In recent years, the fruit and vegetable industry has increasingly established itself as a pioneer in sustainable, innovative packaging solutions. HBW-Pack GmbH & Co. KG, which has sites in Bremen (headquarters), Hamburg, and Potsdam, among other places, has also recognized the growth potential of fruit and vegetable packaging. Since last year, the company has been working closely with HK-Pack, a long-standing industry specialist based in the county, and the strategic decisions are already bearing fruit, as Thomas Däbel, division manager at the company, tells us.
"We support each other in sales, which is of course particularly advantageous given the geographical location of both companies. Furthermore, we have used the first year of cooperation to harmonize our product ranges. This is because, for historical reasons, HBW-Pack GmbH & Co. KG tends to focus more on packaging for industry and food retailing. Our aim is now to grow further in the fruit and vegetable packaging sector and to push this segment across the board – whether trays, crates, or carrier bags," says Däbel, who is now responsible for this new division at HBW together with Uwe Steffen. Both specialists already have a long history in the field of fruit and vegetable packaging.
Left: Printed potato carrier bag. Right: Potato carrier bag with perforation.
Customized printed corrugated cardboard trays for direct marketers
At the marketing level, the main focus is on the DACH region. The company's customers here are mainly packaging wholesalers and resellers operating at a regional level. Däbel has observed that the cooperation and the company's presence at the expoSE trade fair have also opened up new growth opportunities in the direct marketing sector. "We want to further exploit this potential by also producing individually printable corrugated trays of 250, 500, and 1,000 grams in our factory in Hamburg. Direct-marketing companies often encounter the problem that these trays can only be ordered in quantities of around 50,000 to 60,000 or more. However, we want to change this by offering the trays from an order quantity of 5,000 starting next spring. We want to address this niche, which has been completely unaddressed so far."
Printed berry trays made from corrugated cardboard
'PPWR will accelerate the change'
Meanwhile, the PPWR packaging regulation, which is to come into force on 1 January 2030, continues to loom over the fruit and vegetable industry. Däbel: "I am convinced that this law will significantly accelerate the change towards sustainable packaging solutions. Such laws must not cause any additional bureaucracy and are clear in their wording so that they do not lead to uncertainty in the market. In general, we are seeing that the demand for plastic is already weakening and that the respective solutions are increasingly being replaced by paper and cardboard." In direct marketing, this transition is already quite advanced, he continues.
Thomas Däbel (2nd from left) with colleagues from HBW-Pack and HK-Pack at expoSE 2024.
The change towards more sustainability in the field of product packaging will continue in the coming year. "Plastic prices have already doubled in some cases. In this respect, the market is almost regulating itself, as conventional plastic packaging is slowly being pushed out of the market. In particular, we are seeing that fruit and vegetable packaging for direct marketers is being purchased somewhat more cautiously due to the high crop losses in many areas. However, this often also leads to a situation where packaging is in high demand later in the season," concludes Däbel.
Photo credit: HBW-Pack GmbH & Co. KG
For more information:
Thomas Däbel
HBW-Pack GmbH & Co. KG
Niedersachsendamm 7-11
28277 Bremen
Phone: +49 030 2359548-52
[email protected]
www.hbw-pack.de