Sustainable Silphia Packaging from OutNature at Lidl and Kaufland

With its PreZero brand OutNature, the Schwarz Group has developed a completely new and regional raw material source based on the silphia plant for use in the paper industry. Previously used exclusively as an energy crop for bioenergy production, the fibers of the silphia can now be used to produce sustainable paper and packaging products, such as trays, folding boxes, banderoles or labels. Silphia also offers a sustainable perspective for farmers because, among other things, it is insect-friendly, stores CO₂ in the soil and protects it from wind and water erosion.

Due to their sustainable properties, the new types of silphia packaging will also be gradually introduced in the stores of our retail divisions Lidl and Kaufland in the coming weeks. The transition will start with trays in the fruit and vegetable section. Its debut will be in the packaging of organic cress from Lidl and Kaufland, with further product conversions to follow.

Further research is expected to give silphia paper additional barrier properties, for example against water or fat. In this way, silphia paper can become a substitute product for plastic packaging in the future and thus contribute to the vision of the international group-wide plastics strategy REset Plastic: "Less plastic – closed loops”.

Find further information on REset Plastic: reset-plastic.com/en
Find further information on OutNature: www.out-nature.de