Sonoco Implementing Price Increase for Uncoated Recycled Paperboard

The Italian Loacker wafer in flexible packaging paper from Koehler Paper has been on the market for more than a year and a half. But the life cycle of this packaging does not end in waste paper after consumption. Thanks to its certified recyclability, the raw material can be used again and again: The wafer packaging is turned into high-quality recycled paper at Koehler Paper in Greiz. In this way, Koehler Paper is making an active contribution to conserving resources and setting an example of the circular economy in action within the Group. The starting point of the recycling trip is Kehl am Rhein, where Koehler Paper commissioned its most modern paper machine to date in 2019. Specially developed for the production of flexible packaging paper, packaging alternatives to plastic are created here. Compared to plastic, paper generally has a significantly lower carbon footprint. One of the reasons for this is that hardly any other material can be recycled so frequently. Even after several passes through the cycle, the quality of the secondary raw material is retained. From Kehl, the Koehler NexPlus® Seal Pure MOB packaging paper is sent to the SIT Group in San Marino, Italy. Here it is further processed into a Doypack and then delivered to Loacker as environmentally friendly secondary packaging. Once the wafers have been consumed, the packaging paper is sent via a waste paper sorting system to a local recycled paper mill, for example to Koehler Paper in Greiz. The beginnings of paper production in Greiz date back to 1591. Today, Loacker packaging is given a second life here, as all paper produced in Greiz is made from 100 percent secondary fiber raw materials. Thanks to state-of-the-art dyeing technology, the former red Loacker packaging, for example, is turned into a deep black recycled paper that has been awarded the “Blue Angel” eco-label and the EU Ecolabel. But that's not all: the black recycled paper produced in Greiz is further processed by a converter and finally reaches the renowned watch manufacturer Mühle-Glashütte in Saxony. There it finds a new purpose as fine packaging for luxury watches.

Packaging is essential to our capacity to deliver wholesome, premium food and beverages to people all over the world, but we are convinced that this cannot be done at the expense of the environment. The typical packaging system in use today is unsustainable since it is still essentially linear: raw materials are used to create packaging for products, which is then discarded once the products have been used. Important problems are being caused by this approach, especially when it comes to plastics. At Stora Enso, we are inspired by the mission "Do good for people and the world," which is why we seek to collaborate with businesses that share our values. And we couldn't be more pleased to collaborate with Dizzie in the United Kingdom, a truly inspiring circular solution for home delivery of dry food products. Customers can buy necessities without packaging waste by utilizing the same reusable pots produced in Biocomposites by Stora Enso, which helps cut 114 billion pieces of plastic from shop shelves in the UK alone each year. So, how does it work? Products are packed in waste-free packaging that is delivered to the consumers’ doorstep with carbon-neutral delivery. When they run out of product, Dizzie will collect the pots, wash them, and fill them again & again & again…

Food brands today face a complex balancing act: “regulatory pressure to reduce plastic, rising sustainability expectations from consumers, and the need to preserve product quality across long, often international, cold chains,” says Rasel Khan, Sales Manager for Packaging Materials at Stora Enso. In frozen and chilled applications, packaging must withstand moisture, compression, and temperature fluctuations - without compromising on aesthetics or recyclability. This is where fresh fiber-based packaging board like Performa NovaTM delivers value. Designed to reduce plastic, it offers an alternative based on renewable materials that is fit for recycling. Sabine Hornischer, Head of Global Accounts at Stora Enso, adds that brands aren’t just seeking performance: “They need packaging that performs well but also offers verifiable sustainability credentials.” With its premium appearance, traceable origins and environmental performance, Performa Nova helps brands confidently demonstrate positive impact.