How about a paper sack containing 50 kilos of cement that can be dropped from a height of 50 ft as many as 40 times and still remain undamaged and intact? Or, a paper sack containing cement that can be put into a concrete mixer since it perfectly mixes with the cement and gravel mixture without compromising on the quality? Senior leaders of the Swedish specialty paper manufacturer BillerudKorsnäs presented video demonstrations of these examples of the strength and recyclability of their paper while addressing the media here. They also apprised the media of their increasing engagement with Indian brand owners and packaging converters, and presented examples of their innovations in sustainable, healthy and hygienic packaging.
Johan Nellbeck, SVP Packaging Paper at BillerudKorsnäs spoke of “a clean environment, as well as clean shelves and supply chains, without compromising material strength and stability”. He said, “It is now possible to replace conventional packaging for cement, milk powder, dry foods and medical supplies with innovative paper-based solutions. The intent is to enable brand owners to reduce their environmental footprints and enhance customer experiences by choosing paper packaging over plastic.”
Conventional plastic bags for cement packaging result in product loss as well as health and safety issues as large amounts of cement dust escape the sack during the filling process. This dust continues to escape well after the sack has been filled, causing slippage problems in the pallets as well and damaging the company’s brand when dusty, dirty cement sacks are delivered to the customer. The bulk packaging of cement with BillerudKorsnäs Paper permits a cleaner and healthier filling process with clear and attractive branding.
There is no spilling of cement and pollution in shipment or on the roads. The builders get the full weight of the cement they have paid for, and with the use of the BillerudKorsnäs D-Sack solution the entire sack can be put into the concrete mixer avoiding the inhalation of cement clouds by the construction workers. Best of all, the cement sack is dissolved in the concrete itself and there is no addition to landfill; instead, it helps to reduce landfill or discarded plastic bags in the environment.
Opportunity to cut down on food wastage
BillerudKorsnäs’ engagement with the Indian brand owners and packaging converters is intensifying since the country is the largest producer of milk and the second largest producer of fruit and vegetables, with its food supply chain being modernized. The company recently moved its Indian headquarters to a larger office in Gurgaon and also organized a seminar with brand owners, packaging converters, government agencies and environmentalists in New Delhi to discuss the sustainability issues of packaging and paper packaging solutions as an alternative for many applications that still use plastic.
This engagement reflects its commitment to the global Save Food movement as well as to pioneering unique solutions for sustainability in its packaging solutions. At the roundtable discussion of brand owners, packaging converters and environmentalists on 24 August 2016 organized by IPP Star, Nellbeck spoke about the world’s first sustainable dust-tight and insect-proof sealed paper packaging for dry foods. This type of novel packaging keeps food particles in and contamination out during transport and while on the shelf, thereby resulting in a cleaner environment and less food waste. It is perfect for a broad range of dry food products, such as pasta, oats, flour, rice, muesli and sugar, not to mention the wide range of non-food items that are currently packed in fossil-based packaging.
And since it is made of paper, it is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. “We are committed to challenging conventional packaging and this is a natural step, which will be followed by many more such steps,” says Nellbeck. “By working together with machine suppliers on a broad range of issues, we can explore and unlock the potential of our materials in order to find new solutions to meet packaging needs.”
BillerudKorsnäs has been active in India for over 17 years and is a supplier of innovative speciality packaging papers for a range of industries including the food and medical industries for the domestic market and for exports. Its plays an active role in the development and packaging of safer and more efficient sterile barrier solutions for single-use and reusable medical devices that can also be described as active packaging solutions.
