SIG has entered a strategic partnership with PulPac, a specialist in dry moulded fibre technology, to establish a development programme for the creation and large-scale production of the next generation of paper-based closures for SIG’s aseptic cartons.
The move is a boost to SIG’s target of raising the paper content in its aseptic cartons to 90% by 2030.
PulPac’s dry moulded fibre tech is based on forming a dry web of fibres to build ‘cutting-edge responsible solutions’ instead of creating materials from a fibre slurry. This is said to be resulting in minimised water usage in the moulding process alongside other benefits such as lower CO2 emissions compared to plastic solutions. SIG added that the technology also offers ‘unparalleled design flexibility’ and is engineered for high-volume production.
Gavin Steiner, chief technology officer at SIG, said, “We believe in dry moulded fibre technology, paving the way for innovative and responsible alternatives to plastic closures. It is one of the most scalable fibre-based solutions on the market with great potential to boost progress in the transition from plastic to paper-based closures.
“In our paper-based closure, both the base and the cap will be paper-based – significantly increasing the already very high proportion of paper in our aseptic cartons. At the same time, we aim to offer consumers the same convenience and first-class opening performance they associate with our existing closure solutions.”
For aseptic carton packs, SIG uses post-application of its closures, only after the products have been filled into the packaging and the cartons have been sealed in the aseptic zone of the SIG filling machine. The firm explained that the ‘precise’ post-application of the closures using closure applicators developed and built by SIG does not interfere with the aseptic process and ensures the products remain safely protected.
This post-application process, SIG added, lays the foundation for a ‘plug-and-play’ solution of paper-based closures, which in future will be applied to the closed packaging in the same way as plastic closures without changing the production process.
