Valmet: Toward Plastic-Free Packaging

In a market segment like Tissue, where there is a growing focus on sustainability, packaging also plays an important role. Globally, packaging has a plastics content of approximately 36 percent, which is a worrying figure given its negative impact on consumer purchasing choices. Most consumers prefer products packaged with environmentally friendly materials, preferably without plastic content, and this trend is encouraging companies to invest in more eco-friendly alternatives.

This eco-friendly innovation replaces polyethylene with kraft paper, reducing environmental impact.

Valmet is now addressing this market demand with Valmet Bio Pack plus, an innovation that allows packaging manufacturers to replace polyethylene packaging materials with simple kraft paper, eliminating the need for pre-coated paper with heat-sealing glue. This benefits the environment and provides cost savings for companies.

An innovation in glue application

Valmet Bio Pack plus is an add-on system for the reel unwinding area in the packaging machine. Before perforation, the paper passes through a double process guided by an encoder and a set of nozzles. The essential part of Valmet’s innovation takes place in this phase: the encoder synchronizes the unwinding of the reel with the application of glue by the nozzles. The technology allows the glue to be applied on a reel that is unwinding at speeds of up to 200 sheets per minute. This ensures high precision at the exact application points, preventing imperfections and ensuring quick glue drying. The ability to determine the adhesive quantity for each packaging format reduces waste, enabling a more sustainable packaging process.

Calculated cost benefits with kraft paper

Compatible with all packaging machines equipped with Bio Pack, this innovation can be installed both as a retrofit on older generation plants and as an option for new machines. This unprecedented solution guarantees high quality and speed, reducing packaging costs and enabling higher margins for the sale of the finished product.

Among the many advantages is the significant price difference between kraft paper and pre-coated paper. Kraft paper costs approximately 45–50 percent less – in fact, about EUR 3 per kilogram, while pre-coated paper is around EUR 5.50 per kilogram. This cost difference translates into considerable savings for customers. On top of this, the use of kraft paper with glue compared to pre-processed paper is estimated to reduce costs by over 42 percent. This value is calculated by considering multiple variables: for example, a packaging machine that operates under specific conditions, i.e., for 300 days a year, 16 hours a day, with a machine availability of 70 percent, packaging with paper for 30 percent of the total, at a speed of 120 ppm, and with a paper weight of 50 g/m², for an estimated paper consumption of 72,500 kg.

Maximized ROI with lower environmental footprint.

Customers with Bio Pack Plus will have the opportunity to halve procurement costs and maximize return on investment. The choice of kraft paper not only offers economic benefits but also represents an advantage in terms of sustainability, contributing to reducing the environmental impact of packaging and promoting more responsible production practices.

Back to Tissue360 Newsletter