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11-09-13
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Sappi Europe to Highlight Trends in Corrugated at FEFCO

Technical seminar will review market challenges and present growth opportunities

Tackling key market issues such as reduced packaging weight, savings in process costs and food safety as well as showcasing ways to elevate brand perception will be the focus of Sappi Europe’s presence at FEFCO’s Technical Seminar, the Bella Center and Bella Sky Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark on 22 to 24 October 2013.

“Corrugated packaging has been experiencing rapid growth for some time,” comments Kerstin Dietze, Marketing Manager Speciality Papers. “This is being driven by a move from brown one colour printed packaging towards an explosion of colours. Now today’s corrugated packaging is virtually indistinguishable from luxury carton folding boxes.”

Product developments from Sappi, enabling customers to deliver that all-important shelf shout and meet increased demand for high quality printed and finished packaging, are grades with a brighter whiter finish for unprecedented brilliance and saturation. This helps brands ensure considerably enhanced, and accurate, colour reproduction. It also supports advances in multi-colour printing, spot varnish effects, embossing and hot foil stamping. As a result new, creative packaging options have opened up - all suited to all standard finishing techniques.

Clever grade choices, such as those that enable light weighting, can also result in savings as brand owners can cut the amount packaging weight to make cost reductions such as those for transportation and shipping. This can positively contribute to packaging sustainability as well.

Another key issue Sappi will address is food safety as brand owners increasingly come under pressure to deliver low migration materials for increased food security. More substances are being discovered in packaging materials that are hazardous to health and that can migrate from packaging into food. Sappi's packaging speciality papers are approved for direct food contact, certified by the ISEGA test institute (industry, research and development company) and the recommendation from the BfR (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) as well as the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration).

Sappi’s commitment to this is reflected by its collaboration with brand owners, converters and industry partners. This includes co-operation with Henkel and other organisations on low-migration concepts for food packaging made of corrugated cardboard.

All these trends have been addressed by Sappi’s development of Fusion®, a high white top liner for corrugated packaging. It also creates added value in the packaging supply chain. Unlike top liners made from recycled fibres, Fusion is a premium white topliner made out of white bleached virgin fibres and designed for lamination onto corrugated board.

Fusion offers potential savings, as well, in terms of adhesive consumption, drying times and energy spent for drying while also increasing machine throughput - in fact it uses an average of 30 percent less adhesive - generating substantial savings on a project-by-project basis and for the converting operation as a whole. It also improves the flat position of the laminated sheet.

Mrs. Dietze adds: “Fine waves laminated with a white top liner, that leaves nothing to be desired in terms of stability, gives corrugated packing a surprisingly fresh and modern look. Even food can be packed directly into these boxes, eliminating expensive intermediate packaging elements, reducing costs and delivering more sustainable packaging”.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity at FEFCO to discuss these topics and any other that attendees might like to raise with us. Packaging quality, consistency and vibrancy are critical for brand owners and we are keen to show delegates how simple this is to achieve by identifying the most suitable substrate and partner supplier.”