Beyond The Headlines: Koehler Paper equips chocolate producer with paper packs, UPM Raflatac receives certification

29 Mar 2024 --- This week in industry news, Koehler Paper and Nucao launched fully paper-based chocolate packaging. Meanwhile UPM Raflatac received RecyClass recognition for its adhesive technology and Capri Sun Group launched a recyclable, mono-PP drinks pouch.

In brief: Business news
Koehler Paper and Nucao launched 100% paper packaging for chocolate bars in Germany. Nucao chocolate bars will be packaged exclusively in paper with immediate effect. The flexible packaging paper “Koehler NexPlus Advanced” from Koehler Paper has “excellent” oxygen, mineral oil and grease barrier properties. The 1005 recyclable paper is suitable for vertical packaging machines and for processing on horizontal packaging machines. 

Sonoco joined the French association Ligépack. Established in 2011, the association collaborates with packaging companies to enhance their expertise, improve the quality and safety of their solutions, and reduce their environmental impact. It currently has more than 80 members and 30 partners, and it carries out services including auditing, consulting, support with packaging design, testing and analyzing solutions, and research and reports. It also offers training and advice about packaging requirements and regulations, and it helps its members navigate food packaging supply chain challenges. As a member of Ligépack, Sonoco will offer its expertise in converting and designing packaging that is recyclable and maintains product freshness.

Smurfit Kappa explored the impact of water-resistant trays on fresh produce. In its recent blog, the company revealed how switching to water-resistant trays can enhance product protection and elevate a brand’s reputation. Despite performing a similar function, there are some key differences between traditional style and water-resistant produce trays, including tray durability, product protection against moisture, reducing risk of product contamination.

Capri Sun Group launched a recyclable, mono-PP drinks pouch. The solution is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% compared to its previous design, made from laminated layers of aluminum, PE and PET. The move supports the brand’s mission to adopt fully recyclable packaging. The mono-PP pack offers a significantly lower carbon footprint “than any other beverage packaging” and, as it rolls out across Europe over the coming years, is set to remove tons of aluminum from entering landfill, claims the company. 

UPM Raflatac uses its multipurpose UV acrylic adhesive technology for PE films.

In brief: Certifications and events
UPM Raflatac received RecyClass recognition for PE films with its multipurpose UV acrylic adhesive technology — making UPM Raflatac the “first ever” pressure-sensitive laminate producer to receive technology approval in this category. The granted recognition expands UPM Raflatac’s portfolio of RecyClass-approved PE label materials. The materials are recognized to be recycling compatible with colored and natural PE flexible films. 

Anheuser-Busch rolled out its newly adopted US Farmed certification and seal across the nation for several of its industry-leading beer brands. The certification scheme supports farmers in the US, including Texas, where the state’s farmers sold US$32.2 billion worth of agricultural products in 2022. The certification includes a new packaging seal for products made with ingredients grown by American farmers. Developed and verified by the farming NGO American Farmland Trust, the US Farmed certification and packaging seal helps shoppers choose products that derive at least 95% of their agricultural ingredients from US-based farms.

Starlinger announced it is presenting its solutions for food-grade recycled post-consumer PE, PP, PS and PET at the plastics trade show NPE in Orlando, US, May 6 to 10. The two Starlinger business units Viscotec and Recycling Technology joined forces to offer these high-end solutions for producing food-grade recycled plastics. Based on Starlinger’s vision “food-grade without compromise,” the combination of the proven post-consumer pelletizing line recoSTAR dynamic with the new viscoZERO melt phase decontamination technology and the downstream pellet flushing unit PCUplus provides super-cleaning and odor reduction for PET, PP, HDPE and PS. 

By Natalie Schwertheim