SPONSORED BY KEMIRA

8 MAY 2024

Moulded fibre has quickly emerged as the favoured packaging choice for brands pursuing renewable and recyclable alternatives to replace single-use plastics – spanning diverse sectors from food and beverage to electronics, cosmetics, and e-commerce. Within this packaging revolution, chemistry plays a pivotal, but often unseen role. Without it, the creation of functional and safe fibre-based moulded packaging would not be possible.

Moulded fiber packaging is rising in popularity as a packaging choice for brands looking for renewable and recyclable alternatives to replace single-use plastics and materials like expanded polystyrene (EPS), for instance, in food service applications such as bowls, trays, and boxes for takeaway food.

Whenever conventional packaging solutions are replaced with new alternatives, the challenge is to do it without compromising on functionality, safety, or cost-efficiency. Chemistry expertise is the invisible enabler that helps moulded fibre packaging meet these demands.

“In moulded fibre, chemistry is one of the three main variables in the production process along with fibre choice and machine parameters. Chemistry expertise is key in creating the desired properties for the intended packaging end-use and in ensuring efficient production processes, both in terms of cost and raw material efficiency,” explains Simo-Pekka Vanninen, Senior Manager for Application and Marketing at Kemira Pulp & Paper.

Chemistry solutions create the required functionality, such as durability, strength, and hydrophobicity for moulded fibre packaging, and ensure hygienic end-products. This is key in creating packages that protect both the goods inside and that are safe for consumers to use. They also have a crucial role in the moulding process, contributing to dewatering and formation performance and efficiency as well as in production line housekeeping, preventing issues with process runnability and operational efficiency.

Safe alternatives for PFAS in food packaging

In moulded fibre packaging, critical barrier properties against oil, grease, moisture, and water have traditionally been achieved by using fluorochemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS). Now PFAS – nicknamed forever chemicals – are drawing increased regulatory attention because of severe concerns about environmental and health hazards.

“Takeaway food packaging is in direct contact with food that we consume, which makes it a priority application for PFAS replacement,” says Sai Li, Senior Research Scientist at Kemira R&D.