#Changemaker: cellulose and hemp kicking the plastics out of packages
What if we could get rid of plastic bottles, and make them, let’s say, out of paper? Sounds pretty utopian, right?
But you read it correctly, cellulose is a key to a plastic-free world. We met Manuel Leibrock, the CMO of Papacks at the Greener Manufacturing Show, who has sought to renew the packaging industry.
Papacks uses plant-based coating and raw materials to solve the issue of single-use plastics in the packaging world. Manuel explained that the solutions can be used in industrial production lines for packaging food, consumer goods, logistics, technical devices, cosmetics, and medicine.
“We use molded pulp technique with either dry or wet mold” described Manuel. He added that the products can be finer or rougher, depending on the customer’s wishes.
Papacks’ mission is to take responsibility for packaging through the connection to nature and eliminate plastic. Therefore, they have embarked on natural resources, as Manuel put it:
“Virgin fiber and hemp material are the future of raw materials.”
Papacks’ fresh fiber cellulose comes from FSC-certified forests, so no trees suffer without a cause. Hemp, on the other hand, requires less water than many other plants, can be harvested quickly, and absorbs a large amount of CO2 while growing.
Focusing on cheaper packaging variations, that are not recyclable, will not help you out in the long term. “That is not a solution, that is a big mistake,” adds Manuel.
Therefore, if your company is looking into ways to integrate more sustainable methods and minimize your footprint, Papacks is here to give you a hand.