Intermarché is the first company in France to launch paper straws with aseptic carton packs. By offering this solution across its three brands – Paquito, Look and top Budget – it will save 10 tonnes of virgin plastic per year.

The company will be offering the juices and beverages of these brands in combiblocMini packs with SIG’s 6mm straight paper straw solution – one of several options available in SIG’s paper straw portfolio. The cartons are filled at Antartic, a production unit belonging to Agromousquetaires, a food-processing subsidiary of Groupement Les Mousquetaires.

„At Intermarché, our commitment to sustainable development is a priority,” said Alain Plougastel, Adhérent Intermarché. “We decided early on to introduce SIG’s paper straw solution for aseptic carton packs to offer consumers a more sustainable alternative to plastic straws, while maintaining the on-the-go convenience of small-size packs.”

Leading the industry

SIG was the first in the industry to offer a market-ready paper straw solution for aseptic carton packs, enabling customers to meet the urgent need for alternatives to plastic drinking straws – which will be banned across Europe from the beginning of 2021 in line with the Single-Use Plastics Directive.

SIG’s paper straws offer a more sustainable solution that is renewable and fully recyclable. They are an ideal companion for SIG’s fully recyclable carton packs, which are mainly made of renewable paper board.

The paper used to make SIG’s paper straws originates from FSC^TM-certified forests and other controlled sources. The blister for the straw has also been redesigned to help prevent litter by remaining attached to the pack to be recycled together.

„Sustainable product innovation is at the heart of SIG’s business,” said Mélanie Revolte, Marketing Manager France at SIG. “Our packaging solutions already offer significantly better environmental performance than many alternatives and we are continually working to improve them further. Aseptic carton packs are made mainly from paperboard and we were the first to offer paper straws to go with them. Just like our packs, our paper straws are renewable and recyclable: the perfect match!”

Sustainable and practical solution for customers

SIG offers both straight and U-shaped paper straws. Paper straws are available for use with SIG’s combiblocSmall or combiblocMini packs to maintain the convenience of small-size formats for consumers looking for on-the-go beverages.

The innovative structure and diagonal cut make the straw robust enough to pierce the closed straw hole of the carton. Positive results in consumer tests showed no compromises in convenience compared with conventional plastic straws. Customers can use existing straw applicators to attach them to packs.

SIG’s paper straw solutions enable customers to meet forthcoming regulations, demonstrate their commitment to the environment and respond to growing consumer demand for more sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging. This is just one of the ways SIG’s sustainable product innovation is contributing to the company’s commitment to go Way Beyond Good for society and the environment.

Find out more about SIG’s Way Beyond Good commitment: https://www.sig.biz/en/responsibility/way-beyond-good