6 INDUSTRY NEWS
Diaper bags offer more sustainable packaging
Mondi’s EcoWicketBag, which is being used for a range of baby diapers produced by Drylock Technologies. “Consumers are looking for
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more sustainable packaging that is kinder to the planet without compromising on the integrity of the product,” said Werner Van Ingelgem, R&D director at Drylock Technologies, which is based in Belgium and sells its products worldwide. “With the EcoWicketBag, consumers can be confident of product quality and packaging sustainability.” The EcoWicketBag can be
recycled in existing paper streams, even in countries with
ustainable paper- based packaging is being brought to the hygiene market with
Pulp Paper & Logistics
Sustainable bags for diapers from Mondi
the strictest regulations. A version made out of fully compostable materials is also available. Mondi also ensured that
EcoWicketBag fits with Drylock Technologies’ existing plant
processes, meaning it is the first paper wicket bag range that can be filled and sealed on existing machines. Claudio Fedalto, operations chief for paper bags at Mondi,
said: “With Drylock Technologies it was key to reduce the amount of plastic used, meet our customer’s sustainability targets and protect the products for consumers.”
Pointers to innovation that beat the paper industry downturn
The decline in the pulp and paper industry over the past decade, along with recent Covid-19 pressure is projected to cost the industry $26 billion per year over the next few years. In a report, ‘Diversification of the Pulp & Paper Industry,’ Lux Research outlines how paper makers can innovate to succeed, despite the downturn. Pulp and paper producers have
a few options to compensate for the decline in pulp’s value. Among those options are increasing the value of kraft pulping products through moulded pulp product (MPP) packaging and
January/February 2021
nanocellulose products, or changing their processes to a biomass fractionalisation route that enables the value of chemicellulose and lignin components of biomass to be realised alongside cellulose. “Alternative pulping products
could represent a $46.3 billion industry,” says Charles Willard, lead report author and Senior Research Associate at Lux Research. “In a market that is in constant decline, failing to innovate and find new sources of demand could mean death.” MPPs offer a sustainable
packaging option but have undesirably high air permeability
and water absorption rates. Plastic coatings can be added to provide moisture resistance, but this limits the recyclability and overall sustainability of the product due to the difficulty in removing the materials from the paper, which would contaminate recycling streams. For MPPs to penetrate the traditional plastics packaging market, sustainable and durable coatings and additives are needed. Black liquor solids are currently the fifth most-used fuel source in the world, but companies are looking for ways to make them more valuable. Leading pulp and paper producers are still attempting
to get value out of kraft lignin, although according to Lux Research, these projects are all long-shots for adoption. Crude lignin oil offers another sustainable option but is unlikely to outcompete pyrolysis oil, according to Lux Research. Lux Research expects MPPs
to represent the largest, most competitive opportunity for success. While alternative pulping products cannot compensate for paper market contractions, Lux Research predicts that fast-acting, innovative companies will be able to survive. More information and the full
report from
www.luxresearchinc. com
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