As a member of the Origin Green sustainability program for Ireland's food and drink industry, we're eager to source new and innovative product packaging that not only meets our sustainability targets, but those of our customers, too,' added Ciaran Beirne, retail sales manager at Liffey Meats. 'We're pleased to utilize Graphic Packaging's expertise and see the PaperSeal tray solution come to fruition with its launch in Lidl stores.'

Commenting on the new and improved packaging, Owen Keogh, head of corporate social responsibility for Lidl Ireland, said: 'Sustainability is at the core of our business, and we are always striving to be ahead of the curve when it comes to our packaging strategy. We are committed to ensuring we drive positive change for the environment and for our customers, while supporting our longstanding suppliers, like Liffey Meats, to develop innovative sustainable initiatives that make a tangible impact on our environment.'

The PaperSeal tray is available for commercialization across Europe. For more information, click here. View the press release on Packaging News' website here.

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