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BillerudKorsnäs has collaborated with Syntegon Technology to launch Recyclable Flow Wrap, a paper-based packaging solution that seeks to enable a shift from conventional plastic.

The company says that its new solution is based on primary fibres from well-managed forests, with high barrier performance, that can be recycled as paper.

The product aims to enable the shift from conventional plastic to paper and is suitable for medium to high barrier requirements, such as those posed by chocolate bars and other confectionery, as well as bakery products. A patent application for the solution is pending.

Recyclable flow wrap has been verified by Syntegon Technology and tested with their retrofit upgrade kit “paper-ON-form”.

“We are happy to launch a paper-based flow wrap solution. The product is recyclable as paper and brand owners don’t have to compromise on product shelf-life or on converting productivity, in comparison to plastic packaging options,” says Peter Åström, project manager of Recyclable Flow Wrap at BillerudKorsnäs.

With the Syntegon upgrade kit, paper-ON-form can be installed on existing horizontal flow wrapping machines and new flow wrappers from Syntegon Packaging Systems AG. The solution was engineered in Syntegon´s own development center in Beringen, Switzerland, and consists of a flow-wrap forming unit and sealing tools or paper cold-sealing applications.

The kit is already being used on existing lines from international manufacturers for packaging chocolate bars in paper.

“To make flow wraps future-proof we have to take a holistic approach. In our test lab, we are concentrating on three elements. Avoidance. Recycling. Recovery. Our retrofit kit allows customers the transition to paper packaging on their existing Syntegon Packaging Systems horizontal flow wrapping machine – without any restrictions regarding speed compared to the existing for cold-sealable paper,” says Christoph Langohr, project manager of sustainability horizontal packaging at Syntegon.