Sustainable packaging materials have become indispensable in the fruit and vegetable industry. For about six years, the renowned corrugated cardboard manufacturer Prima, based in Diemelstadt-Rhoden, has also been processing its own corrugated cardboard into high-quality vegetable trays, primarily for tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and mushrooms. "We're noticing that the market is becoming more aware of us," observes Dietmar Löhr, Sales Manager and Authorized Signatory at the company.
According to Prima Verpackung's management, the vegetable sector is generally more demanding compared to other sales channels. "It is important that our trays meet certain standard dimensions and run on the same machines as trays from other manufacturers. You would rather not have to retool the machine in between runs; instead, everything must be precisely coordinated. Furthermore, the quality and robustness of the trays are crucial. So there can be no deviations here, especially in a humid environment with summer temperatures exceeding 30 degrees."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
Corrugated cardboard trays with folded corners for fruit vegetables. The dimensions of the trays (primarily 40×30 or 60×40) were adapted to the carton-erecting machines of partner Boix Europe.
Prima Verpackung processes the corrugated cardboard from its own factory, Prima Welle, into market-driven, custom packaging. The packaging industry has had a few turbulent years, Löhr continues. "During the pandemic, demand was extremely high, while raw paper was in short supply. Fortunately, the market has recovered over the past three to four years. This means there is currently enough paper available on the market, so we are more than adequately supplied and stocked. It's also worth noting here that we are not part of a corporate group and can therefore purchase raw paper for our needs on the open market. This allows us to operate flexibly in the market."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.comJonas Löffler (right) from Prima Verpackung visiting partner Boix Europe during the demo days in Nordhorn in week 11.
Growing demand for bag-in-box solutions
New to Prima Verpackung's portfolio since last year are bag-in-box solutions for 3-, 5-, and 10-liter containers, which are sold directly on the market. The outer cartons can be custom-printed upon customer request and are used for both fruit juices and in the winery sector. Löhr: "The majority of our production goes directly to cideries, both in Germany and the Netherlands. The demand has pleasantly surprised us: we launched sales in the summer of 2025 and immediately received many inquiries. At this year's Fruchtwelt, where we were a first-time exhibitor, our bag-in-box system was also the primary focus, and the interest from the trade audience there was equally encouraging."
Thanks to the company's structure, with sales locations in Cologne, northern Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, Prima Verpackung can also flexibly fulfill smaller order quantities. For drop-shipping, the company works with a reputable freight forwarder, ensuring that customers throughout Germany can be supplied on time. In addition, the company has recently acquired a fully automatic sealing machine, which is part of one of the most modern production lines in Europe. "Thanks to the two robots used in the process, we can seal up to 20,000 packages per hour," says Löhr. Among other things, bag-in-box packaging goes through this highly automated process.
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.com
Jonas Löffler and Annalena Birk of Prima Verpackung GmbH during this year's Fruchtwelt Bodensee.
Packaging industry in transition
All in all, the long-established company looks to the future with confidence, even though the food packaging sector is marked by uncertainty. The PPWR Packaging Ordinance continues to stir up controversy. "Regarding the circular economy, unlike plastic, we naturally have a product that can be 100% recycled. At the same time, it is mainly primary or small packaging, such as trays and the like, that will need to be replaced by paper and cardboard in the coming years. As a manufacturer of secondary packaging, we certainly benefit less from this change. Since the legislative change raises many questions, we have developed a chatbot as an additional service for our customers so that their questions can be answered easily and quickly," he concludes.
For more information:
Jonas Löffler
Sales Manager
Prima Verpackung
Laubacher Weg 9
34474 Diemelstadt-Rhoden
Phone: +49 (0) 56 94 / 97 93 7-0
[email protected]
www.prima-verpackung.de
