Sustainability Awards 2017 winner: Bio-Based
Bosch & BillerudKorsnäs, Sealed Paper Packaging
Our ‘Bio-Based’ category marks significant innovations that help shift towards the use of renewable feedstocks. This year’s winner is a sealed paper packaging concept developed by Bosch Packaging Technology and BillerudKorsnäs. Instead of using polymer film, a new solution enables production of dust-tight packaging for dry products such as sugar, grains, flour or powders using sustainable mono-material paper, which contains no additional polymer fractions. As a result, retailers and consumers profit from clean shelves, high product protection and improved product quality.
The paper packaging is produced on the first VFFS with a so-called ZAP-Module. The module enables coating with the sealing agent on a minimal surface area, preserving the paper’s mono-material character. The solution is based on the proven SVE machine concept from Bosch. The new solution combines this technology with the Axello®ZAP paper from BillerudKorsnäs.
Compared to conventional paper, Axello®ZAP is substantially more durable, while retaining its natural paper characteristics and advantages from source to recycling. The sustainable characteristics of the material increase its appeal to eco-conscious consumers. With the Axello®ZAP paper, BillerudKorsnäs has developed a new, better packaging material which reliably withstands the stronger mechanical requirements in processing.
Until now, the production of mono-material paper packaging was only possible with glued pre-made bags or formed paper bags on mandrel wheel technology. The VFFS concept is more flexible regarding formats and pack styles and thus popular on the market. Previously, it only allowed bag production using polymer film or fully coated paper. With the ZAP-Module from Bosch it is now possible to process mono-material paper on continuous VFFS technology with dust-tight sealing. The secret lies in the characteristics of the Axello®ZAP paper, which was specially developed for this application, as well as in the ZAP-Module, which applies a minimal amount of the sealing agent during the packaging process to enable heat sealing of the paper on the VFFS machine. Additionally, from 2017 this new packaging is also available for the mandrel wheel technology to improve the traditional paper bags produced on this type of machines by making them dust-tight. As a result, retailers and consumers profit from clean shelves, enhanced product protection from contamination and thus improved product quality.
The solution meets the growing demand for sustainable packaging for dry foods such as sugar, flour, grains and powders. Moreover, the machine is user-friendly and allows versatile pack styles, including pillow, gusseted and block bottom bags. “We are positive that our solution, supported by several years of development, not only addresses today’s challenges for our customers but also gives them the possibility to enter completely new markets and areas of application using sustainable packaging,” commented Marcus Velezmoro, sales responsible for the VFFS ZAP portfolio at Bosch Packaging Technology.
