Fiberdom scales plastic-free pack material for EU PPWR compliance

Fiberdom has completed industrial pilot trials of its plastic-free Duranova, a material made from FSC-certified wood pulp or paperboard. The trials used a continuous reel-to-reel pilot line supplied by Vits Technology, a machine and plant engineering company.

The tests for Fiberdom’s Duranova material were conducted at Vits Technology’s development center in Germany. It is said to be the first application of the material in a reel-to-reel industrial pilot process, which is a requirement for large-scale thermoformable product and packaging converters.

The work aims to provide a new solution for the packaging and short service-life product industries in preparation for the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

Duncan Mayes, chief technology officer at Fiberdom, says: “For the packaging industry, plastic-free materials have often meant compromises between performance and scalability.” 

“Demonstrating that a plastic-free fiber material can run in standard reel-to-reel production environments changes that equation and broadens what is realistically possible at industrial scale for converters, board producers, and brand owners working to meet new regulatory and brand requirements.”

Exploring production pathways

The trials focused on process stability, runnability, and repeatability. Results showed that Fiberdom’s plastic-free, natural fiber material can be processed on industrial pilot machinery in a continuous production format suitable for verifying scale-up potential.

Arne Weber, head of laboratory at Vits, says: “A key challenge for new materials is finding the best machine setup and corresponding process parameter for demonstrating reliable processing in continuous industrial operations.” 

“Running Fiberdom’s material on our reel-to-reel pilot line shows that it can be integrated into the same development and scale-up environment used for established paper-based substrates, which is an important step toward future industrial implementation.”

The plastic-free natural fiber materials are said to combine durability with extended formability. The advancement in its industrial production aims to meet rising performance and regulatory expectations in packaging and other short- and long-lifespan applications.

Fiberdom’s material is in commercial use in Finland for producing single-use cutlery items. Last year, the company partnered with thermoforming and welding technology provider Kiefel to accelerate the development and commercialization of fiber-based, fully recyclable, and home compostable foodservice packaging.