With two innovative new products, Zanders focused strongly on sustainability at this year’s FachPack. Zangrass, an uncoated grass paper with almost unlimited areas of application, and Zanbarrier NGR, a fluorocarbon-free barrier paper for flexible food packaging, were two highlights of the fair presentation and were enormously popular with the visitors. Furthermore, the German manufacturer presented its range of label paper and cartonboard, including the premium brand, Chromolux, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
The grass paper, Zangrass, lives up to its name; 20% to 40% virgin fibres of sun-dried grass are being used for the new quality.
“In the process chain for the production of Zangrass, up to 75% of CO₂ emissions can be saved in comparison to pure fibre-based papers and also the water consumption is lower”, explained John Tucker, sales director at Zanders. “Furthermore, Zangrass is completely recyclable and compostable.”
The grass paper is mainly used in the segment of organic and natural products, like fruit bowls and vegetable trays in the form of corrugated cardboard, reusable paper carrier bags or applications in the field of natural cosmetics. Currently, the new paper is available in the grammages 120gsm and 150gsm. An expansion of the product range to lighter and heavier weights is already planned so that Zangrass can be used for diverse applications in the future.
The Zanbarrier NGR has a 100% natural barrier to oil and grease without the use of fluorocarbon or other chemicals. The abbreviation ‘NGR’ stands for ‘natural grease resistant’. “The cellulose fibres are subjected to an incredibly intense grinding process over several refining stages”, Tucker added.
“This effects that the surface area of the fibre is greatly enlarged, so that the absorption of water into the fibres is greatly increased creating a gel-like fibre mass – in technical jargon ‘slow draining’ because the fibres actually feel greasy after refining. The cellulose fibres treated in this way form a tight, strong cross-linked sheet structure thus creating a fully natural barrier to oil and grease.”
Zanbarrier NGR is suitable for all forms of flexible food packaging that requires oil and grease-resistance as well as wet-strength such as food packaging for doner kebab or french fries, butter wrappers, bread roll bags, food labels or pizza and confectionery cartons.
“The trade visitors’ interest in Zangrass and Zanbarrier NGR was enormous and many of our conversations were already very concrete”, Tucker continued, regarding the presentation. “Sustainability is a topic that is becoming ever more important and both innovations offer ecological advancements in their respective sector.
“FachPack is becoming increasingly international. This year, we could clearly notice that. For us, being a company that operates internationally, that is an important factor. This is why we will definitely be present at next year’s FachPack.”
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