Two packaging trends are expected to become even hotter in 2015 – metallics and sustainable packaging. In the past, metallised papers have not been particularly sustainable options. AR Metallizing has found a way to offer matallised and sustainable together. Unlike conventional material, ARM metallised paper contains no plastic film and is consequently significantly more energy-efficient to process without downgrading the glossy appearance of the packaging at all.
This paper won the Oscar de l'Emballage (packaging Oscar) in France in October for the best product in the Paper and Cardboard category. This is why:
ARM paper is 100% recyclable and biologically degradable. As a consequence, ARM helps hundreds of companies in the FMCG sector every year to minimise their ecological footprint. Its metallised papers achieve the distinctive, metallic finish on consumer goods packaging with only a fraction of the aluminium content and without any films or foils.
Most metallised boxes consist of a first grade board with a smooth surface laminated to metallised PET film. ARM’s metallised paperboard laminates are made of low-grade (recycled) board laminated to a 53gsm thick metallised paper. The smoothness of the paper covers the low surface quality of the board and downgrading the board’s quality results in a significant cost savings. Lowering the total weight of the box is a second cost savings opportunity. It is not the metallised PET film that adds stiffness. AR’s 53gsm long fibre paper does. In fact, first grade board with 10 gsm of clay coat is less stiff than its uncoated recycled alternative.
Certification by the Centre Technique du Papier in Grenoble, France has proven ARM’s metallised paperboard laminate is 100% re-pulpable in contrast to only 91% for the traditional metallised film laminates. This is because the re-pulping plant will sieve out the polluted pulp. With other metallised film laminates, a minimum of 9% will be contaminated foil waste that can only be placed in a landfill or incinerated at a high cost. By contrast, the initial pollution content of ARM’s metallised paperboard laminate will be only 3%. Additonally, this 3% consists of long fibre pulp that can also be re-used as pulp. And with AR’s metallised paperboard laminate, there is no landfill waste or CO2 generation. Each kg of non re-pulpable waste generated by metallised PET will after incineration result in 1.15 kg CO2.
Converters will also benefit from increased efficiency in their production lines when running metallised paperboard laminate versus metallised PET. Firstly, metallised paperboard lamination runs faster due to better reel tension management. It also results in a reduction in the glue curing time, which saves oven energy use. Secondly, there is less waste in the production process when using metallised paperboard laminate because it runs like regular paper, not like film. Thirdly, the die cutting process is faster because of the fact that the knife is cutting through paper not film. This also yields a lower knife consumption rate. Finally, ARM's metallised products are printable in nearly all technologies, including conventional offset, heliogravure and flexo, which avoids the additional and costly adding of an overlay coating on PET.
The same sustainable technology applies to the HoloPRISM holographic metallised paperboard.
ARM paper is used for more than 20 billion environment-friendly packaging boxes throughout the world, for products at the top end like champagne and in FMCG for products like toothpaste.
