HOW DO YOU IMPROVE PACKAGING PROCESS STABILITY

CONTROLLING COSTS

is a critical factor in the success of your mill. And the pressure on your operations is only increasing as several important trends play out.

MARKET DEMANDS STRONGER, LIGHTER BOXES

MARKET DEMANDS STRONGER, LIGHTER BOXES

E-commerce retailers require boxes that are stronger and lighter to lower their costs and provide better protection of goods. End users are also demanding boxes be rightsized to reduce waste.

A FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT IS CREATING PRESSURES FOR THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY

A FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT IS CREATING PRESSURES FOR THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY

These pressures include replacing plastic-based packaging, increasing recycled fiber content and reducing energy and fiber consumption. Meanwhile, increased curbside collection of recycled fiber is having a negative impact on quality.

INCREASED RECYCLING OF CORRUGATED CARDBOARD BRINGS ITS OWN ISSUES

INCREASED RECYCLING OF CORRUGATED CARDBOARD BRINGS ITS OWN ISSUES

As fibers are recycled an increased number of times, they become shorter and more fragile, thus making it more challenging to reach strength and production targets.

What percentage of consumers report actively buying more environmentally-friendly products than they did five years ago?


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What’s more, 81% say they expect to buy even more environmentally-friendly products over the next five years.


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The conventional responses to meet these consumer and environmental demands might be to use more strength resins and starches or increase refining and fiber substitution or over weighting. But what are the hidden risks of these methods?

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

  • The hidden risks of increased use of strength resins include overdosing, increased shipping costs and chemical volume handling, reduced stability of the system and added complexity to retention, drainage and formation control.
  • Risks for more refining are fiber damage, increased energy usage for refining and drying, and reduced machine speed and refiner plate life.
  • For fiber substitution or overweighting, the risk is in sustainability since the market will not accept heavier packaging, and the availability of substitution is limited.

With the number of e-commerce transactions continuing to grow, the customer has a bigger voice now than ever before. Packaging mills need to respond to these customer demands for lightweight packaging and sustainability while making a product that will meet production and quality targets.

To get there, you must overcome two main challenges:
Meeting strength targets at reduced basis weight while using more poor quality recycled fiber and improving productivity to meet the increased demand of fiber based packaging. Which of these challenges is the most pressing for your business?


1. Industry Trends in Graphic Paper, Mark Rushton, Paper360, December 2017
2. Most Consumers Want Sustainable Products and Packaging, Andrew Martins, Business News Daily, June 4, 2019