Articles

‘Clean oceans are society’s greatest competitive advantage. That is why we strive to take care of the beautiful nature that sustains us,’ says Maria G. E. Barroso, Sales and Marketing Director at Seaborn AS.

Seaborn AS in Bergen is owned by salmon and trout farmers operating between Hordaland and Lofoten. As a sales company, Seaborn is the connection between Norwegian producers and the international seafood market.

The company is constantly taking measures to reduce its own environmental footprint.

‘Seaborn is environmentally conscious in all areas of its business, both when it comes to transport solutions and the packaging we use for our products,’ the Marketing Director says and adds:

‘We want to tackle the problem of plastic pollution in the ocean. We appreciate all steps in the right direction.’

Environmental plastic

Seaborn is dependent on plastic for packaging purposes, but is phasing out more and more of the plastic packaging produced from oil-based materials. Its replacement is more environmentally friendly and has a lower CO2 footprint than traditional plastic packaging.

Sugar cane, which is a renewable resource, is among the raw materials in the environmentally friendly plastic.

‘It’s very exciting that the packaging industry is focusing on greener products and testing renewable alternatives that can replace fossil materials,’ says Barroso.

‘Will this solve the problem of plastic pollution?’

‘Not on its own, but it’s a good start while we wait for a degradable product that can be used for food packaging. We are keen to take part in any initiative that will reduce our environmental footprint, even if it means an increase in our costs.’

Eco-labelled packaging

The packing manufacturer Desom is behind Miljøplast, and Seaborn is one of their biggest customers.

‘All our products are made of recyclable and environmentally friendly materials. Plastic does not belong in nature and should be handled as waste by waste management companies,’ says Espen Haukeland, General Manager of Desom AS.

‘Can plastic be recycled?’

‘Yes, it can – but the consumers decide where the plastic ends up. Packaging can be recycled into new packaging,’ says Haukeland and explains how the new eco-label will guide consumers:

‘Packaging produced with raw materials that enables the plastic to be recycled, is marked with a special eco-label. As a manufacturer of plastic-based products, it is important to be able to offer our customers sustainable food packaging.’

The consumers of the future

Seaborn has started using the new sustainable plastic in its vacuum-packed products. All products will be wrapped in environmentally friendly packaging in the long run.

‘A new generation of consumers will make completely different demands of companies’ environmental profile than many of today’s consumers. Demonstrating that we are willing and capable of taking action is good for our reputation,’ says Barroso and emphasises:

‘We are already seeing that environmentally conscious consumers appreciate that we are making changes to become more environmentally friendly. After all, the ocean is our livelihood. That’s why we work with our suppliers to find the best and most environmentally friendly solutions for our sector.’

Important steps

Using plastic as packaging still presents many challenges. One of the keys to solving these challenges, is by making the plastic easier to recycle.

‘There are still a number of challenges, for instance the use of more materials in one and the same packaging, such as plastic and paper. Furthermore, this is not an issue Norway can solve on its own. It requires concerted global efforts,’ Barroso says and concludes:

‘The cooperation with Desom and Miljøplast is, nonetheless, a small, but important step in the right direction. Every little helps when it comes to sustainable use of plastic.’