Compostable packaging for Vicentini tea bags

Vicentini 1920 S.r.l, an Italian family run company was established at the beginning of the twentieth century. Initially supplying quality confectionery in Europe, the passion for quality products has been passed down over four generations of the Vicentini family and the same care applies to its range of quality teas and infusions. For its Regina di Fiori tea brand, Vicentini meticulously searches for the best quality ingredients, allowing them to offer the finest blends of herbal teas and provide unmatched flavours and aromas.

The Regina Di Fiori brand offers a line of herbal teas in practical and elegant consumer packaging. The individual tea bags are wrapped to ensure that their aroma is protected and avoid the product being handled by multiple individuals; the latter being particularly valuable in hotel or conference settings.

Today, Vicentini uses a NatureFlex™ compostable film to maintain their tea quality throughout the supply chain. The wrap preserves the aromas and flavours of each individual tea bag and its delicate flavour. This is particularly important in mixed flavour boxes, as cross contamination must be avoided and each delicate aroma must be protected until it reaches the consumer. As well as being convenient, these individual wrappers can be composted at their end of life along with the teabags.

NatureFlex™ films are produced from renewable wood pulp, harvested from responsibly managed plantations. The films meet all the relevant standards for industrial composting, including EU (EN13432) and US (ASTM D6400). As well as being industrially compostable, they are also certified for home composting according to the OK Compost Home protocol or by Din Certco / ABA for the French or Australian home composting standards.

Vincentini’s tea products also include a cardboard tag linked to the filter which can be composted alongside the film to offer a complete pack. All these elements have been carefully considered to achieve their environmental business goals.

Marco Vicentini, CEO of Vicentini 1920 S.r.l, commented: ‘NatureFlex™ delivers all of the technical properties that our packaging requires in order to protect the flavours and aromas. In addition, the

film runs well on our packaging machine. To fulfil both of these key elements, but also be compostable, both at home and industrially, NatureFlex™ provides the complete packaging solution for us’.

Giorgio Berton, Italian Sales Manager at Futamura UK, adds: ‘I am thrilled by the success of Vicentini and their brand Regina di Fiori. They’ve achieved a beautiful piece of packaging which is both aesthetically pleasing as well as technically brilliant. I look forward to continuing to work alongside Vicentini’.