Koehler Paper’s alternatives to plastic in flexible packaging

At the 11th edition of the Speciality Films & Flexible Packaging Global Summit 2024, almost all the sessions focussed on the bold leap towards a lean and greener planet and how the future of the packaging industry depends on meeting lofty efficiency and sustainability goals. 

Christoph Wachter, director of the flexible packaging paper division at Koehler Paper addressed the problem headlong when he said, “Every piece of packaging is there to protect the product inside it — not just in transit, but also during storage. Whether it is paper or plastic, the key is recyclability.” 

This is where Koehler Paper plays a role. It produces a range of mono-material barrier paper, by the name of NexPlus. Hema Java, sales and marketing manager of the Java Paper Group (who represents Koehler Paper in India) told us, “Koehler NexPlus is a range of paper manufactured with functional and barrier coatings. It is an innovative and sustainable packaging paper for the future that is suitable for a variety of end applications such as food packaging, tea envelopes and various non-food packaging.” 

Koehler Paper has invested 300-million euros in a new paper and coating machine with unique capabilities at the Kehl site in Germany. This machine has a production capacity of more than 120,000-tonnes per year. The production started in October 2019.  Today, the machine can produce paper with grammage ranging from 22-gsm to 90-gsm.

The company has a paper production machine and an offline barrier coating machine for its flexible packaging paper grades. This machine enables three coats in one pass, with different paper grades, including the base paper machine-glazed, and one-side coated paper. The NexFlex vision is to replace plastic in flexible packaging with paper wherever possible.

Readers of WhatPackaging? will recall that the heat-sealable NexPlus was launched in India in January 2022 and the paper grade boosted with other barriers were launched a few months later. The product is aimed at segments such as FMCG, confectionery, food and pharma. The range is aimed at flexible packaging applications where plastic is being used traditionally and may not require a higher level of barrier. 

During his presentation, Wachter highlighted how paper is manufactured from wood, a natural, renewable and sustainable resource. Sustainable forest management preserves biodiversity and secures forests for future generations. 

He spotlighted how pulp fibres are from certified sustainable forestry and controlled sources. An interesting statistic was that European forests grow by more than 1,500 soccer fields every day, and 85% of paper packaging is recycled in Europe. Wachter added, “It's not a matter of deforestation, what we do. It is a matter of biodiversity. Europe here is pretty good on the way I think.”

The NexPlus range of papers from Koehler has barriers protecting the contents, the environment, brand image, and outstanding processing properties. The options include an aroma barrier, a grease barrier, heat sealability, mineral oil hydrocarbon barriers, oxygen barriers, ultraviolet protection, and vapour barriers.

The Koehler NexPlus papers have already been rolled out in European markets for food and non-food applications. For example, with tea bags in Germany, tea bags have been rolled out into the market with paper packaging. Wachter said, “Teas with a stronger flavour were using our high barrier products. Paper with a mineral barrier for wrapping soaps, used in hotels, I think it's a pretty good solution. For India especially, we have developed a range of products for the tea industry. Not only the standard dripping tea bag, as you know, no, in addition, a heat sealable and in for teas which have a strong flavour to provide protection.”

Within the tea market, Koehler provides several options for crimping papers and heat-sealable papers. Some of those include standard heat-sealable paper (for when sealability is the primary requirement and barrier properties are not needed), heat-sealable paper with a mineral oil barrier (with barriers against mineral oils, grease, and a medium aroma barrier), and a heat-sealable paper with an oxygen barrier (with barriers against mineral oils, grease, and aroma).

Some companies that have switched to Koehler Paper’s NexFlex range include global companies such as leading confectionary companies, leading chocolate bar companies and also leading international airlines. Wachter ended his presentation by saying, “The brand owner is protecting it, protecting his knowledge, but it's accepted and okay. Yes, it is time for a change and let me just finally say an emotional word. You remember reading a book, it was the first time you touched paper, and you were so happy. Then you were writing your first love letters on paper. Now I think it's the right time to take the packaging of paper.”

Germany-based Koehler Paper was founded in 1807 and is now being overseen by its eighth generation. The company currently employs 2,500 people worldwide. Koehler produces paper at five production mills in Germany in Kehl, Greiz, Weisenbach. and Willstätt, with headquarters in Oberkirch. The company has about nine paper machines, 42 locations worldwide, and a turnover exceeding 1-billion euros.