Kapag and Sappi unveil cross-sector paper packs to replace plastic 

Swiss paper company Kapag has developed the Changemaker concept in collaboration with Sappi, a European provider of wood fiber-based products. The solution targets packaging applications across the food, cosmetics, pet food, healthcare, and household sectors.

The concept is a fully paper-based packaging solution designed to remove the need for plastic barriers. It combines Sappi’s Algro Design or Fusion Topliner paperboards with AvantGuard functional barrier papers to create monomaterial, recyclable packaging.

Alexander Meyer, managing owner at Kapag, says: “The food industry has been searching for packaging alternatives that don’t sacrifice functionality. Our partnership with Sappi allows us to leverage their premium paperboard and barrier technologies with our specialized lamination expertise, creating packaging that meets environmental goals and practical requirements for food safety.”

Kapag’s Changemaker range leverages its lamination technology to unite Sappi’s outer layers with barrier papers that offer functional protection.

With production running at 95% carbon neutrality, Changemaker reflects a step forward in eco-conscious packaging, offering a scalable solution for brands looking to reduce plastic use.

The Changemaker portfolio also includes Sappi’s Algro Duo, a solution that enhances rigidity and durability by bonding two Algro Design sheets, achieving thicknesses starting from 450 grams per square meter. Kapag processes materials from reel to reel with widths from 5–250 cm and sheet formats up to 360 cm long. 

Last year, Sappi Europe advanced its flexible packaging papers division with an investment in a new barrier coating machine at its Alfeld site in Germany. The barrier coating machine was designed to open up fresh possibilities in production.