Plastic-free multivitamin supplement launch

Apsu, a nutritional company that specializes in products for the sporting and athletic market, has relaunched its Superfood Multivitamin in a plastic-free pouch.

The company took the UN Environment’s Clean Seas pledge in October 2017 and spent several months sourcing an alternative to the original plastic bottles.

Paper-Based Solution

Nicola Evans, director of Apsu, said, “We had no idea how hard it was going to be. Extensive research led us to a newly developed paper-based solution that could work. We sent the technical specifications, conformity declaration and samples to our US manufacturing plant to ensure that we could maintain the integrity of our vitamins. Once we got the green light, we pressed ahead but this was only the beginning of further challenges that we were to face.”

The pouch is made of paper and uses plastic-free heat seal technology. It has been developed specifically for dry and moist foodstuffs and has already been used for other products such as cereals.

Compostable and Recyclable

“We researched metal-based, bio-plastic and Kraft paper solutions. Ultimately, each of these was unsuitable. For example, the Kraft paper pouches were lined with plastic and most included plastic seals. They have the appearance of being a natural solution because the outside pouch is paper. However, the inner plastic undoes the good work of the packaging’s appearance.”

With Kraft pouches, end-consumers have to separate the plastic from the paper and dispose of them in separate recycling bins, so most pouches end up in landfill or contaminating recycling.

“We wanted ours to have an end-life that was simple for our customers – compost it or recycle it.”

The Apsu pouch also has minimal ink usage to avoid unnecessary contamination.

New Vegetarian Formula

Apsu’s Superfood Multivitamin, which has been on the market for nearly seven years, has also evolved.

“We used the change in packaging as a good opportunity to update the recipe of our Superfood Multivitamin. We have removed all fish and meat-based ingredients so that vegetarians can also enjoy the benefits. Many athletes and sports people nowadays are moving away from animal-based diets and we wanted to support as many people as we could. We have also made the pill size smaller but increased the quantity of tablets in order to make it easier for people to adjust their intake based on their individual requirements.”

Flexible Dosage for Individual Daily Needs

The non-overdosing formula is designed for athletes under continual high strain and exertion in both training and competition. For those who exercise moderately, they are advised to take two per day and raise this to three when their levels of intensity increase.

Apsu’s Superfood Multivitamin consists of a unique formula of premium vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and antioxidants. It is supported by a superfood complex of 42 fruits and vegetables. It is available to purchase at www.apsu.lifeand can be shipped worldwide.

The company has plans to expand their range of plastic-free, vegetarian nutritional products and accessories for the sports market in the very near future.