A partnership between Detpak and Subway will remove 26 garbage trucks full of plastic from the environment each year through the design of a new fibre-based catering platter.

Global giant sandwich chain Subway will replace its plastic takeaway catering trays with the 100 per cent kerbside recyclable platters.

Detpak, a subsidiary of South Australian packaging business Detmold Group, is manufacturing the sustainable catering platters for Subway restaurants across Australia and New Zealand.

Designed and tested at Detpak’s LaunchPad R&D laboratory in Adelaide, South Australia, the new fibre-based catering platter will see 205 tonnes of plastic removed from the environment each year.

The new catering platter has been uniquely designed for easy assembly and efficient in-restaurant storage and transportation, reducing shipping costs.

Detpak Group GM, product & brand, Keith Bishop said the sustainable initiative was an excellent example of how strong collaboration with industry partners such as Subway delivered innovative sustainable packaging solutions.

“Assisting brands with their sustainable packaging and reducing single-use plastic is key to Detpak’s commitment to the environment and social responsibility,” said Bishop.

Managing director for Subway Australia and New Zealand Shane Bracken said replacing Subway’s catering platter with a 100 per cent recyclable alternative, worked towards our aim of designing 100 per cent of our packaging to be recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable.

“Packaging, in particular, plays a huge role in the choices we make towards our sustainability commitments. It’s critical that we’re considering the circular economy and how our packaging can be better designed for sustainability through its entire lifecycle, versus focusing only on the end product and how it is disposed of,” said Bracken.

Detpak has had a long-standing relationship with Subway, designing and supplying a range of packaging items across the Australian and New Zealand market.

These packaging solutions form part of the Detmold Group’s sustainability objectives, which were released earlier this year and will be measured against six positive impact targets, including 80 per cent of fibre to be forestry-certified or containing recycled material.

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