Food packaging product manufacturer Sabert Corp. has committed to eliminating all intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from its full product portfolio by the end of 2023.
For more than three years, the Sayreville, N.J.-based company’s innovation teams have been developing multiple proprietary PFAS-free formulas for its packaging products, according to a news release.
“Sabert’s focus on sustainability, product performance and product safety have been core to our business since the very beginning. And as leaders in our industry, we know we have a responsibility to our customers and to consumers to design and manufacture the very best packaging products we can,” Christopher Howell, Sabert’s director of product management, said in the release. “By committing to removing all intentionally added PFAS from our products, we are helping our customers increase their own sustainability efforts by developing products designed with today and tomorrow in mind.”
Sabert’s molded fiber and paper product portfolio already features more than 85 products manufactured without intentionally added PFAS, including 40-plus Biodegradable Products Institute-certified PFAS-free products, that offer a range of moisture and oil resistance to meet a variety of applications, according to the release. The products are compliant packaging options in states and cities that already have or will soon be enacting legislation prohibiting PFAS in food service packaging, the company said.
The company’s goal is to have its entire line of food packaging products made at all Sabert facilities — including all future products and customer-specific product designs — be free of intentionally added PFAS by the end of the year. More than 75 percent of Sabert’s fiber products already meet these requirements, according to the release.
New Texas manufacturing facility aids effort
Sabert’s ability to eliminate PFAS from all products is being furthered by its newest manufacturing facility in Greenville, Texas, which is developing exclusively PFAS-free packaging products for the North American market and beyond, according to the release. The 350,000-square-foot plant, which officially opened in 2022, will help Sabert reach customers more quickly — reducing transportation times and, in turn, the environmental impact of shipping and transport.
There are plans to add more full-time jobs at the facility in 2023 as production capacity continues to increase, the company said.
“This new facility is critical to enabling us to develop more PFAS-free products and deliver on our ultimate goal to enhance and advance the way people enjoy food by providing innovative and sustainable solutions,” Howell said in the release. “Sabert’s expanded manufacturing capabilities will also allow us to produce more American-made products. We look forward to growing this facility further with more jobs and new machinery to manufacture even more PFAS-free products!”
Sabert operates North American facilities in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia, as well as manufacturing facilities in Nivelles, Belgium; Kimbolton, England; Lodz, Poland; and Zhongshan, China.
