Italian company Ilip wins Macfrut Oscar

At Macfrut, further recognition has been given to the importance of environmental sustainability in the food packaging industry. It came in the form of a prize awarded to Italian firm ILIP for one of its latest products: 100% biodegradable packaging. ILIP, a division of ILPA based in Bazzano, in the province of Bologna, received the 2010 Macfrut Oscar in the “Packaging and packaging materials” category. The accolade was presented by the Mayor of Cesena, Paolo Lucchi, to Riccardo Pianesani, legal representative of ILIP (picture: on the left Riccardo Pianesani, with the Mayor), during a gala evening held at the “Teatro Verdi” in Cesena as part of the 27th edition of Macfrut, the international trade fair dedicated to the fruit and vegetable industry, which took place from 6 to 8 October 2010.
 

ILIP, leader in the thermoformed plastic products sector, received the prize for its PLA (polylactide) punnet manufactured in conjunction with Valfrutta for Abate pears. Thanks to the vegetable-based material from which it is made, the container is completely biodegradable and compostable. ILIP's polylactide punnet not only found the interest of the jury panel in Cesena, but is also increasingly popular with shoppers, who have been buying pears in these packs at modern retail stores for some time. The decision to award an Oscar to ILIP was based on the adaptability of the punnet to its content – for the research into shape and materials that has enabled the company to develop solutions capable of bringing produce to the market at the right level of maturity and with an appropriate level of protection.
 

Furthermore, for producers and distributors, this type of packaging represents a practical solution that adds value to the supply chain, especially for top-quality fruit. The molecules that form PLA, a biodegradable and 100% compostable polymer derived from renewable raw materials of purely vegetable origin, guarantee excellent chemical and physical properties. They include transparency, high strength and high permeability to water vapour, all characteristics that offer an alternative to fruit and vegetable packaging, from fresh-cut to fresh whole produce. Furthermore, PLA can be disposed of easily in industrial composting facilities.

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