Cargill launches new wet-end starch to improve packaging paper making process

12 Sep 2019 --- Cargill has expanded its range of packaging ingredients with the launch of C*iBond 25957, a high-performance, cationic, wet-end starch specifically designed for packaging paper applications. The solution should enable an improvement in paper strength and quality combined with increased production efficiency for paper manufacturers. The solution can be used on applications such as case material, folding box board, solid bleached board and plasterboard, including food-grade options.

The new starch enables improved fiber/filler retention during the wet-end phase, increased fiber bonding and reduced fiber loss on water. The solution’s dewatering property has the potential to accelerate the drying process and further increase production speed, notes the company.

“At Cargill, we are always looking to innovate around challenges, but they are part of the game. The main goal with this solution was to reach a balance between product purity, cost and functionality. When you produce a product, the idea is to scale-up the base weight and in terms of repeating what was observed on the pilot. The challenge here was the scaleup between the lab and production,” Regis Houze, Cargill Paper and Packaging Category Manager, tells PackagingInsights.

Despite these challenges, the company has delivered a solution which gives manufacturers “greater control over the papermaking process and improves formation, drainage, retention and strength of the finished paper,” Houze explains.

The solution also delivers on coveted sustainability points. “Because of its improved bonding characteristics, this starch enables the use of a higher proportion of recycled fiber, while allowing paper producers to recycle more water. There is a reduced need for additional chemicals as it leaves less residue during the wet-end phase,” says Andreas Voigt, Cargill Senior Technical Service Specialist.

Plastic to paper switch?
The paper packaging market is almost flat, but steady, Houze explains. He notes how corrugated board is directly linked to the GDP of a country, and therefore, the economy is linked to the production of paper. “If you look to the corrugated market, it's almost flat, but still at a high level compared to last year. Even if the economy is a bit down today, we can still be confident for the next ten years.”

Rising anti-plastic sentiment which has embodied itself in not only consumer demand but in hardline legislation may also be boosting the paper market.

“In some countries there is a big push to reduce plastic and a strong incentive from governments, such as the Dutch, to reach various targets. Consumers are also increasingly pushing in this way,” he says.

“If you look at legislation from 2017 compared to 2019, there has been a huge growth. The EU is also set to ban many single use plastics. So, if you look at innovation, there are many more in the paper space. Look at the paper cup market, for example. With the rise of e-commerce and the plastic ban, we should really see the paper trend,” he explains.

Indeed in May, the Council of the EU has officially adopted measures proposed by the European Commission to tackle marine litter by banning the 10 single-use products most commonly found on European beaches. This included cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws and stirrers and also incorporates abandoned fishing gear and oxo-degradable plastics. The Member States have two years to transpose the legislation into their national law.

Such legislation has spurred industry to further investigate plastic-free options, which often leads it to paper. Finnish paper-based packaging specialist Huhtamaki has launched a new compostable Bioware Impresso double-walled hot cup, while Tetra Pak became “the first carton packaging company” to launch paper straws in Europe, in a move that brings the supplier a step closer to delivering an entirely plant-based carton package.

In further plastic phase-outs, Nestlé Japan announced it would replace the plastic wrapping on its KitKat candy bars with paper in a bid to become one step closer to its commitment of 100 percent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025. Unilever ice cream brand Solero launched a wrapper-less multipack which uses 35 percent less plastic compared to the original pack. The new box – which can be “widely recycled” in the UK – has built-in compartments, enabling the individual ice creams to be packaged without a plastic wrapper.

By Laxmi Haigh