Karl Knauer develops sustainable cardboard packaging for Neudorff

Natural gardening starts with the packaging

Together with the garden experts Neudorff, the packaging specialist Karl Knauer has developed fertiliser packaging which consists almost completely of recyclable cardboard. Compared with traditional plastic bags, the strong boxes offer environmentally-conscious garden owners and retailers multiple benefits: improved handling during transportation and use, optimised storage and stacking options, and not least a good feeling that they are contributing to the reduction of plastic waste.

A (green) thumbs-up for less plastic in packaging

Since 1854 Neudorff, the pioneer in nature-friendly gardening, has set itself the objective of always considering the garden, nature and the environment as one. This is why for more than 160 years it has been offering products which are as natural as possible, regrow quickly and - for example through carbon-neutral production - also have the smallest possible impact on the environment. “We want to continue to expand our commitment to the protection of the climate and the environment in the future, as well as making it even more visible with new and sustainable packaging solutions”, explains Jörg Grüner, Head of Purchasing at Neudorff. “With Karl Knauer we have found a packaging partner who shares our philosophy and who has fully met our expectations.”  

The corrugated cardboard boxes which the packaging experts from the Black Forest have developed for the Azet^® grass fertiliser are not completely plastic-free, but the proportion of plastic was reduced to the absolute minimum. Since microbiotic fertilisers become active in contact with moisture, a thin film bag inside the box makes sure that the nutrients do not already start to “work” in the packaging, and instead only release their goodness once they are in the soil. With many products for which Karl Knauer develops packaging solutions, for example foodstuffs, there is a legal or technical requirement to package the contents in plastic.

Maximum recycling proportion, for the benefit of the environment

“Our drive and ambition however is to replace plastics with more sustainable alternatives for every contract, or to reduce the amount of plastic as much as possible. So for example the essential internal bag for the Neudorff grass fertiliser is manufactured from 80 percent regranulate, whereas the typical fertiliser bags in the market consist of 100 percent multi-layer plastic”, elaborates Rita Schätzle, Key Account Manager at Karl Knauer KG, explaining how recycled materials are used to reduce the proportion of plastic. “We are pleased that the demand for sustainable materials, especially cardboard, is growing and that these days the majority of companies, not only pioneers of environmental protection such as Neudorff, value responsible, sustainable, and especially recyclable packaging. Because every gramme of plastic waste which we avoid moves us a step closer to a more sustainable economy and is an active contribution to protecting the environment.”

https://www.neudorff.de/