Custom corrugated boxes and fiber tubes protect products and the environment and build brand image

By Cheryl Smith

The subject of packaging and shipping solutions has become an increasingly popular topic of conversation within businesses and among the public. 

Before and during the pandemic, the rapid expansion of e-commerce has fueled demand for packaging, while labor shortages and shipping constraints have also made it harder to produce and deliver the containers used to ship and store everything from food and consumer goods to machine parts.

At the same time, consumers are increasingly aware of the need for more sustainable packaging. According to McKinsey & Company, 55% of US consumers are extremely or very concerned about the environmental impact of packaging. They are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products, and they express a desire to buy additional sustainably packaged products if more of them were available and better labeled to indicate green packaging.

As a result, businesses have responded in three important ways. 

First, they have turned to suppliers that have a proven track record and ongoing capability of delivering packaging solutions when needed to ensure that the right shipping container is available when product comes off the production line.

Environmental Sustainability

Second, the demand for corrugated cardboard boxes and fiber tubes expands as consumers, government regulators, investors and employees push for environmentally friendly alternatives to plastics. Boxes and tubes are made from plant-based materials which can be sustainably harvested and replanted, and many boxes and tubes are manufactured from 100% recycled material.

The disposal of these paper-based packaging solutions is also far more sustainable. In 2021, 91.4% of corrugated cardboard was recycled compared to only 6% of the 40 million tons of plastic waste generated in the US. Moreover, the paper is biodegradable and does not contain any toxic chemicals or heavy metals, and therefore the small percentage of scrap or used boxes and tubes that do end up in a landfill will decompose without harming the environment. In fact, boxes and tubes buried in the earth will compost in a couple months, adding nutrients back into the soil.

Custom Packaging Solutions

The third reason for the increased interest in custom boxes and fiber tubes is their versatility and adaptability to perfectly fit the specific requirements of each application to achieve the optimal balance between the crush strength and weight/thickness to reduce the cost of materials and shipping. 

Custom packaging comes in many shapes, sizes, and strengths to contain and protect products for storage or transport. The packaging should be designed to fit the product, rather than the other way around. 

A perfect fit means eliminating the waste, reducing environmental impact and costs of producing, handling, and disposing of excess packaging and unnecessary void fill material — and of damaged product. The right fit also means higher packing density for more energy-efficient transport and more space-efficient storage. 

Custom boxes and fiber tubes also enable important marketing advantages over stock packaging. Graphics and information can be printed on the interior and exterior surfaces to increase brand awareness and support point-of-purchase campaigns.

The two major categories of custom, sustainable packaging are corrugated boxes and fiber tubes. Both categories have the environmental benefits of fiber material, and both are extremely customizable to meet specific application requirements.

Custom Corrugated Boxes

Custom corrugated boxes can be designed in any desired size and in a wide range of board thickness. Designers utilize software to optimize the shape and size of the box to efficiently and safely package the product(s) contained within, and to ensure the boxes can be stacked securely on a pallet, without wasted space. 

Boxes hold items wrapped with protective packaging or surrounded with void fill material for safe shipment. They can be sealed, closed, and stacked in a warehouse or shipping container.  Some specialty boxes ship hazardous materials or insulate products from excessive heat or cold.

Box types include Die Cut, Full Overlap Slotted Container (FOL), Full Telescopic Design Container (FTD) and Overlap Slotted Container (OSC). A variety of wax and varnish coating options are available. Additional customizations include partitions, eyelets, transparent windows, and die cut foam inserts

Fiber Tubes

Fiber wound tubes are also customized depending upon the specifications and requirements of each customer and applications. They are typically made of cardboard, but they can also be reinforced with other materials for added strength and resilience. Paper or paperboard sheet layers are wound together and bonded with an adhesive to form strong, hollow, and usually cylindrical shapes. Fiber wound tubes provide an excellent strength-to-weight ratio and are used in applications requiring high bend strength, crush resistance, and dynamic strength.

Tubes are available in various sizes; length, inside diameter, and wall thickness can be customized to fit specific products. The wall thickness of the tube can vary depending on the number of layers wrapped during manufacturing. The innermost layer or ply - the liner -, and the outermost layer - the wrap -, can consist of different materials (foil, film, etc.) or specialized paper. The specialized paper and materials can provide water resistance, graphics or labeling, or a specific color. 

Tubes Serve as Containers and as Paper Cores

The high strength of fiber tubes makes them well-suited to two very different uses — as an exterior container for a very wide range of products or as the interior core around which sheets of material are wound.

As a container, tubes protect a wide variety of products during shipment, protecting them from damage, including long, heavy items such as pipes and baseball bats, and fragile items such as fishing poles. Tubes are often a good alternative to shipping items in a box with protective packaging or void fill. The range of applications is quite extensive, from small tubes with film barriers for potato chips to large tubes used to form concrete pilings.

Paper cores typically fall into two subcategories: In industrial applications, webs or sheets of flexible material (plastic film, paper, foil, textiles, etc.) are wound around paper cores with thick walls. These tubes function as a machine element and facilitate loading of the large rolls. The other subcategory is a thinner-walled variety of tube used for the packaging and dispensing of retail products, such as the core of aluminum foil, plastic wrap, paper towel and toilet paper rolls, as well as adhesive tape and labels.

Protect Products and the Environment

Custom boxes and tubes are more effective at protecting products than stock boxes, and they have far less impact on the environment compared to plastic packaging. A custom packaging solution means a perfect fit for your product, with less waste and more efficient packing and transport, resulting in cost savings, as well as a distinctive image that enhances brand image and supports marketing campaigns.

Technology, innovation, sustainability: these are the themes of Körber Business Area Tissue’s 2022 edition of MIAC, which will take place in Lucca from 12 to 14 October in Lucca, where visitors will be able to deepen their knowledge with the company’s experts.

Voith and Koehler Paper have built a successful business relationship over many years. As family-owned companies, both companies pursue long-term objectives and innovative drive. As a result, many projects have been successfully implemented, such as the pioneering production line 8 in Kehl. Now, next steps in the development partnership are planned with a focus on decarbonization. A key initiative will be to further optimize the energy efficiency of the Koehler plants. Under this partnership, the Voith-Koehler team will validate alternative energy sources that can serve as future heat sources. Among other things, the focus is on replacing fossil fuels with sustainable CO₂-neutral alternatives and retrofitting the production lines accordingly. In this context, contactless drying can be electric or hydrogen-based. Furthermore, an electrified dryer section and heat pumps offer further possibilities for efficiency increase and energy recovery. Biogas obtained from anaerobic wastewater post-treatment can also contribute to the decarbonization of the papermaking process.

• Voith and Koehler Paper are working together on new solutions for decarbonizing production lines
• The two family-owned companies are linked by a successful partnership of many years
• Development of new innovations is part of Voith’s "Papermaking for Life" sustainability program

According to Lada Bemert, Vice President New Business & Research at Voith Paper, "In addition to the many future measures, Voith and Koehler are already working closely together to quickly implement short-term decarbonization measures. To this end, we are developing and installing highly efficient solutions to further reduce CO₂ emissions."

"The three dimensions of sustainability – environmental, social and economic – shape our decisions throughout the Koehler Group," says Dr. Stefan Karrer, Chief Technology Officer at Koehler. "We are very pleased to have Voith as the right partner at our side to successfully pursue our sustainability goals over the long term. The decarbonization development partnership with Voith shows exciting ways of what the paper production of the future will look like."

Focus on sustainability at production line 8
Resource efficiency was at the heart of the project for production line 8 from the very beginning, as Thomas Kuchinke, Application Manager Coating and Reeling at Voith Paper, confirms. "Koehler Paper is sending a strong signal with the production of sustainable barrier paper,” says Kuchinke. “We are proud to have developed and implemented this state-of-the-art paper machine together with Koehler Paper. Sustainability was a priority throughout the project.” Since the successful delivery of the Voith line in 2019, the 150-meter-long line has been producing sustainable packaging paper at a design speed of 1,500 meters per minute. The heart of the line is a Yankee cylinder with a diameter of over 7.3 meters, the largest of its kind in the world. The coating machine specifically uses a non-contact, gentle drying process with simultaneous high thermal efficiency, which is achieved by a heat recovery system. In addition, Voith experts implemented a sustainable water management system on the paper machine that significantly reduces fresh water consumption compared to conventional systems. Production line 8 already uses exclusively green electricity from the Schluchsee hydroelectric power plant, enabling Koehler Paper to save 45,000 tons of CO₂ every year.

The successful steps in sustainability, production line 8 and the development partnership will be presented by Michael Weiß, CTO at Voith Paper, and Markus Wildberger, Corporate Director Technology, Koehler Innovation & Technology, at this year's KONGRESS BW in Karlsruhe, Germany (19.10.). The participation is also possible digitally. More information about the sustainability congress can be found here: https://www.kongress-bw.de/.

Papermaking for Life sustainability program
As part of the "Papermaking for Life" innovation and development offensive, Voith Paper is presenting versatile technologies and initiatives that lead to more efficient and sustainable processes in papermaking. The focus is on water, energy and fiber savings as well as digitalization, innovations and partnerships as levers for more sustainable production. Another focus is on Voith's own activities at its locations worldwide. Learn more about Voith Paper's innovations in the area of sustainability: www.voith.com/papermaking-for-life/innovation. 

About the Voith Group
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 20,000 employees, sales of € 4.3 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

The Group Division Voith Paper is part of the Voith Group. As the full-line supplier to the paper industry, it provides the largest range of technologies, services and products on the market and offers paper manufacturers holistic solutions from one source. The company’s continuous stream of innovations facilitates resource-conserving production and helps customers minimize their carbon footprint. With its leading automation products and digitalization solutions from the Papermaking 4.0 portfolio, Voith offers its customers state-of-the-art digital technologies to improve plant availability and efficiency for all sections of the production process.

BillerudKorsnäs is simplifying its name to Billerud to cater to its international customers. As a leading supplier of virgin fiber-based paper and packaging materials, the name change is fully in line with the company’s strategy to expand into North America and continue driving sustainable growth in global markets.  It is simply easier to say Billerud.

” We are now ready to meet the challenges of the future as one company: Billerud. One year ago, a clear strategic plan was drawn up with the aim of achieving profitable and sustainable sales growth until the year 2030 and to grow in North America. Today we change name to Billerud. The name change is a natural step on our strategic journey”, says Christoph Michalski, President and CEO at Billerud. 

The name simplification to Billerud will be implemented throughout the group starting today.  Billerud’s roots and heritage in the forest and paper industry go back more than 150 years and the company has had several different names.

”It is with pride that Billerud will carry its history into the present. What won’t change is the fact that we help our customers reduce their climate footprint of both their primary and secondary packaging. For us, product superiority is important and the impressive strength of our papers allow customers to use less packaging, save costs and reduce their carbon footprint. We will continue doing that as Billerud”, says Christoph Michalski.

As of today, Billerud's website is called billerud.com, and all employees will have the email address billerud.com. 

Read more about Billerud here: www.billerud.com

Walki’s brand new Walki®Fibre Wrap is the ideal sustainable solution for packaging non-food and e-commerce products that do not require demanding barrier properties. 

Walki has introduced a new recyclable material for non-food packaging that does not need demand separation of the coating prior to recycling.

Traditionally, most paper-based packaging solutions are coated with polyethylene (PE). Some countries have considered these solutions to be recyclable if the plastic content is very low. With an increased demand from consumers, retailers, brand owners and e-commerce providers for fully recyclable packaging, Walki innovated a material that is recyclable without separating the coating.

The most important requirements for packaging e-commerce or non-food applications such as household goods, toys or games are strength and sealing properties. "Walki®Fibre Wrap delivers on strength and is also heat sealable, unlike many other paper-based packaging solutions which are glued", explains Bernd Gelder, Business Development Manager for Industrial Packaging.

“The major advantage of heat-sealable paper solutions is that they allow producer to use the same equipment used to seal plastic,” adds Gelder.

All grades of Walki®Fibre Wrap are also all printable.
“We can offer a base material with heat-seal properties on the back and high-quality flexo printing on the front. There is no need to use a separate printing provider since we can deliver the final packaging material in reels.”

Walki®Fibre Wrap is available on bleached or unbleached craft paper grades, ranging from 50 to 90 gsm. It is also available on Paptic®, an ultra-high end biobased, recyclable and reusable packaging material with outstanding haptics that is especially suited to luxury applications.

Further information, please contact:
Bernd Gelder, Business Development Manager, Industrial Packaging
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At Walki, we believe in a sustainable and circular tomorrow. Our mission is to accelerate the world’s transition into a zero waste future in packaging and promote the use of energy efficient materials across industries. Walki’s product solutions are designed to bring value to customers in many different markets; from sustainable materials for packaging applications to energy saving performance materials. Walki is a growing international group organized in three business areas: Consumer Packaging, Industrial Packaging and Engineered Materials, with operations in twelve different countries, both in Europe and Asia. In 2021, the Group’s annual turnover was approx. 550 million euros employing around 1500 people.

walki.com

Södra plans to add lignin within its range of forest-based materials and seeks partners to develop lignin-based sustainable alternatives to fossil materials in a range of applications.

Södra is the largest forest-owner association in Sweden and an international forest industry group. With raw material from 52,000 forest owners sustainable managed forests, Södra produce timber products, pulp and green energy – and is always looking to develop new products from this renewable material. 

Södra is today a leading supplier of pulp with customers across large parts of the world and a global logistics network. The pulp mills produce both paper pulp for paper production and dissolving pulp for the textile industry.

Significant potential in lignin as a sustainable material
In the unique OnceMore® process, Södra recycle textile fibres on a large scale and enable circular flows within the textile industry. Products from the mills also include biomethanol, tall oil and turpentine marketed under the Liquid Forest™ brand which contribute to a responsible use of the raw material. The plans to make lignin available to the market, in large quantities and in consistent quality, are the latest example of the aspiration that no part of the tree should ever go to waste.

As one of the world’s largest producers of pulp from forest raw materials, Södra extracts millions of tonnes of lignin from wood annually. However, with its bonding properties, lignin has significant potential as a sustainable material.

Significant potential in lignin as a sustainable material

Just as it does inside a tree, lignin today is used mostly as a binder in the chemical industry, and above all in different types of glue. But a much wider use of lignin is possible since its phenolic structure is excellent as a base for chemicals and raw materials that are currently based on fossil materials.  Lignin has been used for several decades for various applications, including as a dispersant for concrete and plasterboard, and as a binder in road stabilization and animal feed. Now the second-generation lignin is here, a kraft lignin available in solid form, offering many new uses. 

“Need to find new ways of using natural resources”
Södra plans to make large volumes of this new type of lignin ready for the market and looks for new partnerships to do so. This is important to find answers to the questions: Where can lignin do the most good? And how could lignin make a difference to you and to the transition to a fossil-free society?

“A sustainable society needs to find new ways of using natural resources,” said Vice President Södra Cell Bioproducts Johannes Bogren. “Around a quarter of a tree consists of lignin which means our pulp mills produce it in large quantities. We always strive to make the best possible use of our forest raw material and lignin has the potential to replace fossil materials and contribute to the green transition.”

Södra Cell Bioproducts Sales Manager Viktor Odenbrink:

“Research is underway for everything from lightweight automotive components to a sustainable ingredient in road surfacing. We are already talking to several like-minded companies about lignin, but our type of kraft lignin is still a new and largely unexplored raw material. That’s why we’re looking for people who’d like to start a conversation on supporting a fossil-free society together. Could lignin be a future raw material for you and your business? If so, come and explore its potential with us”.

Potential partners should contact Johannes Bogren, Vice President Södra Cell Bioproducts or Viktor Odenbrink, Sales Manager Södra Cell Bioproducts for further information.

Founded in 1938, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, with 52,000 forest owners as its members. We conduct modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. In 2021, net sales amounted to SEK 27 billion and employees totalled 3,100. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra shows the way for the next generation of forestry.

Klabin has successfully started up a sulfuric acid plant supplied by ANDRITZ at its Ortigueira/PR plant in Brazil. The plant is a world first and has the capacity to produce 150 tons of commercial-grade sulfuric acid per day from concentrated odorous gases and elemental sulfur. It serves the pulp lines at Klabin's Puma Unit and makes the site completely self-sufficient in sulfuric acid by recycling sulfur from the waste streams.

The sulfuric acid plant helps Klabin to control the sodium and sulfur (Na/S) balance and also the sulfidity of the mill. In addition, less sulfate will now be discharged due to the optimized Na/S balance, hence improving the efficiency of input use at the Ortigueira plant. Furthermore, there is no need in future to transport hazardous inputs such as sulfuric acid to the plant and the unit also optimizes resources overall, with a large reduction in transportation volume. As the sulfuric acid plant meets stringent air emission limits, the process significantly improves the overall footprint of the Ortigueira mill.

Klabin's Director of Projects and Engineering, João Antônio Braga, says "Operation of the sulfuric acid plant at the Puma Unit, Ortigueira, represents a significant advance in the circularity of the installation. The new plant allows the Puma Unit to be self-sufficient in sulfuric acid, with the additional option of selling any excess production to the market. This innovative technology, a first in this industry worldwide, supports our efforts to optimize productivity and is an important milestone in our ambition to achieve our sustainability goals.”

The sulfuric acid plant at Klabin’s Ortigueira facility is the first worldwide to produce commercial-grade, concentrated sulfuric acid at a pulp mill © Klabin

Klabin's Manager of Projects, Recovery and Utilities, Walter de Oliveira, adds "The quality parameters are being met and the sulfuric acid is being used successfully in several operations at the plant, replacing the commercial acid we were using before. Besides optimizing resources, installation of the plant brings greater independence because we do not have to rely on an external supplier for our sulfuric acid needs.”

The ANDRITZ scope of supply included technologies on EPCC basis for handling elemental sulfur, combustion of sulfur and concentrated non-condensable gases (CNCG) to form sulfur dioxide (SO2), and conversion of sulfur dioxide into concentrated sulfuric acid, as well as a flue gas treatment system.

Sulfuric acid plants are part of the company's CircleToZero initiative, which includes technologies that aim to reduce and/or eliminate waste from pulp mills. This global initiative for pulp and paper customers brings the continuous development and improvement of existing ANDRITZ technology solutions together with an ambitious, future innovation goal: to eliminate unused side streams, create new value-added products, and establish a foundation for zero emissions and zero waste production.

ANDRITZ GROUP
International technology group ANDRITZ offers a broad portfolio of innovative plants, equipment, systems, services and digital solutions for a wide range of industries and end markets. ANDRITZ is a global market leader in all four of its business areas – Pulp & Paper, Metals, Hydro, and Separation. Technological leadership, global presence and sustainability are the cornerstones of the group’s strategy, which is focused on long-term profitable growth. The publicly listed group has around 27,400 employees and over 280 locations in more than 40 countries.

ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER
ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper provides sustainable technology, automation, and service solutions for the production of all types of pulp, paper, board and tissue. The technologies and services focus on maximum utilization of raw materials, increased production efficiency, lower overall operating costs as well as innovative decarbonization strategies and autonomous plant operation. Boilers for power generation, flue gas cleaning systems, various nonwoven technologies, panelboard (MDF) production systems, as well as recycling and shredding solutions for numerous waste materials also form a part of this business area. State-of-the-art IIoT technologies as part of Metris digitalization solutions complete the comprehensive product offering.

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from Minhan Paper Joint Stock Company to supply a complete OCC line for its mill in Van Lam, Hung Yen Province, Vietnam.

ANDRITZ will deliver the complete OCC line – from pulping to approach flow – including fiber recovery and also broke and reject handling. ANDRITZ will install several of its innovative Prime stock preparation products, such as a PrimeSolve LC system for optimum slushing at lowest fiber loss and efficient reject removal. PrimeScreens X with new PrimeRotors will enable highly efficient screening and fractionation at significantly lower energy consumption.  

PrimeSolve LC system "Photo: Andritz"

The new OCC line will have a capacity of 700 t/d and process a mixture of AOCC and LOCC as raw material to produce testliner and medium-weight board. The scope of supply also comprises the auxiliary equipment, detailed engineering as well as supervision of erection, commissioning, and start-up.

This order further strengthens ANDRITZ’s leading position in the Asian board production sector, with 30 OCC lines supplied to customers in South-East Asia since 2005.

Minhan Paper Joint Stock Company was established in 2020 and focuses on the manufacture of corrugated paper, paperboard and containerboard.

ANDRITZ GROUP

International technology group ANDRITZ offers a broad portfolio of innovative plants, equipment, systems, services and digital solutions for a wide range of industries and end markets. ANDRITZ is a global market leader in all four of its business areas – Pulp & Paper, Metals, Hydro, and Separation. Technological leadership, global presence and sustainability are the cornerstones of the group’s strategy, which is focused on long-term profitable growth. The publicly listed group has around 27,400 employees and over 280 locations in more than 40 countries.

ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER

ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper provides sustainable technology, automation, and service solutions for the production of all types of pulp, paper, board and tissue. The technologies and services focus on maximum utilization of raw materials, increased production efficiency, lower overall operating costs as well as innovative decarbonization strategies and autonomous plant operation. Boilers for power generation, flue gas cleaning systems, various nonwoven technologies, panelboard (MDF) production systems, as well as recycling and shredding solutions for numerous waste materials also form a part of this business area. State-of-the-art IIoT technologies as part of Metris digitalization solutions complete the comprehensive product offering.