Interview with Christoph Wachter, Director Flexible Packaging Paper Division, Koehler Paper
Originally interviewed in 2022 for the Marcus Evans AmericaPack Summit.
Christoph Wachter, Director Flexible Packaging Paper Division, Koehler Paper, discusses the growing shift towards fiber-based packaging, the development of paper barrier solutions and the investments required for FMCG companies moving away from plastic.
“Sustainability is a mega trend in the packaging world. Most FMCG producers are trying to reduce the environmental impact of packaging, however not all of them are looking at the complete lifecycle of their materials. The future in flexible packaging is fiber-based,” according to Christoph Wachter, Director Flexible Packaging Paper Division, Koehler Paper.
Koehler Paper was a solution provider at the Marcus Evans AmericaPack Summit 2022.
Why should FMCG companies consider switching to paper packaging?
Sustainability has long ceased to be a niche topic, instead translating into a competitive advantage. Today, a large number of people are questioning their own consumer behaviors and placing greater importance on sustainability.
The use of paper as a packaging solution in the FMCG sector offers additional advantages other than just the sustainable aspect. Hearing the opening of a paper pouch gives the consumer an emotional and haptic experience that plastic solutions simply do not offer.
The rustling of paper also provides a positive sensory experience and is associated with positive moments, such as ripping open wrapping paper. Additionally, paper has an increasing number of capabilities that in the past only plastic could offer. And the difference with paper is that it has a much more sustainable life cycle.
Are the paper barrier functions ready to replace plastic solutions?
The future belongs to flexible packaging paper, which is moving into functionalities that previously had been mainly covered by other materials. Paper with barrier functions will replace plastic in packaging in many applications. And we are in the middle of this evolution right now.
Many applications are already covered with barrier paper in the market. Koehler NexPlus® Seal, for instance, is a sustainable heat-sealable paper and an excellent example of what good packaging is all about: protecting the content, excellent processing and, as it is paper, a good surface to print on.
Also, product applications with paper packaging, including the next level of barrier protection, are already in the market. NexPlus® Advanced can be used for chocolate packaging, for instance.
Paper with an even higher barrier function and certified recyclability, Koehler NexPlus Performance, will reach the market next. It is a product with excellent water vapor barrier properties that provides a wider set of application markets, such as food, non-food or pet food. It will be launched at the end of 2022.
What financial investments do FMCG brand owners face when switching to paper?
Our paper can even be run down the same lines as other flexible packaging films and multilayer structures, which means customers can be more sustainable without having to invest in new capital equipment.
Numerous customers made the change in 2021, and already proved that the runability and performance of paper is not different from plastic films on packaging machines.
How does a switch to paper look like?
We give comprehensive support to our customers switching to paper, and apply a “step by step approach.”
The first steps are sample tests with different formats, followed by industrial tests and market tests, before ending in series production. Product qualification and laboratory tests are also part of the process.
Depending on the product, we support with know-how to help them adjust their settings, for instance the sealing temperature, sealing time, or sealing pressure to seal the finished packaging product neatly.
Any final comments?
Most European brand owners are in the middle of rethinking their packaging design. All our barrier paper products are already successfully implemented by our customers in the end market. We are talking about primary and secondary packaging of chocolate, nuts, or sugar, for instance.
But sustainability does not only affect Europe. We have numerous ongoing projects with customers in Asia and America. The trend to sustainable packaging is a global one.
"Paper has an increasing number of capabilities that in the past only plastic could offer" - Christoph Wachter
View Christoph Wachter on Linkedin here.
Find out more about the next edition of the AmericaPack Summit here.
For more information, please contact: Kyriakos Xenophontos, kyriakosx@marcusevanscy.com