BillerudKorsnas received an encouraging response for its innovative paper and paper-based packaging solutions at PackEx India 2016 held in Mumbai. The Swedish company offers pioneering paper-based solutions for sacks, bags, flexible packs, rigid and semi-rigid packs.
“Out of about 50 people who visited our stall every day, around 40 were extremely enthusiastic about our solutions. There is a growing acceptance for paper-based packaging today. Primarily there are two reasons for this: looming government legislation change and increasing awareness about environmental sustainability,” said Zaheer Abbas, director sales, marketing and business development (flexible, fiberform and bag segment), BillerudKorsnas Packaging India.
Talking about the cost parameters of paper-based packaging solutions vis-à-vis plastic-based solutions, Abbas said that if one looks at the entire chain, and not just the cost of packaging, the cost of paper packaging would be similar, maybe slightly lower, than plastic packaging. “The biggest advantage is you avoid landfill in case of paper packaging.”
Rajeev Goyal, managing director, said that BillerudKorsnas offers solutions for cement packaging, flour, salt, sugar and hygiene products, to name just a few. Goyal added that India holds enormous potential in the paper packaging segment. “For example, only 4% of cement produced in India is packaged in paper bags. If that figure goes to say 10% in coming years, the entire production of one of our mills, that is 180,000 tons, will be consumed in India alone. That is the kind of potential India has,” he said.
Louise Wohrne, sustainability developer at the company talked about D-Sack, an innovative packaging solution for cement packaging which has been developed with sustainability in mind. Resulting from a collaborative project with LafargeHolcim, a global leader in the building materials industry, BillerudKorsnas developed cement packaging that quite literally disappears, or dissolves upon use. “D-Sack is a sack that is thrown directly into the concrete or mortar mixer, without being opened. It makes life easier for the users and provides a cleaner, healthier and safer worksite,” she said.
