How to Overcome Paper-Based Packaging Concerns  

Paper-based packaging is made of renewable resources such as recycled paper fiber and trees, helping to decrease waste in landfills and create a circular supply of recyclable materials. By weight, paper-based packaging is also comprised of the most recycled materials. Paper-based packaging provides: 

• Structural durability: By reusing wood fiber, water and pulping chemicals multiple times, paper-based packaging, such as cardboard boxes, can provide the necessary structural strength to protect a product through transport and delivery. It can then continue to be reused by the end user if desired or recycled into a new recycled paper-based package to reduce environmental impact 
• Lightweight design: Paper-based packaging remains lightweight while offering durability to protect a product. This helps reduce overall weight to help decrease carbon emissions during transport as well as shipping costs.   

Paper-based packaging resonates throughout the value chain. For example: 

Brand owners want to address the 100% recyclable packaging initiative noted within the Ellen MacArthur report to maintain a reliable, strong brand image. Paper-based packaging can be easily recycled into numerous end-use options such as paper bags, cardboard boxes and coffee cups or sleeves, and consumers are easily able to identify when a package contains recycled content. This makes them more likely to purchase it. For example, more than 96% of cardboard is recycled in the U.S., whereas only 14% of U.S. plastic packaging is recycled. Therefore, brand owners want to package their products in paper-based packaging to appeal to consumers and build brand loyalty while also aiding the environment to address their sustainability initiatives.  

Consumers also want to contribute to reducing environmental impact when it’s easy to do so. Because paper-based packaging is recyclable due to its repulpability, it’s viable for curbside recycling programs. Consumers can simply put the packaging in a recycling bin and feel comfortable and confident that they’ve made a positive difference with minimal effort. They don’t need to separate the packaging components or look for certain recycling programs when dealing with paper-based packaging. 

This means that consumers may be more likely to prefer paper-based packaging because they can easily recycle it.

Understandably, you may have concerns about incorporating paper-based packaging into your production lines and any potential setbacks that could occur. Top concerns around paper-based packaging include: 

• Ensuring the paper-based packaging will meet sufficient quality and output volume requirements: If paper is placed under the same tension settings as plastic, it will likely tear on the converting line. This is because paper has a lower tensile strength than plastic, meaning its internal strength is lower and will break under less stress. If paper tears, the production line must stop to marry the paper back together, resulting in increased costs and waste every time this occurs. Therefore, you may be concerned that to help ensure less tearing and achieve the needed quality levels, you will need to slow down line speeds, causing additional downtime and production expenses as well as limit the output volume.  
• Increasing Production SKU Complexities: As a converter currently manufacturing plastic packaging, you may be concerned that you will need to incorporate additional coatings product SKUs to manufacture paper-based packaging. Increased SKUs could result in more time and resources needed to manage the product inventory as well as storage space.  

Bostik’s portfolio of coatings, cold seal and laminating adhesives provides you with the right options for incorporating paper-based packaging into your production lines. Designed for food, beverage, consumer goods and medical packaging markets, our solutions help you to address brand owner and consumer sustainability interests.  

• Coatings: Our heat seal coatings offer seal integrity to paper and plastic substrates without slowing down operations and possess fast drying as a solvent-based carrier to further help improve overall efficiencies.  
• Cold Seal: Bostik’s cold seals are FDA approved on film and paper substrates. They are compatible with the recycling process and can be used interchangeably regardless of film or paper substrates. 
• Laminating Adhesives: Bostik’s laminating adhesives are available in solvent-free, water-based and solvent-based solutions with excellent adhesion to paper, PET, PP, PE and foils to increase process flexibility and design options. 

Along with our adhesive solutions, you’ll also receive: 

Technical expertise: Bostik’s technical support team works with you directly to assist with trial testing to help ensure the right solution is chosen for your specific needs. We have two pilot facilities that allow us to ensure our solution offers high performance levels on your paper-based packaging and other substrates.  

Troubleshooting assistance: We offer in-person support at your facilities to help prevent any concerns with using our adhesives on paper-based materials in your production lines. This includes yearly line assessments to provide feedback on the handling of our solutions and operator training whenever necessary. 

Are you interested in learning how to incorporate paper-based packaging into your production lines? Contact a Bostik expert to find out how our adhesive solutions can help you address sustainable packaging goals to meet brand owner and consumer interests.