Synthetic plastics derived from petrochemical products are the preferred packaging materials for food, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. Traditional plastics have excellent functions as packaging materials, including low production costs, light weight, and excellent mechanical and barrier properties, which can ensure excellent protection for packaging products.
The manufacture of synthetic plastics and waste have caused significant harm to the environment. Microplastics (plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm) can be found everywhere on our planet, polluting the entire ecosystem.
If plastic production and use grow at the current rate, by 2050, CO₂ emissions related to plastic manufacturing will account for 17% of the global carbon budget. The budget takes into account the maximum amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, which will cause the global temperature to rise by about 1.5°C.
Recycling is one of the simplest solutions to minimize the impact of plastics on the environment. However, currently only 10% of plastic waste in the world is recycled, and more than 60% of the waste is caused by plastic packaging.
1. Transition from disposable plastic packaging to wooden packaging
Increasing concerns about the environment by industry and consumers have driven the development of innovative bio-based materials as alternatives to fossil-derived polymers for packaging applications.
There is a lot of room for improvement, and scientists are studying sustainable plastic alternatives that can be as versatile, cheap and ubiquitous as traditional plastics.
The development of bio-based packaging materials is a promising method that can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Bio-based plastic substitutes are made from plant-based raw materials to capture CO₂ in the atmosphere as plants grow.
When these bio-based materials are recycled or composted, CO₂ is released back into the atmosphere, making the material close to carbon neutral.
The application of bio-based materials in the sustainable packaging industry has shown strong growth in the past decade, marking a shift towards green packaging, waste reduction, and a focus on biodegradable and bio-renewable materials.
Currently, bio-based materials account for only 1% of packaging materials used in Europe and North America. However, the global demand for bio-based packaging materials is expected to grow rapidly in the next few years, reaching more than 9 million tons per year by 2023.
2. Collaborative approach provides sustainable plastic alternatives for packaging applications
Holmen Iggusend developed the prototype with the help of two Swedish innovative companies.
The Loop Factory is an emerging technology supplier that specializes in sustainable materials and products that can realize circular economy solutions. The company's dry forming technology, the brand Yangi, is the core of Conic.
Yangi is a manufacturing technology that uses dried cellulose fibers to produce 3D molded packaging materials. With more than 10 years of research and development work, Yangi has combined two technical principles, rapid pressing and proprietary paper chemistry technology, to achieve a clean and efficient manufacturing process.
Compared with alternative fiber forming technology, the dry forming process can reduce energy consumption by 75%. The Loop Factory team believes that wood moldable materials are the best alternative to rigid plastic packaging in terms of performance, cost and environmental impact.
Compared with traditional packaging plastics, the use of renewable wood materials and the high degree of recyclability of paper packaging have reduced the carbon footprint of the final product by 90%.
The collaboration between Holmen Iggusend, The Loop Factory, and brand development consulting firm Grow will expand the scale of innovative packaging technology and provide it to global industrial partners.
The wood packaging solution is not yet on the shelves and needs further development. At the same time, Grow's Future Packaging Lab is creating exposure and promoting strategic use cases to attract the industrial partners needed to realize Conic's full potential.
Other companies such as PulPac and Stora Enso focus on developing dry molding technology to convert wood fibers into waterproof packaging for the food industry, such as environmentally friendly paper bottles, containers, and pallets.
The increase in complexity and availability of recyclable, renewable and biodegradable wood packaging solutions marks an important step in bringing truly sustainable alternatives to the market, while providing end users with quality that matches traditional packaging.
