Paper Packaging

From now on, Jan Oskam trading company can offer a '4 pack' (73mm+). "With this, we target small households who want to spend a little more on convenience. These one or two-person homes prefer good, fresh apples that will last a week. Pre-packaged in paper, this packaging doesn't cause unwanted pollution. It also prevents people from grabbing apples off the shelf and thus prevents product loss. The cashiers need no stickers, and the margins are excellent."

Pet food can be challenging to pack because it has high levels of grease. Standard papers typically used for pet food packaging are unable to offer the required level of grease and moisture resistance. In addition, 20kg pet food sacks need to be strong, creating a need for reinforcement and the possibility to resist external weather conditions. Until now, plastic laminated paper has been usually used to provide the required level of strength and barrier qualities.

Strength with sustainability

Paper is a highly sought-after raw material worldwide, but its production requires a lot of water and energy. Grass-paper offers an innovative alternative. The material has up to 30 percent lower CO2 emissions in its production compared to normal paper and cardboard. The grass grows without the use of fertilizers on ecological compensation areas, often in the immediate vicinity of the respective paper mill. Grass-paper board consists of 40 percent pulp, which is obtained from grass. The remaining 60 percent pulp comes from FSC-certified forests.

Manufacturing paper consumes more energy and water and emits more greenhouse gases than plastics. It also contributes to deforestation, which, ironically, was a reason that plastic bags became so popular in the first place. But despite science-based evidence to the contrary, paper largely is seen by the public at large as an environmentally preferable substitute for plastics. To retain customers and attract new ones, brand owners are left to find ways to make paper perform as well as plastics, which has been a challenge. Paper straws immediately come to mind.

Whether due to genuine concern for the environment or the widespread vilification of plastic among consumers, many companies have invested heavily in reducing their use of plastic packaging.

The company believes that this initiative is in line with ITC’s Sustainability 2.0 vision which strives to strengthen their multi-dimensional efforts to combat climate change, enable the transition to a net zero economy, work towards ensuring water security for all, restore biodiversity through the adoption of nature-based solutions, create an effective circular economy for post-consumer packaging waste and scale up programs that support sustainable livelihoods.

PACK 75 is ideally suited as sustainable packaging material for toys and other small parts

At Interpack 2023, Mitsubishi HiTec Paper will be presenting its full range of barricote® barrier papers for flexible food and non-food packaging, as well as the new PACK 75, a heat-sealable paper for primary and secondary packaging.