Paper bands are now indispensable, especially in the organic sector. The sustainable packaging solution is gradually gaining importance in the German fruit and vegetable sector as well. The solution is already being successfully used for numerous products at the West Producer Marketing, based in Hürth, as Managing Director Günther Hach Amar told us.
About seven years ago, Hach Amar, who was managing director at Landgard West at the time, came across the topic of banding. Together with André Vois, some initial experience was gained with the banding of vegetables such as rhubarb, asparagus, and celery stalks. Hach Amar: "At that time, we were working with adhesive plastic bands. Our concern was to move away from this adhesive, which we ultimately succeeded in doing."
In the following years, the use of bands for fruits and vegetables has rapidly developed, Hach Amar explains. "Particularly in the case of organic products, plastic in any form makes absolutely no sense. Which is why we have switched to paper bands. This is now successfully being used for a wide range of products, whether zucchini, peppers, or bananas. But we also use paper bands for some conventional products."
Even today, Hach Amar still relies on André Vois, who now operates under the name bandOlution as an independent consultant and supplier in the field of paper bands and sustainable packaging for various areas. "He stands behind this concept and is also a reliable partner, both in terms of the machines and the packaging materials. The person behind the product is often decisive in our industry."
Trading and service concerning fruits and vegetables
On 01.01.2021, Hach Amar founded his own company with the West Producer Marketing based in Hürth. The company is based on three pillars, namely the distribution of strawberries, asparagus, and rhubarb from regional own production, the import and distribution of goods for the domestic retail trade and the service concerning fruits and vegetables such as fine commissioning, goods control, and packing services for partners and online retailers. "The latter pillar is developing in such a way that we are increasingly dealing with the topic of cross-docking."
About half of the volume of trade in the trading business is attributable to organic products, including organic exotics, Hach Amar continues. "We too notice that the sales of organic fruits and vegetables have decreased due to inflation and price increases. However, in my opinion, this does not have a negative effect on the use of paper bands. For the items where the paper band has established itself, it continues to be used. In the long term, the market is increasingly tending towards paper bands, as plastic is increasingly being criticized."
"I am of the opinion that this should not only be limited to organic products but should be extended to the entire topic of fruit and vegetable packaging. If I had the opportunity to use a paper band, I wouldn't know what speaks against it. There are simply no disadvantages," advocates Hach Amar, who actively recommends the paper band in the service business. "On the other hand, a band must also make sense. For sensitive products like tomatoes or avocados, there are already good concepts with banded paper trays. For other products, however, this will not be possible, and the protection of the product can only be guaranteed with a plastic solution."
Photos: EVW / bandOlution
For more information:
Günther Hach Amar
West Producer Marketing – EVW GmbH & Co. KG
Marktweg 65
50354 Hürth
Tel.: +49 (0) 151 74478932
Tel.: +49 (0) 2233 460 60 41
Email: gha@ev-west.de
www.ev-west.de
bandOlution André Vois
Hugo-Herfeldt-Str. 4
D-47906 Kempen
Tel.: +49 (0) 171 6562906
Email: a.vois@bandolution.de
www.bandolution.de