2023.08.24
Paper to Outstrip Plastic! Mitsubishi Paper Mills Develops Coated Packaging Paper with Outstanding Barrier Properties
barricote® is employed for outer packaging.
barricote® is employed for outer packaging.
The distinct raisin-like fruity aroma of cacao beans wafts out of the package the moment it is torn open. For those who experience this delightful sensation, it may come as a surprise that DO Cacao chocolate, Lotte’s high-end chocolate brand, comes in an all-paper wrapper. When food packaging requires barrier functions such as the need to contain aroma, most manufacturers turn to aluminum foil and vapor-deposited aluminum bags (made from plastic film that is coated with aluminum using a technique called vapor deposition). For DO Cacao, however, Lotte decided to pursue sustainability across the entire value chain by adopting paper packaging coated with barricote®. Made by Mitsubishi Paper Mills, the product has the conventional biodegradability and recyclability of paper but also features heat-sealability and barrier functions against water vapor and oxygen.
In 2023, Mitsubishi Paper Mills’ barrisherpa®, which is barricote® laminated with plastic film, was adopted by Doutor Coffee as packaging for its limited-edition Hatsugama roasted coffee. Because protecting the aroma is vital for coffee products, they are usually packaged in vapor-deposited aluminum bags. By employing barrisherpa®, however, the coffee purveyor was able to prevent the permeation of oxygen, water vapor and fragrance and retain the aroma and freshness of the beans while at the same time eliminating the use of aluminum and reducing the use of plastic.
barricote® and barrisherpa® packaging products have been on the market since 2020. As an environmentally friendly coated paper product, barricote® has all the biodegradability and recyclability of paper. With its superior barrier functions and heat-sealability, it can be used as soft packaging for food products, daily items and sanitary goods. barrisherpa®, meanwhile, uses only a minimal amount of plant-derived biodegradable plastic film to provide it with superior strength, water resistance and heat-sealability features, thereby achieving both biodegradability and barrier properties. Both products serve as alternative materials that contribute to the reduction of waste plastic.
Aiming for global expansion based on long-standing R＆D
Yoshimi Ikezawa of the Sustainable Fiber Materials Development Department, Research and Development Division was involved in the development of the products and is keen to talk about their strengths.
“Our subsidiary in Germany, Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe GmbH, embarked on the R＆D for barricote® in 2015,” he explained. “In 2019, the paper packaging material was adopted by major European food manufacturers. Building on this long-standing R＆D and track record, Mitsubishi Paper Mills is continuing with the development to meet the demanding quality standards in Japan. Among different coated packaging paper developed by paper mill companies, barricote®, despite being plastic filmless, is characterized by a water-based coating that achieves barrier functions against oxygen and water vapor and a heat-sealability quality comparable to plastic film. We intend to keep up with our development efforts while aiming to enhance environmental friendliness so as to propose products that meet market needs.”
Yet cost remains an issue. Can the cost of barricote® be reduced to a level comparable to that of plastic without compromising the high quality of the product? Toshiari Tanaka at the Sustainable Fiber Materials Sales Department, Sustainable Fiber Materials Division is committed to try. With an eye toward mass production, he says they will “work hard to reduce costs.”
“Toward the goal of achieving a sustainable world,” he continues, “paper mills and all related industry players must join hands to engage global companies as well as environmentally conscious small stores in our endeavor to transform society.”
Adds Mr. Ikezawa: “We would like to collaborate with printing converters, packaging device manufacturers and all other parties across the packaging value chain to make new proposals to the market. To this end, we are determined to deliver high-quality materials.”
As a leader of the paper manufacturing and packaging industries, Mitsubishi Paper Mills will focus on global expansion and continue to strengthen its collaboration with the German subsidiary to develop and produce an extensive lineup of paper packaging products with a wide range of applications that will take the world by surprise.
INTERVIEWEE
YOSHIMI IKEZAWA
Sustainable Fiber Materials Development Department, Research and Development Division
TOSHIARI TANAKA
Sustainable Fiber Materials Sales Department, Sustainable Fiber Materials Division
Mitsubishi Paper Mills Limited
2-10-14 Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Founded in 1898. Develops and markets products that contribute to the achievement of a safe, comfortable and sustainable society in a wide range of fields related to functional non-woven fabrics, electronics and healthcare, among others. In addition, the company procures FSC®-certified wood from appropriately managed forests to expand its pulp business and is developing plastic-free products and distinctive paper products by building on its papermaking/coating technology that has been applied to produce printing/communication paper.