Renewables and the opportunities for packaging

According to Cepi, the Confederation of European Paper Industries, the current value of new bio-based products represents almost 3% of the total industry value already – and that this percentage is growing rapidly to become a major contributor to the sector’s 2050 target of 50% more added value.

“Innovations in barrier papers started with fibre-based packaging with a plastic lining but also food service items such as plates and cutlery,” says Anna Papagrigoraki, Sustainability Director at Cepi. “But now further innovations will be replacing the plastic linings and coatings with natural polymers such as micro-fibrillated cellulose or moulded packaging.”

“While the food industry is important for paper, we are increasingly moving from plastics to fibre-based here,” says Aude Paustian, Head of Product Development BBC Cellpack Packaging, “For several months we have been also looking at the opportunities in the cosmetics market. In the past, cosmetics packaging was focused on a ‘premium’ look with metallic effects, but with increasing consumer interest in sustainability there has been a shift. In France, for example, there is a trend towards ‘hard’ cosmetics which the consumer can purchase in a solid form and then add water to make the cosmetic themselves. In this kind of cosmetic, paper can have a very important place.”

“For flexible packaging there are certainly papers offering high barriers against water vapour under advanced conditions and oxygen barriers, without using a coating with PVDC or other undesirable substances,” says Alexander Rauer, Head of Business Development FlexTech and Product Manager Flexible Packaging Paper, Koehler Paper. “There is also a trend to reduce the weight of the base paper without compromising the performance on packaging lines. There are meanwhile a lot of companies offering heat-sealable paper but most of them only with grammages above 80 g/m². On the rigid side there are fibre moulded products for blisters or boxes with child safety functions, and many more.

“Perhaps I could add a few more to the growing list,” says Anna Papagrigoraki: “A compostable oil-based plastic free teabag, coffee pods, paper and boxes for fish but also dry moulded fibre technology. Then of course there are the non-food packaging innovations such as a paperboard tube suitable for the primary packaging of cosmetics.”