New green materials for a sustainable packaging

In the last decade, the misconception that paper is absolutely better than plastic has led public opinion to condemn the latter. Tosa Group thinks that demonising plastic stretch film packaging as a whole is a superficial approach.

On the other hand, materials and their sustainability are particularly under observation because of a growing sensitivity towards environmental protection felt at all levels of society.

The demand of increasingly low-impact packaging has evolved significantly and it cannot be ignored.

In addition, the circular economy is becoming a progressively more concrete reality. This process is gaining momentum with the worsening of the climate conditions and the ecological crisis, with the multiplication of European and international community directives on these issues and with the evolution of the market, which makes the recovery of raw materials an element of global competitiveness.

As a consequence, sustainability has become a conscious commitment taken on by both small and medium size enterprises and big multinational companies, particularly in the packaging industry.

For these reasons, Tosa Group, which has been producing end-of-line packaging equipment for more than forty years – with the Food&Beverage industry being the field where Tosa Group gained the most experience – already brought its own vision and technical solution to the table: the R&D department developed a revolutionary way to wrap palletised loads featuring interchangeable stretch film and Kraft paper feeding units, offering customers high flexibility. 

It is called Cai Lun Hybrid, a machine which aims at greener and more sustainable processes: “An innovative and extremely strong Kraft paper by Mondi was able to help us on this project, able to ensure the stability required for palletised goods” says Mr. Fabio Tosa, CEO of Tosa Group.

This type of Kraft paper is suitable to wrap regularly shaped palletised loads, with no edges and with a geometric smooth perimeter. Furthermore, by implementing a pioneering method of processing paper rolls, it is possible to obtain a “deformable paper”, capable of adapting to the profile of the pallet in the best possible way, allowing for paper wrapping application to less regularly shaped loads and numerous market segments.

One of the most important benefits is, of course, the possibility to automatically select the type of packaging: in fact, Cai Lun Hybrid is a robotic cell with an anthropomorphic, six-axis robot that allows to interchange stretch film and Kraft paper units, while ensuring maximum production flexibility. The only certified hybrid solution on the market.

On top of this Cai Lun Hybrid allows more CO2 saving than ever before: the use of 100% Kraft paper, in fact, allows a 62% lower carbon footprint than that of virgin plastic stretch films. This machine can surely help the many customers sensible to this subject hit sustainability targets while reducing the environmental impact. It is a completely new approach to pallet wrapping that allows for a shift to renewable sources. 

While it is true that when Tosa Cai Lun Hybrid first appeared in 2022, the cost to wrap a standard-sized palletised load with Kraft paper was almost double to that of with plastic stretch film, the situation after 2 years has definitely improved.

After Mondi presented themselves as the market leader and almost sole player in the paper making for the packaging industry for a while, now other key players are rising up to the challenge and showcasing their alternative solutions: by having important paper-producing companies throwing their hat in the ring, a virtuous process was triggered for which purchasing costs began to decrease, opening up the possibility for more machine constructors to carve their place into the industry, which will definitely result in a larger pool of interested customers and a growing market.

What started as a mere idea and then turned into a challenge to stir up the market is now firm reality, made possible by Tosa Group as well. Change is already taking place and there will be a lot more to share, soon.