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BillerudKorsnäs adds strong fibre material to paper bags

BillerudKorsnäs and AB Group Packaging have developed a strong reusable paper bag using a fibre-based raw material.

The material is called FibreForm, and echoes the properties of fabric or RPET reusable bags. FibreForm offers high stretch and is tear-resistant.

“FibreForm is one of the strongest kraft papers in the world. It’s been on the market for a while and we are still exploring its full potential,” says Veronica Fylkner, sales manager, formable solutions at BillerudKorsnäs.

“We see several new applications we can develop with FibreForm and we are eager to replace less sustainable materials and solutions. It is a journey that we are pleased to be on as we can help decrease the amount of plastics and aluminium in different applications on the market.”

Laboratory tests have shown that the reusable paper bag can be reused over and over again.

“We tested one bag until breakdown and it lasted 43 cycles, which is equivalent [to] 860 lifts and this with a high weight of 16 kilograms,” says Fylkner.

AB Group Packaging, which manufactures in Ireland, the UK and Spain, is currently offering the ultra-strong paper bag to several major supermarkets in the United Kingdom.

Paper bags have not been an option in most U.K. retail stores until recently, due to cost, a strong plastic industry and some misperceptions that papers are weak and have higher impact on climate change.

Several studies have shown that BillerudKorsnäs packaging materials have a lower climate impact than other materials.

When the Swedish environmental institute IVL made a life cycle assessment on a BillerudKorsnäs standard paper for carrier bags, the paper had lower climate impact than bio-based plastic, recycled plastic and fossil based plastic.