The pressure on brand manufacturers and on packaging industry from consumers, retail and legislators to offer environmentally friendly materials and processes is very high. Companies’ own aspirations to implement sustainable solutions are also growing rapidly. To offer reliable and sustainable paper-based packaging solutions to predominantly large and medium-sized customers in the confectionery industry, Sappi Europe and Syntegon Technology have entered into a strategic partnership. Sappi has a wide range of barrier papers on the market. Sappi has considerable expertise in relation to the creation of safe, functional paper packaging in particular. Syntegon Technology GmbH is a leading global provider of process and packaging technology. As the former packaging division of the Bosch Group, the company, which is based in Waiblingen near Stuttgart, has been providing complete solutions for the pharmaceutical and food industries for over 50 years.
Combined expertise
While Syntegon typically operates independently of packaging material and Sappi independently of packaging machines, the integration of their know-how will be a benefit for customers: branded companies in the confectionery industry in particular can now benefit from sustainable paper solutions, thanks to the close cooperation between the two companies, enabling them to stand out from the crowd at the point of sale by providing the perfect blend of product protection and sustainability performance for their products.
The first joint projects undertaken by the two companies in relation to confectionery packaging for branded goods demonstrate that moving to paper-based solutions can be implemented effectively and safely. For example, a well-known chocolate manufacturer successfully changed the packaging of one of its products from conventional to paper-based material from Sappi, after installing the ‘paper-ON-form’ retrofit kit from Syntegon on its existing fill-and-seal machines.
One benefit of the new partnership for customers in the confectionery industry is consulting expertise. A precise needs analysis with regard to product requirements for the packaging, as well as comprehensive material tests subsequently ensure smooth packaging processes. Furthermore, thanks to Syntegon’s innovative technology, customers are perfectly positioned for packaging processes with paper-based materials. The ‘paper-ON-form’ retrofit kit ensures optimal shaping and sealing in the packaging process even at high speeds for cold-seal applications. This can optionally be integrated into new Syntegon technology, but can also be retrofitted into older technology from Syntegon. This means that production targets can be optimally met, as the switch does not result in any deterioration of packaging speed or overall equipment effectiveness.
Securely packaged products: recyclable and attractive
In the production and packaging of sensitive foods such as confectionery, it is not just optimal processes that are important, but also using the right material. ‘Product protection is always paramount and is an essential feature of any packaging solution,’ explains René Köhler, Head of New Business Development Packaging Solutions at Sappi. To guarantee comprehensive product safety, the two partners use certified barrier papers from Sappi. The food-safe, paper-based solutions offer integrated barriers against oxygen, water vapour, grease, flavourings and oil, and thus ensure that the quality of foods and other goods is maintained. The barrier papers also make any additional lamination unnecessary. This means that the packaging materials that are made from renewable raw materials, can be recycled in the existing paper cycle. They also offer a high-quality appearance thanks to the natural look and feel of the paper, as well as providing excellent printability performance.
