If the virus’ microbes land on Cropper’s packaging’s surface, silver ions added to the paper prevent them from growing. Within two hours, the virus’ viability is destroyed by 99.9 percent.

Respiratory viruses can be transmitted where someone touches a contaminated surface. Cropper points to recent studies suggesting COVID-19 can remain viable on metal, glass, wood, textiles, plastic and paper surfaces from several hours to a number of days.

PaperGard is designed to give paper products the ability to “self-sanitize” without affecting the appearance or performance of the paper itself.

Richard Bracewell, marketing and technical director at Cropper, says the virus has raised consumer demand for assurances over packaging hygiene. 

Moreover, he asserts traditional preventive sanitation methods are insufficient in combating the spread of such viruses. 

“It is often impractical to use disinfectants and even soap and water. In these situations, the PaperGard protected paper, with its antimicrobial technology, limits contamination of the paper surface while maintaining the qualities of the paper.”

“[PaperGard] addresses the increased demand for hygienic surfaces. The silver ions present within the paper continually effectively control surface contamination for the lifetime of the product and maintain the integrity of the paper.”

Cropper’s survey conducted in October shows over three quarters (77 percent) of Britons now consider the hygiene of the products and packaging they interact with. Almost half (45 percent) believe those concerns for safety and hygiene will remain after the pandemic.

By using a revised formulation of the binding agents for the water-based coating, there is no longer any need for PE film lamination as a water barrier. Paper packaging with a barrier coating can be recycled in the already well-established paper recycling system. According to hubergroup, changing from conventional packaging to pure paper packaging with a barrier coating is a cost-effective and more environmentally friendly option. The Hydro-X GA Water Barrier Coating is now available worldwide.

Dr Christian Schirrmacher, global project manager water based inks from hubergroup Print Solutions, said about the product launch: ‘We are constantly working to further develop our portfolio. In particular, we focus on the benefits for our customers and the sustainability aspect. With the Hydro-X GA Water Barrier Coating, as a team, we have achieved another milestone. The aim is to enable our customers to produce more environmentally friendly packaging solutions.’

By using the Hydro-X GA Water Barrier Coating, it is possible to change from laminate structures to mono-material paper. For this step, only one more available inking unit is needed in order to apply the coating. According to the company, it has the following advantages: significantly improved recyclability, increased range of applications for pure paper packaging, lower material costs, and reduced processing times.

Hubergroup claims the coating provides a highly water-repellent surface, thereby increasing the shelf life of the product. The barrier coating is suitable for use in the packaging industry, specifically for packaging moisture-sensitive foodstuffs such as sugar, flour and dry animal food. This protective coating prevents unnecessary food waste. It is also suitable for applications in the non-food sector, for example, cement packaging and secondary packaging for copy paper. The Hydro-X GA Water Barrier Coating is suitable for both coated and uncoated paper.

Following successful results from laboratory tests, in spring 2020 hubergroup also began testing the coating in a real-world environment together with a customer. This involved print testing on different machines. Dr Schirrmacher explained: ‘The results were so impressive that we immediately received an order from our customer. They were particularly impressed by the elimination of a step in the production process.’

Smurfit Kappa, a leading provider of paper-based packaging solutions, has expanded its range of sustainable and biodegradable products with the launch of BanaBag, an innovative product addressing the quality assurance required for excellent bagging during the banana plant’s growth cycle.

According to Smurfit Kappa, the BanaBag is a unique solution for organic producers since it protects the fruit from disease and insects, whilst also reducing overheating resulting from the use of materials like plastic.

The BanaBag is made from cellulose, which acts as a natural insulator to the growing bananas, maintaining product quality even in higher temperatures.

"In addition to advantages in the farming process, BanaBag is the right choice for banana producers that are supplying international markets where consumers are demanding sustainable products with traceable production processes and supply chains,” the company stated. “The BanaBag is 100 per cent paper-based, making it renewable, recyclable and biodegradable, and importantly, it can be used as compost for the soil.”

Laurent Sellier, chief operating officer of Smurfit Kappa Europe Paper and Board, commented: “At Smurfit Kappa, we are committed to innovation and the development of paper-based sustainable products that support our customers in the improvement of their processes and products. With a continuing drive to make a positive impact on the agricultural sector with innovative solutions like BanaBag, we aim to positively contribute to better outcomes for farmers who are moving towards more sustainable methods.”

Juan Guillermo Castaneda, CEO of Smurfit Kappa The Americas, added: “Some of the largest banana exporters in the world are in South and Central America where we operate. Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic are on the list of the ten countries that export more than 80 per cent of the world’s bananas, mainly to European markets. This challenges producers to continuously adceapt to the fast-paced trends of consumers who want to be reassured that the products they buy and consume are sustainable.”

Louis Hesselholt, manager of Dominique Banana in Santa Marta, Colombia, commented: “Our job is to carefully handle the fruit in the production process so that it arrives in the best possible condition at its final destination – whether international or local.

BanaBag perfectly matches the needs of our plantation by reinforcing the organic characteristics of our export product and contributing to our goal of eliminating 100 per cent of all contaminant plastic waste from our farms.”

According to Smurfit Kappa, the use of non-sustainable materials at Dominique Banana had been a huge challenge for the company due to difficulties in recycling and the problems of land pollution. In addition, plastic bunch bags commonly overheated the fruit, contributing to losses. By introducing the BanaBag in the Campo Alegre and Granja plantations, quality was reportedly increased, post-harvest recycling optimised and the soil fertilised due to the BanaBag's compostability.

In addition to the BanaBag, Smurfit Kappa’s sustainable products for the agricultural sector include AgroPaper for eco-friendly mulching in crop growing, the SoFru corrugated pack for berries and Safe and Green biodegradable trays for fresh fruit.

The refillable cases have been made with no single use plastic and include a refill made with 100% FSC certified paperboard packaging. Tthey are available at Walmart, Target, CVS and Walgreens online. 

With the personal care industry being one of the main offenders of single-use plastic, the development is pioneering for antiperspirants. 

Priced for the mass market, they are said to be the first refillable antiperspirant from a major brand. 

Freddy Bharucha, SVP P&G Personal Care, said, “We know the most sustainable choices for consumers are not always the most affordable – and that limits the impact we can have on our environment. By providing sustainable solutions for both antiperspirants and aluminum free deodorants at some of the most affordable prices on the market, we’re able to make sustainable choices a reality for more consumers.”

Available in two sizes (medium and large), the printable Two Compartment Box is nested for space efficiency, features a simple clip closure to allow stacking, and seeks to minimise heat loss with an integral lid.  

The inside of the Two Compartment Box is coated with a barrier to prevent any grease or liquid from permeating through the pack. This also means it can be used for hot holding which, according to the company, makes the solution a good choice for operators needing a solution for high-traffic locations.

In a press release, Colpac says: “The box is simple for consumers to use and eat from, making it the ideal pack for street food concepts or take-away. Made from kraft board, it is recyclable once all food waste is removed, meaning consumers can easily find an appropriate waste stream.”

“Providing a food packaging solution that upholds the integrity of our customer’s offering is vital,” adds Kate Berry, Colpac’s head of marketing and product. “Many businesses have launched take-away and delivery services this year, and we are committed to creating viable, sustainable packaging to meet food-to-go demands. The forthcoming launch of the Two Compartment Box is an excellent addition to our range.”

With a total capacity of up to 1,050ml the large pack boasts a 920ml large compartment alongside a smaller compartment of 510ml. The medium pack has 670ml and 390ml compartments, and a total capacity of 1050ml. Samples of the medium and large Two Compartment Boxes are available now and will be available to purchase in January.

Nestlé began introducing Smarties sharing block packed in recyclable paper in the UK last year.

Alexander von Maillot, Global Head of Confectionery at Nestlé, said: "Shifting Smarties packaging to recyclable paper is one of our key sustainable packaging initiatives in the confectionery category. It is a further step in realizing Nestlé's ambition to make all of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 and to reduce its use of virgin plastics by one third in the same period."

The new Smarties paper packaging is sourced sustainably and is made of a coated paper, paper labels or carton board. Information about how to properly dispose of Smarties paper packaging is also included on its labels to raise consumer awareness.

Louise Barrett, Head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Centre in York, said: "Developing safe and convenient paper-based solutions for Smarties has required the pioneering of new materials and testing by Nestlé packaging experts at our R&D Center for confectionery in York, UK and the Swiss-based Institute of Packaging Sciences. We adapted our existing manufacturing lines to allow for the careful handling that is required for paper, while also ensuring recyclability across all new formats."

Nestlé invested significantly to upgrade its factories globally, including in Hamburg, Germany, one of the company's largest factories for confectionery products.

The transformation of the Smarties packaging is only one of the brands' 'SMART Initiatives', which aim to support sustainability and enhance the overall product experience.

Heinz is switching to a paperboard sleeve for multipack canned products. The new “eco-sleeve” is fully recyclable and is approved by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). The new sleeve also uses 50% less material than a fully enclosed box and 10% less than traditional paperboard sleeves.

Heinz estimates that a rollout across all canned products and major UK retailers will remove 550 tonnes of shrink-wrap packaging. The first products – a selection of Heinz Soups – are available in the new packaging, with a UK-wide launch to commence in Autumn 2021.

Kraft Heinz’s Northern Europe President Jojo de Noronha said: “It is clear that convenience is important to shoppers – research has found that 59% of UK shoppers say that if a package is easy to carry or transport, it is impactful to their overall satisfaction with the product. And sustainable packaging has a significant impact, too, with 71% of UK shoppers agreeing that they are more satisfied with a product if it is easily recycled or composted.

“Grounded in shopper insight, we feel this new recyclable and easy-to-carry paperboard sleeve ticks both of those boxes and is the perfect eco-friendly solution for our multipacks.  Our packaging innovation team continues to work hard to develop further sustainable solutions across our business as we make a £25m investment over three years to implement the infrastructure needed to ensure this roll-out is a success, which will be a win for the environment as well as shoppers across the UK.”

Heinz is aiming to reduce carbon emissions from packaging manufacturing transport. The new packaging sleeves have an 18.7% lower carbon footprint compared to shrink-wrap equivalents. The solution is part of a three-year £25m investment into low-carbon and efficiency improvements at the Kitt Green factory near Wigan.

Besides labelling machines, HPPL also specialises in designing Complete Packaging Systems for Cartons. Ceka packing machines are used for packing pre-lined cartons. They ensure a simple, efficient and a reliable packaging system. Ceka machines are ideal for packing products that require high barrier protection, in cartons. One of HPPL's greatest strengths is the total solutions support provided by its Packaging Machine Division, to all main line business groups.

The multi-layer laminate consists of three basic components: BillerudKorsnäs` paper ConFlex® Silk, a sealing layer made of BASF's certified home compostable and partly bio-based biopolymer ecovio® and BASF's water-based adhesive Epotal® Eco 3675 X. All components are certified home-compostable according to official European certification schemes for home-composting. The laminate contains a high share of renewables and extends the end-of-life options for multi-layer flexible packaging by being organically recyclable. The new home-compostable solution has the same performance features as conventional multi-layer packaging: it is puncture resistant, shows a good printability, excellent heat-seal properties and can be processed on standard packaging machines.

"We wanted to create a paper-based laminate with good heat-seal properties by using certified home-compostable components only", says Amir Pourirani, head of global marketing Biopolymers at BASF.  "There is a huge trend in society, in some countries driven by legislation, to move from plastic to paper-based packaging. Moreover, currently available multi-layer flexible laminates are difficult to recycle but the technical need is still present. In BillerudKorsnäs we found the ideal partner to develop a home-compostable solution based on paper with a broader end-of-life option for packaging while maintaining the technical performance of traditional laminates."

According to the targets of the "European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy" all plastic packaging should be recyclable or reusable by 2030.

"With BASF's certified home-compostable biopolymer and adhesive, we found the ideal components to take the next step towards another sustainable solution for flexible packaging in our portfolio", says Markus Saari, Business Development Manager at BillerudKorsnäs. "Our joint development represents a shift to paper-based and compostable material in order to replace traditional laminates for food packaging - meeting hygiene and barrier requirements, maintaining form and enabling many design possibilities just like conventional packaging but with the decisive added benefit that it is home-compostable.