one.five, a Hamburg-based provider of sustainable packaging solutions developed using advanced AI technologies, is supplying the high-barrier paper Bluemorph for the new packaging of the plant-based hard cheese alternative “Old Italian” from vegan cheese manufacturer VANOZZA. With this transition, the product is being offered in paper-stream recyclable packaging in food retail for the first time. In the new packaging made from biological materials, “Old Italian” is available, among others, at REWE Nord.

This brings together a plant-based product with a packaging solution that is also designed to conserve resources. This symbiosis is increasingly in demand from manufacturers, consumers, and retailers alike. Previously, “Old Italian” was packaged in non-recyclable stand-up pouches made from paper-plastic composite material. With Bluemorph from one.five, VANOZZA replaces the previous packaging with a high-barrier paper containing over 90 percent paper content, which is recyclable in the paper stream.

Nico Hansen, CEO and founder of VANOZZA, comments: “Our goal was clear: to bring plant-based cheese with authentic taste and reliable quality into everyday life. That’s why we think [about] products and packaging together. With Bluemorph from one.five, we are using a recyclable paper solution that protects our products while also making VANOZZA’s sustainability commitment visible.”

High-barrier paper for complex food applications

The high-barrier paper Bluemorph was specifically developed by one.five for complex requirements in the food and non-food sectors, for which petroleum-based plastics or non-recyclable composite materials have predominantly been used to date. The material reliably protects sensitive products from external moisture while simultaneously preventing them from drying out. Thanks to its particularly high aroma and grease barrier, it is ideally suited for sensitive food applications.

For fresh foods, a shelf life of several weeks can be ensured, while conventional products can even achieve a shelf life of 12 to 24 months.

This means that the barrier performance of the paper solution is on par with conventional petroleum-based plastic packaging and is also suitable for sensitive products such as the plant-based cheese alternative by Vanozza.

In addition, the material is compatible with standard FFS machines and enables a CO₂ reduction of up to 45 percent compared to conventional plastic laminates.

“Our goal was to develop a paper-based solution that works even in areas where there have previously been hardly any alternatives to non-recyclable composite materials,” says Martin Weber, co-founder and managing director of one.five. “The fact that Bluemorph is now being used as packaging material for VANOZZA’s vegan cheese on LEH shelves at REWE Nord shows that our high-barrier paper meets the practical requirements of retailers and manufacturers.”

Use in retail

The deployment at VANOZZA is among the first commercial applications of Bluemorph in the German food retail sector. Against the backdrop of new regulatory requirements for recyclable packaging – particularly the planned EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) – one.five is already in discussions with further manufacturers and retail companies. Several other applications in various segments (e.g. confectionery, dietary supplements, yeast, butter, dishwasher tabs, cosmetic products) are currently being tested, accompanied by machine, filling and storage trials.