{"id":18808,"date":"2025-08-06T13:12:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T13:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/?p=18808"},"modified":"2025-08-06T13:12:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T13:12:48","slug":"study-by-dhbw-and-heidelberg-emphasizes-the-future-of-packaging-is-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/06\/study-by-dhbw-and-heidelberg-emphasizes-the-future-of-packaging-is-paper\/","title":{"rendered":"Study by DHBW and HEIDELBERG Emphasizes: The Future of Packaging Is Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Key challenges relating to barrier coatings and cost-effectiveness must first be met<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trend toward paperization marks systemic change \u2013 50?percent of consumers deliberately buying less plastic packaging<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>New EU packaging regulation (PPWR) acting as catalyst<br>HEIDELBERG driving technological and sustainable innovations for coated packaging solutions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Company publishes white paper on position of fiber-based options in packaging mix<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The future of flexible paper-based packaging is bright, with flexible packaging papers predicted to enjoy annual average growth of over 4.5 percent by the end of the decade. This is primarily thanks to their sustainable properties, especially when compared with plastic packaging. An expert survey entitled \u201cThe future of packaging 2030\u201d, which was conducted by Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) Heilbronn in collaboration with Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), has now corroborated this development. The results indicate that paper-based packaging solutions will increasingly play a dominant role in Europe by 2030, as long as key technological and economic challenges relating to coated paper packaging can be resolved. The study is based on expert interviews with trade and industry decision-makers, who are underpinning the ongoing trend toward paperization \u2013 the substitution of plastic with paper \u2013 in the packaging industry. According to Professor <strong>Carsten Kortum<\/strong>, who led the study and is also in charge of DHBW\u2019s Business Administration \u2013 Management in Commerce degree program: \u201cIt\u2019s not just a trend, it\u2019s a systemic change driven by new regulatory pressure, rising environmental awareness and associated changes in consumer behavior, and technological innovations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>New EU packaging regulation (PPWR) acting as catalyst<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which sets ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030, is a key driving force and something of a catalyst, especially for flexible paper and cardboard packaging. Besides harmonized standards, it places a clear focus on sustainability, resource efficiency, and the circular economy. This includes banning certain single-use formats, making recycled content mandatory in packaging, and using standardized recycling symbols. \u201cThe PPWR is putting trade and industry under significant pressure to act,\u201d emphasizes Kortum. \u201cThere\u2019s also a lack of clarity, though, so businesses are asking for transparent standards and economic incentives,\u201d he continues. Moreover, the regulation is speeding up the process of consumers coming to see packaging as a symbol of sustainability and brand responsibility.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Challenges associated with coated packaging<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the study, although paper packaging scores highly in terms of sustainability, consumer image, and recyclability, it also involves major challenges. Plastic packaging is cheaper than fiber-based solutions in many cases, and consumers are often unwilling to pay the additional cost. What\u2019s more, the need to fulfill important barrier functions for food products, beverages, cosmetics, and certain non-food items is stretching paper packaging to its technical limits. Paper does not act as a barrier to moisture, oxygen, or grease. Consequently, either hybrid paper-plastic solutions or functional coatings for monomaterials are required, and such options still often result in limited sustainability. This makes it clear that further technological innovations are needed if paper packaging is to be a competitive alternative to plastic in all areas of application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HEIDELBERG driving technological and sustainable innovations for coated packaging solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cost-effective application of barrier coatings on an industrial scale plays a key role when it comes to the quality, reliability, and cost-efficiency of paper packaging. HEIDELBERG is therefore working with Solenis, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals, on developing a cost-effective process to integrate coatings for fiber-based packaging directly into the existing web flexo printing process using the Boardmaster press from HEIDELBERG. This will enable barrier coatings to be applied and combined inline with register accuracy. The purpose of the collaboration between HEIDELBERG and Solenis is therefore to optimally coordinate the individual components of the Boardmaster, the chemical composition of the Solenis barrier coatings, and all the associated process technology for the benefit of packaging producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCost-effective technology innovations are vital if paper packaging is to replace plastic equivalents on a widespread basis. The inline production of coated paper packaging and the cooperation with Solenis to develop innovative varnishes and coatings therefore mean HEIDELBERG is a driver of paperization,\u201d says <strong>Dr. David Schmedding<\/strong>, Chief Technology &amp; Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG. \u201cThat also makes us a systems integrator in the attractive growth market of mass-producing folding cartons,\u201d he adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HEIDELBERG publishes white paper on position of fiber-based options in packaging mix<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>HEIDELBERG has also published a white paper on the current position of fiber-based solutions in the packaging mix. This can be downloaded for free from the HEIDELBERG website. The white paper provides information about various aspects relating to the sustainability of paper packaging, including recycling rates, biodegradability, carbon footprints, and an effective circular economy. The advantages over plastic packaging are set out clearly, while other topics include markets that are growing especially strongly, such as India, and the significance of the new EU packaging regulation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The future of flexible paper-based packaging is bright, with flexible packaging papers predicted to enjoy annual average growth of over 4.5 percent by the end of the decade. This is primarily thanks to their sustainable properties, especially when compared with plastic packaging. An expert survey entitled \u201cThe future of packaging 2030\u201d, which was conducted by<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[1526,124],"class_list":{"0":"post-18808","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-print-labelling","8":"tag-dhbw","9":"tag-heidelberg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18808"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18810,"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18808\/revisions\/18810"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpmirror.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}