Paper packaging

The world’s forests are being logged at an alarming rate — three billion trees a year go into the paper packaging supply chain. To put a fine pint on it, that many trees would fill an area the size of Germany. The necessary shift away from single-use plastics could put even more forests in danger, so it is time for food companies to replace high-carbon, single-use tree fibre with more circular feedstocks like recycled paper or agricultural residues to make paper packaging.

According to Sitma, E-Wrap is designed to meet the demands of the logistics sector in terms of speed and efficiency. The company adds that the unit can be integrated into various production settings and hubs with different layouts, as well as combined with units for labelling and weighing.

Sitma says that E-Wrap can be used for the automatic management of printing systems for e-commerce applications. Additionally, the machine can apparently insert documents into the package, such as invoices, delivery notes, return labels, coupons, and leaflets.

According to Unilever, the move will see the brand use 93% less plastic per pack compared to the previous Carte D’Or packaging, corresponding to annual savings of around 900 tonnes of virgin plastic.

The paper used in the tub and lid is reportedly sustainably sourced and is PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) approved. Unilever adds that the tub and lid can be rinsed and then put into normal household paper recycling streams.

Hive Energy joined up with Horsham-based Nafici Group to invest in Nafici Environmental Research (NER) which converts agricultural waste, including wheat straw, into EcoPulp; an alternative to wood-based pulps in the production of paper packaging materials.

The firm said it decided to act as packaging is a major environmental concern, with many industries looking to move away from non-biodegradable, fossil-fuel plastics.

Razor giant Gillette has sharpened its approach to sustainability with the launch of new product packaging that uses fully recyclable packaging.

• The UK’s leading frozen food specialist has partnered with Mondi to package its products more sustainably
• Mondi’s functional barrier paper solutions will reduce the amount of plastic used by 80%
• New approach supports Iceland in its ambitious goal to eliminate plastic packaging by the end of 2023

Iceland is replacing its previous packaging with Mondi’s versatile functional barrier paper across a number of its ranges.