4 ideas to copy: Packaging solutions that show less is more

Truly innovative packaging solutions allow to minimise or leave out entire layers of material. Director of Packaging at UPM Specialty Papers, lists solutions that are changing the industry now.

Heli Borgström, Director at UPM Specialty Papers

1. A box that does it all

“One innovation can solve several problems. Lantmännen Unibake, one of Europe’s largest bakery groups, supplies bakery products for retail. Conventionally frozen breads are often packed in plastic bags before being stacked to cardboard boxes and sent to cafés and shops. The new box, produced by cardboard producer Adara, features a barrier paper from UPM as an inner liner that provides resistance against grease and moisture. The food-grade packaging paper also allows the frozen bread to be in direct contact with the box. The key takeaway here is that innovations don’t arise from doing things the same old way.”

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2. A metal coating thin enough to be recycled as paper

“Today, recyclability is crucial both for brands and consumers. Packaging for foods with a long shelf life – like instant soup powders or milk powders – are often so complex that conventional packages are impossible to recycle. Protecting the contents from moisture and oxygen has required a complex packaging structure lined with aluminum foil, typically 6 to 7 millionths of a meter thick. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but already makes the packaging difficult or impossible to recycle.

A prime example of an innovative solution addressing the need for recyclable packaging is oneBARRIER FibreCycle by BOBST, co-created with Michelman and UPM. It is a paper packaging solution with an aluminium coating with a thickness of one-thousandth of a human hair. This ultra-thin structure means the packaging can be recycled in existing fiber recycling streams. It’s quite evident why I’m so enthusiastic about this solution, it’s that great!”

3. A beautiful wrap with a lesson

“It’s not always obvious that there might be a way to skip a layer or two altogether. Food company Fazer aimed to reduce the use of fossil-based materials and enhance the recyclability of the packages for their Fazer Oat Rice Pies. Together with UPM, they developed a paper-based package to replace the previously used plastic-laminated wrap.

The plastic layer provided qualities needed to protect the pies inside, and to seal the package using heat on the packaging line. As it turns out, the additional plastic layer was not needed as a barrier paper was able to provide the functional requirements of the package. Due to the high-quality printing surface of the paper, the image on the package beautifully replicates the pies.”

Fazer Oat Rice Pies - a beautiful wrap with a lesson

4. A bag that helps to get rid of ‘forever chemicals’

“PFASs, also known as forever chemicals, are long lasting chemicals that are found in air, water, soil and the blood of people and animals all over the world. Often PFASs are needed to achieve the desired grease resistance, but our barrier papers are PFAS-free.

It’s not only human food packaging, but also pet food packaging that is being re-designed. One great example is a fibre-based pet food sack from Fiorini. Pet food can be challenging to pack because it has high levels of grease. It is often sold in heavy bags, which means that extra strength is required. Until now, plastic or plastic-laminated paper has been used to provide the required level of strength and barrier qualities.

Working in partnership with the industrial paper sacks specialist Fiorini Packaging, UPM Specialty Papers co-created a sustainable, fibre-based sack suitable for packaging up to 20 kilograms of pet food. Thanks to the combination of Fiorini’s patented moist-barrier technology and UPM’s barrier paper the sack is recyclable. It also offers a greater barrier protection comparable to a standard paper sack with plastic film, extending the shelf life of the pet food inside. As an added bonus, it is also completely PFAS-free. This is the kind of packaging innovation that gets me excited about the direction packaging design is heading.”

Interested in learning more about packaging papers? Read more on UPM Specialty Papers’ website here.