The Woodly heat-sealed bag for food-to-go products has gained a new set of wheels underneath as Woodly and VR, Finland’s state-owned railway company, announced a food packaging partnership.
Now the heat-sealed bag is travelling hundreds of kilometres a day on the restaurant car display cases of long-distance trains, even at this exact moment. For the consumer, the bag sets itself apart through informative labelling, but for the restaurant car staff, usability is key.
“From the kitchen’s point of view, the bag is easy and durable to handle. The message on the bags is visible to consumers, and the bag supports the choices of a responsible company brilliantly,” says Ari Lappalainen, the Product Manager of Avecra, the company responsible for catering at VR.
A wood-based choice for passengers
The heat-sealed bag is made from carbon-neutral and wood-based Woodly® material. It upkeeps product freshness and is designed to be recyclable. VR informs anyone visiting or passing through the restaurant car about the wood-based bags with digital and conventional advertisements.
The Woodly® bag has already gained praise from consumers due to its qualities and Finnish origin says Lappalainen.
“The feedback has been positive. It is important for our customers that their choice supports sustainable development and responsibility. Being a Finnish material innovation has also been received as a positive surprise,” he confirms.
Finnish quality and global sustainability
Perhaps a somewhat overlooked quality among the many environmental benefits is durability. The Woodly® bag has been a game-changer not only for VR but for other big-name brands in Finland as well. The simple reoccurring feedback is the same: initial doubts get squashed immediately.
“We had our doubts about durability and usability. However, the preconceptions turned out to be false. The Woodly® bag is more durable than conventional heat-sealed bags and does not tear up like the previous bag that we used,” details Lappalainen.
The primary goal for Woodly has always been to offer an alternative to customers who are moving away from traditional fossil-based plastics. It’s a global mission and now VR is a part of that journey as well.
“Woodly answers the call to replace and reduce the amount of conventional plastic. For us, the fact that it is also Finnish innovation is a big plus,” concludes Lappalainen.