PulPac arms Max Burgers with dry molded fiber coffee lids for carbon reduction gains
28 Mar 2022 --- Quick service restaurant Max Burgers will roll out a fiber coffee lid, “the Liplid” – made from PulPac’s fiber forming technology in all its restaurants in Sweden this year. Liplid, developed and sold by the company Liplid, is a dry molded fiber lid boasting an 80% lower CO2 footprint compared to lid alternatives.
“The important difference between a plastic lid and a dry molded fiber lid is that the fiber lid is the [environmentally] sustainable alternative and the viable way to put an end to continued plastic pollution. It is designed for circularity, from renewable resources, recyclable and biodegradable,” Sanna Fager, chief commercial officer at PulPac, tells PackagingInsights.
PulPac’s pioneering fiber forming technology has made it possible to make the unique lid from fiber. Dry molded fiber offers benefits such as structural strength, undercuts, de-nesting, advanced geometries, and unparalleled control of material thickness, making it possible to produce very thin fiber products.
Reducing CO2 emissions
The dry process also saves significant amounts of valuable water resources and energy, resulting in up to 80% lower CO2 footprint compared to alternatives, says PulPac.
When asked to elaborate, Fager explains “the [above] statement is based on an internal LCA model, comparing other public data for wet molded items and plastics. One benchmarked example includes a public LCA from Stora Enso, who conducted a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment for its formed fiber product (a cup lid and a bowl), compared with bagasse-based formed fiber products and comparable plastic products (polystyrene and recycled PET).”
PulPac’s pioneering fiber forming technology has made it possible to make the unique lids.“PulPac utilized corresponding LCA calculation methods and assumptions for comparable products made with dry molded fiber. The models are not yet independently validated by third parties so [the above statement] should be read as up to 80% lower CO2 footprint – and the exact ratio depends on the product in question.”
“The key difference [to other product alternatives] arises from the much lower energy usage of the dry molding process coupled with its rapid and high output production cycle. PulPac is presently conducting third-party validated LCAs and certifications on dry molded fiber products together with the Research Institutes of Sweden,” she continues.
Adapting lid to technology options
Fager says PulPac’s technology is suitable for products such as lids and highlights the company had developed generic lid applications earlier, “but the new and innovative design of the LipLid lid was of course challenging.”
“It had never been done before. An important step of the process was to adapt the lid to how our technology is forming the products.”
“We did it by working closely and agiley with our client to iterate the right design of the production tooling. Optimizing dry molded fiber tool design is a core knowledge and an area where we have world-leading know-how. It’s a big part of what we do and how we help clients shift to packaging that is both [environmentally] sustainable and affordable.”
Competing with single-use plastic
The lid is placed inside the cup to prevent leakage and improve stability and drinking experience.PulPac says besides the technical and environmental advantages, its technology offers highly competitive unit economics, making it possible to replace single-use plastics at global scale.
Fager explains that in Europe, fiber-based packaging has the highest recycling rate (82.3%), above plastics (42%). Compared to any other material, the carbon footprint for fiber-based packaging is significantly lower and would allow FMCG companies to reduce their emissions considerably and reduce the end-of-life impact of their packaging, she argues.
“In the case of the Liplid, the lid is placed inside the cup to prevent leakage and improve stability and drinking experience. The innovative and climate-smart design, which uses 25% less material, is the winner of the 2022 World Star Packaging Awards.”
“The world needs smart and functional alternatives to single-use plastics. Using PulPac’s innovative approach, we at Liplid produced a fully recyclable, plastic-free and biodegradable cup lid with a new and unique design, bringing a new drinking experience to the market,” adds Jesper Berthold, Liplid’s CEO.
What’s next?
Fager says replacing single-use plastics is the company’s “mission.”
“That is what has motivated us to take the technology to a point where it is now starting to happen. Dry molded fiber means we can get away from plastics – not just for a few products or in a distant future, but at global scale and now.”
“We are looking forward to seeing the first dry molded fiber products on the market. Besides the Liplid launching on Max Burgers, we have recently announced the paper tube lid by Scandicore, replacing plastic lids on paper tubes. A very logical swap, which means that the entire packaging is now in paper.”
“More products will follow as more and more licensees around Europe set up dry molded fiber production. One is Hebert Group, (previously Herplast) which is setting up the PulPac Modula in a new site in the east of France this summer. The interest for our technology is enormous and there will be more dry molded fiber announcements in the near future,” Fager concludes.
By Natalie Schwertheim
