08.02.2022 - A normal trundle through the supermarket is enough to see that more and more packaging is made from paper, card and cardboard, either (ostensibly) wholly or in part. Where has this trend come from? How sustainable is paper packaging really?
Amazon, the shipping giant, just stated that it would now be using paper-based insulated bags for its food delivery service, Fresh, in the USA in November last year, for example. Plastic liners and bubble wrap will no longer make their way into customers’ houses. The company is planning to switch to flexible paper shipping bags for smaller shipments in Germany too.
Amazon isn’t on its own in adopting this trend. The USA-based packaging company Ranpak has also developed paper-based thermal protective packaging and was still expanding in this area in December 2021. Following the acquisition of the Dutch company Reycold Cool Solutions, Ranpak can also provide plant-based cooling packs in a paper jacket, along with its thermal packaging.
The list goes on: The German packaging company Storopack has developed an alternative for bubble wrap made from paper, BillerudKorsnäs and Aisa Packaging are manufacturing a tube which is 85% made from paper for toothpaste and cosmetics, Mondi is offering a flexible paper wrap solution for securing pallets during transportation and two resourceful Bavarians have even developed insulated packaging for Germany’s top takeaway: They call it the Kebag, and it keeps doner kebabs warm until they are ready to be eaten in recyclable, FSC-certified greaseproof paper.