Global metallized flex-pack market up 4.6% CAGR to 2030: new report

In 2021, the global consumption of paper cups reached more than 244.7 billion units. Most of them still have a non-recyclable plastic lid on. Finnish entrepreneur Matti Salonoja wanted to create an option for plastic. Stora Enso Cupforma Natura Aqua+ gave a great base for the groundbreaking solution. Matti Salonoja ended up making paper lids partly by chance. In 2008, he and his friend thought about having a business and ended up importing branded paper cups to Finland. When his friend left the company after a couple of years, Salonoja started selling cups full-time, and in 2014 he decided to get a cardboard cup machine himself. Back then, the coating on the paper cups prevented them from being recycled. During 2015, however, several cardboard manufacturers started to develop an alternative to plastic used in cups, made of water-based coated cardboard.

We use fresh fibers from responsibly managed forests in our products. Fresh fibers provide exceptional strength per unit weight, allowing us to meet a certain specification while reducing material use. Smart fiber utilization means using just the right amount of fiber for each type of paper and board. Our development center labs work both independently and alongside customers to develop optimal packaging in terms of performance and weight. "Fiber efficiency is all about precision – delivering exactly what’s needed to meet high performance standards by optimizing fiber usage." Erika Toresson Nygårds, Project manager/Product development at Billerud. Lightweight packaging offers multiple advantages. Less use of material and lower transport weight reduces the carbon footprint. Packaging producers and buyers achieve a lower total cost of packaging while saving the planet’s resources. A low packaging weight also makes it easier for warehouse staff, store workers and consumers to handle the product.

Ahlstrom, a global leader in fiber-based specialty materials, launches today LamiBak™ Flex, the latest addition to its LamiBak™ portfolio of high-performance base papers. Designed specifically for flexible packaging, LamiBak™ Flex builds on the proven success of the original LamiBak™ product line. This launch reinforces Ahlstrom’s commitment to providing innovative solutions that address the growing need for safe and sustainable and high-barrier packaging materials. Ahlstrom equips converters and brands with an adaptable platform for paper-based flexible packaging. LamiBak™ Flex is ideally suited for further processing, such as coating, metallization, or extrusion, delivering superior barrier properties across food applications, including pouches, sachets, and flow packs. Its advanced design enables reduced primer coating needs, achieving exceptional barrier properties while optimizing costs and maintaining a sustainable and recyclable profile. LamiBak™ Flex underscores Ahlstrom’s commitment to sustainable flexible packaging solutions. By offering a paper-based flexible packaging alternative, it helps brands reduce reliance on plastics and metallic substrates, aligning with industry regulations and consumer demand for more eco-friendly packaging.