Industry News Speciality paper launch from UPM T


o offer our customers a full portfolio of packaging papers, UPM Specialty Papers has launched UPM SolideTM,


a family of kraft papers that feature a versatile combination of strength as well as converting properties. All grades in the portfolio offer excellent printability to maximise the shelf impact of packaging. All papers in the UPM SolideTM family are recyclable in regular paper recycling stream.


“UPM has made a commitment to


novel climate positive innovations. The UPM SolideTM kraft papers are produced using 100% renewable and strong fibres from sustainably


UPM takes product safety very seriously and we do our utmost to ensure our papers are safe to use. Our product safety systems cover the entire manufacturing process from the procurement of raw materials to the delivery of end products. The UPM SolideTM products


managed forests” highlights Dirk Ryckaert, Sales Director, UPM Specialty Papers. “UPM Solide Lucent, for example,


is a new translucent paper that offers a great alternative to plastics even on fast packaging lines


where runnability is key” continues Ryckaert. “Our committed team of experts are ready to explore how the UPM Solide product family can be applied to your end-uses”. Ensuring the safety of packaged products is a shared responsibility.


are certified as safe for direct food contact. The products have received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). In addition, mills producing UPM specialty papers are certified according to ISO 22000 food management systems. The product range also offers alternatives that are free from optical brighteners.


First naturally biodegradable plastic packaging alternative containing graphene


UK biotech company Toraphene is preparing to unveil the world’s first truly biodegradable, compostable and commercially viable alternative to plastic packaging. The company has developed a


new material, also called Toraphene, that uses biopolymers that compost naturally and biodegrade without human intervention, even in the ocean. The biopolymers are combined with Nobel Prize-winning graphene, which is derived from carbon and is stronger than diamond at an atomic level.


While biodegradable plastics


currently exist, they rely on commercial composting, which uses energy to heat the compost, as well as presenting other logistical challenges. For example, in 2019, the BBC found that compostable plastics in Wales were going to landfills rather than being composted because almost all local


councils were unable to deal with them.


In addition, some bioplastics


produce methane gas when they decompose, a compound with a global warming potential 25 times that of CO2. Toraphene can be optimised to mostly produce CO2 along with mulch that can be used to fortify topsoil. “Amidst a climate crisis, plastic


waste is known to be a huge, global problem and many plastic alternatives now exist, so why don’t we see them everywhere?”, asks Gaute Juliussen, CEO and Founder of Toraphene. “It’s because they need specific manmade conditions to biodegrade, and many degrade into microplastics, which contaminate our oceans and food chain for centuries”. Such bioplastics have “effectively


been ‘greenwashed’ and mis-sold to environmentally responsible consumers and companies,” continues Juliussen. “They also tear


easily, shorten the shelf-life of the contents they contain and cannot be produced economically at scale”. Due to the addition of Graphene,


Toraphene has been shown to be stronger, thinner, and less permeable than alternatives, improving food safety and shelf-life. This presents the first commercially viable alternative to plastics. An entrepreneur, venture


capitalist and former Associate Professor of Business, Juliussen founded Toraphene in 2018 with the initial aim of creating a green alternative to carrier bags and food and drink containers. Such plastics make up 23% of marine waste. Birgit Liodden, founder of The


Ocean Opportunity Lab, said: “Toraphene has the potential to create a critical turning point in tackling the global plastic pollution crisis. We all know how pressing the climate crisis is, and plastic pollution is a huge problem, particularly


in our ocean environments. I’m very heartened by the prospect of Toraphene, which should be a transformative step in tackling plastic pollution and play a huge role in making the world’s oceans plastic-free”. Ahead of the launch of


Toraphene, which is patented in the UK, EU, and the US, Juliussen is launching an equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube, encouraging anyone who cares for the environment to be part of the Toraphene journey. Toraphene is renting production equipment from plastic bag manufacturers and plugging directly into existing supply chains. The company is already in talks with major consumer brands, retailers and food packaging suppliers. Ultimately, Toraphene aims to


render plastic packaging obsolete and disrupt the $4 trillion plastics industry.


Green Packaging International ● Winter 2020 3


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