PAPACKS has been nominated in this year’s Sustainability Awards for its Molded Fiber Box for chilled fish and seafood, said to be food-contact safe and recyclable in the paper waste stream. A finalist in the Renewables category, we spoke to PAPACKS CMO Manuel Leibrock to find out more.
You’re a finalist in the Sustainability Awards 2026. Congratulations! To start off, could you summarize your entry in less than 50 words?
The PAPACKS Fiber Box is a moulded fibre transport packaging solution for the chilled logistics of fish and seafood. It’s made from virgin wood fibre and industrial hemp, recyclable in the paper stream, food-contact safe and produced at industrial scale in Germany.
Why do you think the judges were impressed with your entry? Tell us what is innovative about your product and its impact on packaging sustainability.
We believe this solution stands out because it enables the use of a recyclable paper-based material in an application where moulded fibre products have previously seen little success: transporting fish and seafood under moist, refrigerated conditions and heavy loads. The box remains stable for at least five days at full capacity within a temperature range of 0 to 2°C - a performance verified under real-world cold chain conditions; furthermore, it is water-resistant and suitable for food contact.
At the end of its product lifecycle, the box can be disposed of directly via the customer’s existing waste paper recycling stream. Both the box and lid are made from virgin wood fibres and industrial hemp, allowing the entire unit to be processed through standard paper recycling.
Independent testing by cyclos-HTP confirms a fibre recovery rate of approximately 85%. Thanks to their ability to nest and stack, empty boxes can be transported efficiently, offering up to 60% space savings compared to conventional boxes that can only be stacked.
Finally, can you tell us about the ongoing development of your product, such as how your innovation has been received by the industry?
The box is mass-produced in Germany and is currently being used by fish processors and distributors across various European markets. During an initial field validation conducted with a German seafood wholesaler, the box underwent a real-world cold chain process at temperatures between 0°C and 2°C for over five days, confirming its performance under actual operating conditions.
At the same time, we evaluate each application individually - considering factors such as temperature, handling, and volume - because fibre-based solutions are suitable for certain refrigeration applications but not others; we make it a priority to clarify this on a case-by-case basis rather than making unrealistic promises.
The winners of this year’s Sustainability Awards are due to be announced on the 11th November at the Sustainable Packaging Summit, taking place from the 10th-12th November in Utrecht, Netherlands. The Summit mobilizes leaders of the FMCG value chain, policymakers, NGOs, recyclers and investors to collaborate, remove barriers and identify opportunities on the road to sustainable transformation.
To learn more or register, visit: https://www.packagingsummit.earth
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