The ancient Chinese are believed to have been the first to use treated mulberry bark fibres to wrap around perishable food. And today, over 2,000 years later, flexible paper still has so much to offer.
Increasingly, paper is seen as the most likely solution to the world’s plastic waste problem. And flexible packaging solutions are a natural solution to the broader need to reduce carbon emissions, as they use fewer materials and are lighter weight. By combining the best of both worlds – and by combining this ancient material with cutting-edge material science, as in the case of our Recoflex™ solutions – paper can be the material of a more sustainable future.
Making paper a viable alternative to plastic
It’s important to cut plastic waste, but it is equally important to remember that plastic still has an important role to play in the modern supply chain. It is incredibly durable, versatile, and low cost, while offering steadfast protection against moisture, oxygen, and aroma. Replacing that is no mean feat. Packaging’s primary purpose is to prevent waste by protecting and preserving its contents through the supply chain, and plastic is well-suited to that job. However, it is undeniable that the same properties that make plastic so effective mean it often ends up as waste itself.
While not quite the villain it is often made out to be – not all plastics are equally damaging to the environment, and plastic-based films and coatings can have a net benefit for a food product’s carbon footprint by reducing food waste in the supply chain – it is clear that the overuse of plastic is a significant problem for the planet. Switching to paper-based solutions where appropriate is one answer – while there is no magic bullet solution for all packaging applications, paper is as close as it’s possible to get in many cases.
However, paper is not a natural replacement for plastic – it must be made that way through innovative technology. Without being treated, paper is mechanically weak, porous, and seals poorly on modern packing lines. None of this is ideal when it comes to reducing waste through the supply chain.
The effort required to overcome these weaknesses means that paper has been seen as a lower-performance material than plastic, and that this must simply be accepted in pursuit of more sustainable packaging. However, at Parkside, we have been at the forefront of material science for many years. We are heavily involved in developing innovations that can augment and enhance paper packaging, making it a genuinely viable sustainable alternative that offers comparable performance to plastic in many applications.
For example, paper packaging has historically been unsuitable for frozen food applications due to the formation of ice crystals on the pack, which can degrade barrier coatings and allow oils and liquids to leak through the packaging when thawed. Our Recoflex freezer grade paper laminate is made with a unique barrier that repels ice crystals from the pack exterior. We used it to create an award-winning paper pouch for seafood that is freezer-ready while still being heat-sealable and fit for a modern packing line.
And the further solutions in the Recoflex range prove that paper can be the ideal packaging material for more applications than ever before. The full range includes metallised barrier paper, translucent paper, flow wrap paper, and a high barrier paper. All of them are fully recyclable within existing UK recycling infrastructure and can be used to improve circularity within a range of food and non-food market segments.
Advances in laminate and coating technology mean that oxygen and moisture barriers can be made using bio-based materials, such as acrylics made from cellulose. High-performance monopolymers mean that, even if fossil fuel-derived plastics must be used, they can be made in a way that is significantly easier to recycle. Paper can even be metallised without compromising its recyclability, using techniques like vapour deposition to add a high-barrier metallised layer that uses so little material it can still be safely recycled.
Don’t just replace – reduce
Ultimately, the overall goal should be to reduce the resources consumed in absolute terms by each pack, even if those materials are recyclable or renewable. This lowers costs both during manufacture and transit and, by minimising the physical footprint of a pack, businesses can minimise their carbon footprint, too. The first step away from a linear take-make-waste system surely involves ‘taking’ fewer raw materials in the first place – and, as EPR reforms continue to roll out across many national markets, taking that step sooner rather than later makes sense.
This is why paper flexible packaging is key in the global drive for sustainability. It is an inherently more sustainable format than rigid cartons and boxes as it consumes less energy and fewer materials during production and transport. It allows for a higher product-to-package ratio, meaning less air is shipped in transit. And it serves consumer demands to put an end to over-packaging, making for a naturally engaging on-shelf presence.
The advances in material science mean that, for many applications, flexible packaging offers the same mechanical strength and product protection qualities as rigid equivalents in many applications. Products like coffee, laundry detergent, and pet food can be packed and shipped more efficiently using flexible packaging without any increased risk of defects occurring through the supply chain.
It means paper-based flexible packaging solutions – having been first employed thousands of years ago – are once again in the spotlight as the packaging solutions of the future. By treating this ancient material with cutting-edge technology, the packaging industry can drive real change in the fight against plastic waste.
Want to learn more about how we can help you achieve your sustainability goals? Get in touch today!
