Garbage classification, aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers have environmental advantages, the most important thing is food safety and health!

Reprinted from Dong Chunming Aluminum Foil Lunch Box and Container Today




In early June, leaders gave important instructions on waste sorting, emphasizing the need to cultivate good habits in waste sorting, make efforts to improve the living environment, and contribute to the sustainable development of green development. Subsequently, Shanghai, as a pilot pilot of waste classification policy, has been fully implemented since July 1, and 46 key cities including Beijing will also implement waste classification in a comprehensive manner.

In this context, the battle over the choice of takeaway lunch box materials is more clear. The advantages of aluminum foil lunch boxes and food packaging containers in terms of recycling are prominent. Aluminium foil lunch boxes and containers will gradually become the preferred packaging box materials for the city's catering takeaway and food packaging markets for the implementation of mandatory garbage classification in the future.

As we all know, when the "plastic limit order" was introduced ten years ago, take-out lunch boxes made of non-degradable plastics have become a new source of plastic waste pollution. China has become the country with the largest catering take-out in the world. However, most people may not expect that although the food and beverage takeaway is convenient for them, it brings great pressure on the environment. Takeaway lunch boxes with an average use time of only one hour may take hundreds of years to degrade naturally.



Takeaway apps "Hungry?" Released Chinese takeaway big data forecasts that by 2020, China ’s Internet payment population will exceed 750 million and takeaway penetration is around 80%, which means that 600 million people will become online takeaway users. Without effective environmental protection management measures for takeaway plastic packaging, it will bring great pressure to the environment.



Plastic garbage enters the ocean along with rivers and the like, causing even greater harm. The United Nations Environment Programme points out that plastic particles in cosmetics and excessive use of disposable plastic products are the main sources of marine debris. Plastic pollution kills millions of seabirds, 100,000 marine mammals, and countless fish every year, with an economic loss of $ 8 billion.

Therefore, in April this year, the European Parliament passed a "ban on plastics" bill to ban the use of 10 types of plastic products in 2021. The United States, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, Canada and other countries have also issued corresponding plastic restriction laws.

How to crack the takeaway packaging "garbage siege"?

At the moment of crisis, the aluminum foil lunch box came forward!

In September 2015, the Global Aluminium Foil Roller Initiative (GLAFRI) launched a publicity promotion project “Aluminum Foil Boxes and Green Consumption” in Shanghai.

Aluminum foil has many characteristics and advantages as a lunch box and catering container, including: safety and health, high and low temperature resistance, green environmental protection, renewable energy saving, good sealing, high-grade beauty, convenient and fast. At present, the use of aluminum foil containers and household food packaging aluminum foil is very common abroad. However, due to consumption habits, consumption concepts, awareness, etc., there are large differences in the consumption fields and consumption levels in various countries and regions, and the potential for development and application is still large. There is an urgent need to send the same voice globally and spread the success Experience and case studies to promote and promote its application.




In China, in addition to aluminum foil lunch boxes, aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers have also been promoted in the daily life of residents in recent years. The market development and application examples of relevant companies also show that aluminum foil fast food boxes are suitable for China's national conditions, and can be used in the food delivery, distribution, pre-packaged food industry, and can also be used in households. They can replace plastic and paper lunch boxes in large quantities. It can be said that the expanded application of aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers is an important choice to promote green consumption methods, protect food safety, save food, and implement the concept of sustainable development.

First, the comprehensive advantages of aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers

1. The raw materials are non-toxic and quality and safety.

Aluminium foil is rolled from primary aluminum alloy through multiple processes and is free of harmful substances such as heavy metals. During the production of aluminum foil, a high-temperature annealing and sterilization process is used. Therefore, the aluminum foil can be safely contacted with food and will not contain or help bacterial growth. In most cases, aluminum foil will not react with food. A considerable number of plastic lunch boxes on the market are produced from raw materials of unknown origin, even fake materials and waste plastics, and it is difficult to guarantee quality and reliability. Disposable plastic tableware, if calcium carbonate, talc, industrial paraffin, and recycled waste are added to the production raw materials, the evaporation residue (n-hexane) of the product is likely to exceed the standard. In July 2013, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the State Food and Drug Administration issued the "Notice on Effectively Strengthening the Supervision and Management of Disposable Foam Plastic Tableware". In order to protect the environment and prevent plasticizers from harming society and the human body, some local governments have also established regulations to restrict the use of disposable non-degradable plastic tableware.



2. Convenient heating, no harmful substances are generated after heating.

Aluminum foil has a high conductivity that minimizes the time and energy associated with food processing, refrigeration and secondary heating. Aluminum foil has good thermal stability. During processing and packaging, aluminum foil utensils can withstand temperature changes very well. Under high and low temperatures of -20 ° C-250 ° C, the molecular structure is stable and unchanged. Its use temperature can be from rapid freezing to extreme baking and grilling, during which the aluminum foil does not deform, crack, melt or burn, and does not produce harmful substances. Use aluminum foil to separate high-temperature charcoal fire and smoke to avoid carcinogens caused by food scorching. Aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers are ideal for high temperature sterilization and heat sealing. Aluminum foil lunch box containers can be heated in a variety of ways, including various ovens, ovens, anaerobic heating cabinets, steamers, steamers, microwave ovens (must be used in lightwaves and barbecue stalls), and pressure cookers for heating food wrapped in aluminum foil. Relevant enterprises have developed supporting secondary heating equipment and packaging equipment for aluminum foil lunch boxes, which can greatly improve the distribution efficiency of food distribution enterprises and ensure the quality of meals. In contrast, plastic lunch boxes and containers have significantly lower high temperature resistance than aluminum foil products. They will release harmful substances when they are exposed to high temperature food, water, or heated at high temperature, affecting human health. (The foamed lunch box is made of polystyrene raw material. The softening point of polystyrene raw material is between 87 ° C and 97 ° C. Therefore, it cannot be used in a temperature environment above 80 ° C.)




3.Easy to shape, convenient for sealing and coating, ensuring food hygiene

Aluminum foil has good moldability. During the process of stamping tableware, no cracks and breaks will occur even in the crease and crimping parts. You can choose aluminum foils with different shapes, thicknesses, alloys and heat treatment states to accurately reflect the use of the product. Aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers can use lids made of aluminum foil as well as lids made of paper or other materials. With its easy deformation and wrinkle characteristics, it can achieve a good seal, strong heat preservation and freshness, which can be avoided in Spread or contamination during food storage and transportation, significantly reduce food waste. For large-scale food delivery companies and central kitchen distribution, the automatic capping equipment developed by aluminum foil meal box manufacturers can be used to improve the distribution efficiency, and the effect is significantly better than other material lunch boxes.



4. Strong barrier property, it can protect the original flavor of food and prolong the shelf life of food after sealing

Although the aluminum foil is very thin, it has strong barrier properties, which can completely block light, gas and other substances, improve freshness and protect moisture, and prevent leakage or mixing of taste, which can effectively maintain the original flavor and characteristics of the product. Foods and pre-packaged foods packaged in aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers can be distributed in the hot and cold chain, which is convenient for production and sales, and also convenient for catering companies, restaurants, supermarkets, and households to avoid product deterioration, extend the shelf life, and reduce food waste. Therefore, it also indirectly saves a lot of energy and energy related to the product production process.



5. Can be efficiently recycled and reused to protect the environment and save resources

Aluminum has extremely high recyclability and recyclability. It can be recycled for unlimited times. It also has limited quality loss and can maintain its original characteristics. Recycled aluminum can be used to produce many manufactured products. The energy required for the regeneration process of aluminum foil is only less than 5% of the energy required for the production of primary aluminum, and the greenhouse gas emissions are 95% less than that of primary aluminum. The aluminum foil lunch box can be easily compressed after use, and easy to sort, thereby reducing the amount of waste generated.



Some used aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers may be used for waste power generation. Even if the aluminum foil is buried, it will not pollute the soil and water. At present, the recycling value of plastic lunch boxes, especially foamed plastic lunch boxes, is low, the recycling rate is not high, and the recycling status is not ideal. A large number of discards cause serious "white pollution", which affects the city appearance and natural landscape. It is also difficult to degrade. Form "potential harm" to the ecological environment. Therefore, in recent years, metropolitan areas such as New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC, Portland, Toronto, Canada, and Paris, France have banned products such as foam tableware and drinking glasses.

Compared with other resources, aluminum has abundant resource reserves, continuous recovery of waste aluminum, and small resource bottlenecks. Aluminum foil is very thin and light, with a thickness of more than 0.009-0.03mm. It weighs only a few grams to 10 grams. It uses very few materials and is the packaging material with the highest product-to-package ratio. If a large number of aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers can be applied, they can replace plastics and paper products, save a lot of resources such as petroleum resources and wood, improve resource efficiency, and improve environmental quality.

There are many methods and ways to recycle aluminum packaging materials, and almost any discarded aluminum-containing packaging will eventually be recycled. The society, the government and the public have reached more and more consensus on recycling, the recycling technology is constantly improving, and the recycling system is constantly being improved.





6. Good decorative characteristics, highlighting product differences and grades

The aluminum foil has a bright metallic luster and is compatible with all printing technologies at the same time. Therefore, it allows designers to give full play to their imagination and design unique patterns and brand logos. Manufacturers of aluminum foil products can perform color printing, surface coating, embossing, embossing, coding, etc. on aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers according to the needs of food processing companies and catering companies to highlight the differences and aesthetics of the products. Improving the brand image and corporate image will also help consumers and distributors to trace their products. Consumers can also have a good consumption experience in the process of consumption.



7. Cost-effectiveness advantages gradually appear, and the time for application promotion has arrived.

With the technological advancement of the aluminum industry and the improvement of production efficiency, the production cost of aluminum and aluminum foil has gradually decreased. The cost of aluminum lunch boxes has approached that of qualified polypropylene (PP) plastic lunch boxes, and the cost-effectiveness advantage has become increasingly apparent. At the same time, with the progress of society, consumers' green consumption concepts and consumption habits have gradually been established, food safety awareness, health and hygiene awareness, environmental ecology awareness, and consumption capacity have been continuously improved. The time has come for large-scale application of aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers for promotion. The “Consumer Awareness and Acceptance Survey of Consumer Aluminum Foil Lunch Box Containers” recently completed by the Agricultural Economics Department of China Agricultural University with the support of the “Global Aluminum Foil Manufacturers Initiative” also shows that consumers and catering companies in large and medium-sized cities The awareness of such products is gradually increasing. If the promotion is strong, the sales and distribution network is convenient, and the recycling system is perfect, the application of aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers will go to a higher level.




7. Cost-effectiveness advantages gradually appear, and the time for application promotion has arrived.

With the technological advancement of the aluminum industry and the improvement of production efficiency, the production cost of aluminum and aluminum foil has gradually decreased. The cost of aluminum lunch boxes has approached that of qualified polypropylene (PP) plastic lunch boxes, and the cost-effectiveness advantage has become increasingly apparent. At the same time, with the progress of society, consumers' green consumption concepts and consumption habits have gradually been established, food safety awareness, health and hygiene awareness, environmental ecology awareness, and consumption capacity have been continuously improved. The time has come for large-scale application of aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers for promotion. The “Consumer Awareness and Acceptance Survey of Consumer Aluminum Foil Lunch Box Containers” recently completed by the Agricultural Economics Department of China Agricultural University with the support of the “Global Aluminum Foil Manufacturers Initiative” also shows that consumers and catering companies in large and medium-sized cities The awareness of such products is gradually increasing. If the promotion is strong, the sales and distribution network is convenient, and the recycling system is perfect, the application of aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers will go to a higher level.


8. The production and supply capacity of aluminum foil is improved, which provides strong support for expanding applications

According to the information from the aluminum industry consulting agency Shangqing Times, China has become the world's number one aluminum and aluminum foil producer. In 2018, the production volume of aluminum foil reached 4 million tons, accounting for about 65% of global output. After large-scale investment in recent years, China's aluminum foil production and processing technology and equipment have reached world-class levels, and product quality has also reached the international advanced level. A group of domestically leading world-famous aluminum foil manufacturers and aluminum foil processing enterprises. Products such as thin aluminum foil, aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers, and household foils have been sold worldwide. Aluminum foil and aluminum foil product enterprises have significantly improved their product development capabilities, delivery capabilities, and service capabilities. Most of the aluminum foil containers used abroad are made in China. The aluminum foil container can be said to be a flower inside the wall and the outside. However, we are also confident that we can provide strong support for the next large-scale development of the domestic aluminum foil lunch box and container application market.

Second, the main factors restricting the expansion of aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers

It should be acknowledged that compared to China ’s vast catering and food packaging market, aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers are far from being widely used. There are many reasons for this phenomenon. Among them, price factors, consumer awareness, convenience of sales and distribution are the three main reasons.

A considerable number of catering companies are in competition, and in order to reduce costs, they have to use low-quality low-price foam lunch boxes and other plastic lunch boxes. In the impression of many enterprises and consumers, aluminum foil lunch boxes are high-end products and can only be used on aircraft flights. However, in fact, due to the decline in raw material prices and the improvement of production and processing technology, aluminum foil is currently close to qualified plastic lunch boxes and degradable lunch boxes. If you consider the cost reductions in recycling, water saving, storage and transportation, heating and energy saving, the cost performance advantage has already appeared.



The public knows little about aluminum foil lunch boxes, little is known about the advantages of aluminum foil lunch boxes, their protection to their own health, and their contribution to sustainability, and usage concepts and habits have not yet been formed. There are quite a few misunderstandings between consumers and catering operators. For example, they think that the use of aluminum foil lunch box containers will cause "aluminum poisoning", and aluminum contains harmful substances such as heavy metals. The chemical properties of this oxide layer are relatively stable. As long as aluminum ions are not precipitated in a strong acid environment, there is no problem in normally containing food and processing it. The so-called aluminum poisoning is caused by the use of substandard food additives, and has nothing to do with aluminum foil packaging. In fact, in foreign countries, aluminum foil containers and aluminum foil lunch boxes have already entered restaurants, supermarkets, and families, and they are very common. There are still quite a few people who mistakenly believe that aluminum foil is "tin foil". It is taken for granted that it contains heavy metals and is a scarce resource. It also affects the widespread use of aluminum foil.



Market prospects and application areas of aluminum foil lunch boxes and containers

As the country and society have stricter requirements on food safety and hygiene, and people's awareness of environmental protection and resource conservation has increased, aluminum foil lunch boxes as green packaging materials are becoming a new choice for the catering industry and food packaging. At the same time, despite the current downward pressure on the economy, the catering market has maintained high growth driven by popular catering. Especially under the background of large population mobility, popular online shopping, fast pace of life, and young people gradually becoming the main consumer of the market, the fast food and fast-consuming food market has shown rapid growth. near