Commercialized Projects for Concurrent Fiber

Two concurrent PACK EXPO Connects launches by Sonoco--EnviroSense paperboard canisters and Natrellis dual ovenable molded fiber trays--ask CPGs to reimagine paper in packages where plastic used to be necessary.

Sonoco spent its time at PACK EXPO Connects on a handful of nifty new fiber-based packaging solutions, with two fairly significant ones already in early commercialized projects that can be found on shelves. The first, EnvirosSense(TM), consists of rigid cylindrical canister-style containers, one with a paper bottom, the other with a steel bottom. The mind's eye drifts immediately to the form of a Pringles can, so it's appropriate that one of a few similar versions of the EnviroSense line is already on the market in the U.K.

This paperboard canister solution has been third-party validated via PIQET test to show lower life cycle impact on the environment compared to HDPE, glass, PP, and other rigid structures comparable in size and use. Recycling instructions appear on-pack (depending on market, via How2Recycyle), and may vary depending on steel bottom (steel channel) or fully paper structure (paper channel). A next gen version of the EnviroSense paperboard can is in development now, that would include a paper overcap, too, though a film lidding (disposable by the consumer as instructed) may be required depending on the application.

Natrellis is another fiber-based product, this time a molded finer tray that is dual ovenable and oil resistant. The molded tray, which replaces its plastic counterparts, recently found a commercialized home in Kraft brand Primal Kitchen. The company patterned with Tellus, a spent sugar cane fiber producing offshoot of the American Sugar Refiners (ASR), to create the Natrellis brand (read more in an upcoming issue of Packaging World). The pack is currently on the path to achieve sustainability certification, but pandemic-related delays have slowed the typical certification process.

To view the demo in its entirety (available through March 31, 2021), and add Sonoco to your MyConnects Planner, click here.