Jowat Magazine 2015-09 EN

16 Editor: Paper is one of the most recycled materials world- wide. It is successfully used around the world in cardboard and folding box manufacturing. Kubo: The advantages of using recycled paper in the manufacture of cardboard folding boxes are very diverse. Firstly, waste paper is a nearly inexhaustible raw material and 5 to 7 cycles of recycling are common. Since the demand for rigid boxes and corrugated cardboards is growing, a highly available raw material is crucial for card- board packaging manufacturers. Additionally, this industry is profiting from lower production costs compared to the use of fresh fibre paper, because of the absence of any forestry expenses. Another commercial advantage is the lower energy consumption. In the meantime, environmental aspects play a major role for all manufacturers and became an important part of their marketing image. Editor: Still, food packaging made of waste paper received a bad publicity during the past years. Kubo: There are, without doubt, also a few disadvantages in the use of recycled paper for food packaging. The quality of waste paper as a raw material is not defined. No one can really tell what kind of additives are contained in a press block of waste paper. Apart from the cellulose, it is very difficult to determine the potential risk of the other ingredients, like printing inks or coatings, in regard to the final cardboard quality. For instance, an increased content of oily substances can lower the surface tension and impair the wettability. This is highly important for the consequent printing and bonding processes,andinfluencesthequalityaccordingly.Therefore, manufacturing has to cope with the variations in quality of this raw material. Editor: In 2012 there was a big discussion about mineral oil migration from waste paper into food. The so-called “Aigner” study of 2012 said: “The results of the project show that concentrations of known contaminations in the recycled cardboard can hardly be reduced sufficiently. The large variety in potentially migrating substances does not allow a reliable confirmation of compliance with food regulations and safety. Therefore, the implementation of a barrier layer appears to be essential.” What ideas did the packaging industry come up with, what is the current state of discussions? Kubo: Mineral oil ingredients can be introduced into the cardboard by printing ink residues. A possible migration into the packed good could be harmful to the consumer. Therefore, the cardboard has only a limited use for food packaging. Most packaging manufacturers addressed this issue by investing into machinery upgrades and introduced new products to the market with barrier functions. Some manufacturer focused on interior barriers, by applying a waterbased dispersion coating or using extrusion finishing. Foil producers introduced new barrier foils for lamination as an alternative solution. As manufacturer of industrial ad- hesives for food packaging, we are also part of the whole scenario. In addition to the much more challenging adhesive Manfred Kubo, Product Management Director Paper | Packaging Industry

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