Interpack 2026 live: Sappi spotlights paper-based packaging for scalability and resilience

Sappi is presenting its paper-based flexible packaging and labels, as well as silicone base paper for packaging applications, at Interpack 2026. Flavio Froehli, vice president of marketing and sales at Sappi, tells us the “future proof” solutions respond to the fiberization momentum building at the trade show.

“The art of succeeding is to understand your verticals, so we have different verticals. We are presenting packaging solutions for confectionery, food, dairy, tea, and coffee. We also have solutions for beverages, non-food items, and tobacco,” Froehli tells Packaging Insights.

Sappi is exhibiting its flexible packaging papers from its Seal, Guard, and Guard Pro ranges, including the Guard Pro OHS and the new Guard Pro OMH for “demanding” applications such as chocolate, tea, soluble drinks, and seasonings. The company’s Fusion liner, Algro paperboard, and Parade Label wet glue label papers are also on show.

“There’s a lot of talk around innovation at Interpack 2026, and that’s super important. Innovation got us to where we are today, but innovation without execution and scalability means nothing,” says Froehli.

“So at the trade show, we’re not just presenting novel product features or ways of producing solutions. What you can see here are fully implemented, fully scalable, off-the-shelf packaging solutions. We are able to talk about applications and the processes used.”

“In order to come up with the right packaging solution, the art is to understand the pain points throughout the value chain. Then Sappi, together with our partners in the value chain, creates the right solutions for the right application. That’s what we’re all about here today.”

Supply chain hurdles

Flavio Froehli, vice president of marketing and sales at Sappi.Discussing the supply chain disruptions caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Froehli asserts that the importance of the resilience of supply is not new. “We’ve had multiple crises we’ve had to overcome since 2019.”

He describes the ongoing business environment as “volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.” He adds: “In challenging times, resilience becomes very important.”

“Back in 2022, we had a major disruption of the supply chain, which forced us to dramatically rethink our approach, from a procurement but also supply chain perspective. This meant that we needed to onshore certain raw materials. We need to diversify our product portfolio and raw materials become much more resilient.”

“Frankly speaking, while there is a crisis in the Middle East that has had a knock-on effect, particularly on costs, as far as the supply chain is concerned, Sappi has been okay.”

He adds that the company has been able to switch supply and to ensure that there is no knock-on effect on availability. “Unfortunately, I must say, there is a knock-on effect on cost, which went up on all raw materials.”

Sustainability becomes a must

Froehli says sustainability is the buzzword of Interpack 2026, guided by the upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which he describes as “certainly the most prominent one.”

“Sustainability has been on top of our mind for the last few decades,” he continues. “It’s not new for Sappi, but it has taken longer to reach not just the consumer, but also brand owners.”

“Sustainability is one of the mega trends we’re seeing. It is driven by regulations, but also by innovations, which have finally become available at scale, such as Sappi’s products.”

Sappi highlights its paper-based packaging at Interpack 2026, focusing on scalable, resilient solutions (Image credit: Sappi).Froehli says that customers are no longer asking “Should I go for sustainability or cost?” They are asking, “Can I actually combine these things?” and “Is there a business case for sustainable solutions?”

“This is what we encourage at Sappi,” he emphasizes.

Clarity in regulation

Regarding the current packaging regulatory environment, Froehli says that there can be too many regulations to keep track of, which he argues can sometimes create uncertainty. “And uncertainty is never good for an economy or an industry.”

“One of the things that we really need is clarity. And luckily, now with the PPWR, we have some clarity. We’re going to start mid-August, and by 2030, packaging needs to be recyclable. That’s good news. That’s transparency and clarity.”

“Yes, we still have some questions on details, including methodologies, but at least there is clarity.”

He adds that other regulatory efforts, notably EPRs, are now emerging in many countries and states in the US. “This is adding to the momentum of fiber-based solutions.”

“We’ve seen that while everybody has been thinking about potentially remodeling their packaging concept, the speed and activity have increased tremendously over the last couple of weeks and months in order to comply with EPR regulations.”