On World Environment Day, June 5th, Tonitto 1939 is stepping up its sustainability efforts and announcing that it has reduced the use of plastic in its main ice cream and sorbets by 50% over the past five years. This commitment, driven primarily by the progressive introduction of FSC-certified paper packaging, reflects an industrial transformation destined to impact the entire production chain.
The Ligurian company, a leader in Italy in the sorbets, sugar-free ice creams, and specialty vegan and high-protein products, has begun gradually replacing traditional plastic containers with cardboard jars, where compatible with the product's technical characteristics and the needs of its target markets.
The company explains that this decision isn't just an aesthetic or marketing move, but a structural shift that required investments, industrial testing, production adjustments, and new procurement strategies. It was a complex process that also involved discussions with international customers and distributors, who are increasingly oriented toward sustainable solutions.
This evolution has been driven primarily by Northern European and continental European markets, particularly Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, and France, where sustainability has become an increasingly central element in large-scale retail trade policies and consumer choices. In these countries, recyclable packaging and plastic reduction are now key criteria for shelf access and brand positioning.
In Italy, Tonitto 1939 emphasizes, awareness of these issues is growing rapidly within large-scale retail trade, with greater attention paid to the recyclability of materials, the reduction of plastic packaging, and the environmental sustainability of food products.
The company's journey is part of a broader strategy aimed at progressively making the entire production chain more sustainable, while maintaining high quality standards and innovation capacity. Future objectives also include developing more structured measurement systems to quantify the environmental benefits generated by reducing plastic, including in terms of CO₂ equivalent emissions.
"The topic of sustainability has become increasingly central not only for consumers, but also for the entire consumer goods supply chain, from distribution to international partners," says Massimiliano Dovo, co-owner of Tonitto 1939. "This is why we chose to invest in a concrete process of packaging evolution, addressing a complex transformation that involved development, production, and industrial organization."
Dovo also highlights how "the growing attention we're seeing, especially in Northern Europe, confirms that this direction increasingly represents a distinctive and strategic element for the future of the sector," underlining how packaging is now an integral part of the value perceived by the consumer, along with product quality.
