Can you tell us about the history of Prowrap and how it has developed over the years?
For over 25 years, Prowrap has been a leading manufacturer of cling film, aluminium foil, baking papers and dispensers.
Our solutions include the award-winning, fully-recyclable, PVC-free Ecocling, as well as our renowned range of consumer, own brand, and professional cling films, foils and baking papers each designed to meet the needs of caterers, extend the shelf life of food, and reduce waste.
Our experience in the industry has seen us grow into a trusted partner for chefs and kitchens across the country. We’re proud to do our bit to help make hospitality staff’s lives easier, both on shift with our products, and off shift through our work with organisations like the Burnt Chef Project.
Can you elaborate on the specific measures you have implemented to ensure your products are environmentally friendly?
There is no such thing as a truly “environmentally friendly” product – everything impacts our environment in some way. We recognise that and work to minimise the impact we have at every level of our product journey, from concept to manufacturing to post-use.
This approach is at the core of every design decision we make regarding our products. For example, we make our Speedwrap Pro dispensers with Biocote antimicrobial technology, which inhibits the growth of harmful microbes on the dispenser surface. This means it’s easy to keep clean and enables kitchens to use milder cleaning products, reducing the need for stronger cleaning chemicals in professional kitchens.
It’s part of our holistic strategy that considers all aspects of a product’s life cycle. Our Infinity Foil is fully recyclable and is proudly made from recycled content, while our Ecocling films are suitable for recycling without compromising on stretchability, cutting capability, and durability. Our parchments are also 100% biodegradable and compostable, so most of our products are designed to have a second life after use.
What are the biggest challenges Prowrap faces in achieving its sustainability goals, and how are you addressing them?
The biggest challenge is always balancing food and material waste. While unnecessary plastic use is a problem for the planet, food waste is a much more significant contributor to climate change than plastic or packaging waste.
We’re aiming to rethink wrapping using our six ingredients of sustainability. These are our six core principles that define what we do every day:
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- UK-made products ensuring a lower carbon footprint
- Recycle-ready films and foils
- Biodegradable & compostable parchment
- Investing in a greener future
- Reduced plastic usage and wrapping product waste
- Contributing towards cutting down food waste
Your Eco cling film has won awards for innovation. What makes this product stand out in terms of sustainability compared to traditional cling films?
Ecocling is our fully recyclable PVC-free cling film that is available in widths of 300mm and 450mm to fit both sizes of our Speedwrap Pro dispenser. It is designed to provide a balance between recyclability and functionality and offers good levels of durability and cling properties that customers expect from professional-quality cling film.
How does Prowrap ensure that the materials used in your products are responsibly sourced? Can you walk us through your supply chain and production process?
We continually reinvest in all levels of our business so we can benchmark better ways of working. We’re also proud members of several industry organisations that promote responsible sourcing and manufacturing practices, including the Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA), Sedex, and Alupro.
All our dispensers are manufactured right here in the UK, and we’re committed to giving back to our local area as well as the communities from which we source our raw materials.
Can you discuss any initiatives Prowrap has undertaken to reduce carbon footprint or promote recycling in your manufacturing processes?
We are continually evolving and introducing new measures in collaboration with our customers to help reduce their and our environmental impact. One of these measures is our new dispenser recycling scheme, where we will work with our customers to collect any brand of old, unwanted, or redundant dispensers in return for a discount on dispenser refills. We’ll recycle as much of the dispensers as possible and work with our UK partner to re-use parts across the Prowrap group product range.
With the growing concern over plastic waste, how is Prowrap innovating in the area of sustainable packaging materials?
The majority of our packaging is made using materials from FSC-certified partners. We have also designed our Speedwrap Pro dispenser refills to fit into the dispenser without the need for plastic inserts in the roll, which has been the industry standard until now.
The Speedwrap catering dispensers are a significant part of your product lineup. How do these dispensers contribute to reducing waste and enhancing efficiency in professional kitchens?
Every element of the Speedwrap Pro is designed to improve efficiency in the kitchen, from the patented safety blade which makes it virtually impossible for staff to cut themselves to the antimicrobial technology that inhibits the growth of harmful microbes on its surface.
The robust cutting mechanism has also been designed to be as simple as possible – just a single press on the lid cuts precise lengths of film, foil, or parchment, meaning it takes next to no training to use. At a time of high staff turnover in the industry, this is particularly important.
What are Prowrap’s future goals in terms of sustainability? Are there any upcoming projects or product innovations aimed at further reducing your environmental footprint?
We want to continue growing and building our reputation as a trusted industry partner that does business in the right way. We’re continually working to develop new innovations that can support hospitality workers while minimising our – and our customers’ – impact on the environment.
