Hellus’ new kefir drinks in doybags lead the way with Estiko

Sustainability, user-friendliness, and the cooperative spirit of the new economy are stimulating the world towards future today. The flagship of the Estonian dairy industry, Tere, in cooperation with Northern Europe’s leading packaging supplier Estiko-Plastar, has put its new Hellus kefir drinks in revolutionary doybag packaging that not only meets consumer expectations but also promotes circular economy. Kefir can now be consumed anywhere thanks to the new packaging’s light weight, secure reclosing system and full recyclability.

Both Tere and Estiko-Plastar are committed to sustainability and creating solutions that promote circular economy. Through collaboration, the new Hellus flavoured kefir drinks were introduced to the market in an innovative sustainable doybag packaging that consists of only one type of materials. This simplifies the recycling of packaging while also ensuring that the packaging does not become a burden on the environment after consumption. In addition, the new stand-up pouch solution helps to preserve our natural resources and reduce the negative impact on the environment.

The doybag-type packaging for kefir drinks was primarily chosen to encourage user-friendliness. Such packages are lightweight and convenient to carry, which makes the consumption particularly easy for active people. Furthermore, pouches can be easily yet safely opened and closed many times, also ensuring a longer shelf life of the product.

Consumers around the world are paying more and more attention to environmental aspects of the packaging and looking for sustainable alternatives. Companies must also adapt to keep up with the pace and develop innovative alternatives for packing traditional products in a more sustainable way. For dairy products, the airtightness of the packaging and the protection of the product from external factors are particularly important factors in order to preserve the product better.

“Since kefir is a demanding product from packaging’s point of view, we found a suitable solution for Tere in the form of a doybag made of polypropylene (PP). To promote circularity, spouts and caps were also carefully selected to match the chosen material so they could all be recycled together in a designated recycling stream,” explained Taavi Tikk, R&D Manager at Estiko-Plastar.

“Compared to classic glass packaging, the innovative stand-up pouch solution makes the ratio of product weight to package weight up to 20 times smaller, and compared to a hard plastic bottle, 2.5 times smaller. In addition to greater ease of use, the new innovative pouch thereby also contributes to sustainability which is highly valued by consumers,” added Tikk.

“In today’s food industry, especially for traditional products, the right balance needs to be found between their further development and innovative packaging,” commented Helen Ojamäe, Marketing Manager at Tere. “The packaging of the new kefir drinks combines healthiness, sustainability, and convenience of use. These are the emerging trends in the world’s food industry which present us an excellent opportunity for exporting these products,” added Ojamäe.