SalzburgMilch offers a reusable option to single-use plastic lids

For dairy-lovers, being able to grab a spoonful of creamy goodness from the fridge at any time is one of life’s greatest pleasures. And when purchasing your favourite yoghurt or pudding, the largest tub is the most appealing and economical choice. Whether you’re grabbing a sneaky spoonful, or serving up a larger amount, it’s unlikely you’ll be eating 500 g of dairy in one go. A snap-on lid is an absolute necessity.

Kremsmünster, Austria, November 2020. Up until now, all 500 g tubs of SalzburgMilch premium yoghurts, pudding and sour cream have come with fitted with disposable plastic lids. Although they perform the job just fine, these lids generate several tons of plastic waste every year. Taking a huge step towards a sustainable future, SalzburgMilch have recently offered a special promotion. Instead of each 500 g tub coming with a plastic lid of its own, they were topped with high-quality, dishwasher safe, and environmentally friendly reusable lids. The promotional lids look fantastic thanks to in-mold labeling (IML). This means their customers continue to enjoy the same delicious products whenever they like, while generating less waste and contributing to a greener world. ‘We wanted to offer our customers an environmentally friendly and hassle-free alternative. The reusable lids don’t just function well, they look amazing!" says Prok. Florian Schwap, Marketing Manager at SalzburgMilch. "With their own lid conveniently on hand, it’s easy for customers to keep their dairy products fresh at home. There’s no need for each tub to come with its own disposable lid."

To bring their vision into reality, SalzburgMilch approached Greiner Packaging – a worldwide packaging company with 60 years of experience. Greiner Packaging specialises in resealable packaging options that extend the shelf life of food while enabling it to be handled in a safe and secure way. There are some important factors to consider when designing a reusable lid. Firstly, it needs to be a perfect fit, meaning the seal must be secure so the food is kept fresh. Secondly, it needs to be easy to clean. Greiner Packaging’s multi-use lids are structurally stable, dishwasher safe and maintain their integrity wash after wash.

Achieving the perfect label is no easy feat. "Greiner Packaging pushed us to our limits," reflects Peter Mertens, regional Sales Manager for Central and Eastern Europe at Verstraete IML. "They asked us to design IML labels to suit dishwasher-safe lids in both white and super-clear versions. Technologically, this meant aiming extremely high! But we worked together to pull it off. And quite quickly. The product went to market only months after the first idea was floated."