“Plastic bags” out of wood

"Plastic bags" out of wood - replacing paper and plastics in packaging

Plastic litter is a significant environmental pollutant. If all plastic waste from the oceans would be packed in plastic bags, it would amount to 15 full plastic bags against every meter of coastline in the world. For example the EU has taken a strict policy in its new directive to reduce plastic carrier bag consumption. Replacements are needed for plastic bags. With the patented technology of Finnish Paptic Ltd it is possible to challenge plastic use in carrier bags and other flexible packaging.

Paptic-materiaali

Consumers, brand owners and retailers are constantly searching for new ways to reduce the amount of plastic bag waste. Biodegradable plastic bags or paper bags have not brought enough relief to the situation due to their properties. Paper bags are heavy and they tear easily, and biodegradable plastic bags are still mainly fossil based.

The Paptic technology allows the production of a totally new and revolutionary fibre product, which has plastic-like properties. It can be used to replace, for example, plastic in carrier bags and other packaging.

How it works in practise

PAPTIC material is produced from renewable raw materials, and it is also recyclable and biodegradable. PAPTIC bags are lighter than conventional paper bags. The material can be produced with paper machines in industrial scale so no new infrastructure is needed. The production process is approximately 30% more energy efficient than conventional paper production. The Paptic technology is easily scalable and large amounts of material can be produced quickly. PAPTIC material is a real alternative for plastics.

Economic opportunities and broader social significance

Plastic bag waste is a major source of environmental litter. EU member states are to ban all free plastic bags by the year 2019, or alternatively decrease the amount of plastic bags used annually to 40 bags per person by the year 2025. This includes also lightweight plastic bags used, for example, for vegetables and fruits.

100 billion plastic bags are consumed only in the EU every year. This is approximately a 3 billion EUR business. PAPTIC material is answering to the demand created by the EU directive, and it can be expected to grow quickly to a substantial business.

Further information

Paptic Ltd is a Finnish start-up founded in April 2015. The Paptic technology is based on long-term research on fibre products and processes at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

www.paptic.com

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