Kotkamills’ new plastic-free and easily recyclable consumer board AEGLE™ Barrier Light is now ready for world domination

The world is drowning in plastic. It has infiltrated everywhere, our food and oceans.

Estimates published by the European Commission suggest that on a yearly average from 5 to 13 million tons of plastic waste end up in nature and the oceans.[1] The European Commission’s answer to the problem is the Plastic Strategy published in the early 2018. This strategy aims to reduce plastic consumption and advance recycling through innovative product development. Many major national actions have also been made to tackle the challenge. AEGLE™ Barrier Light is our first answer to this challenge. In the coming months Kotkamills will launch new products for frozen food and cupstock applications.

A large part of plastic waste comes from packaging materials. The world is impossible to imagine without packaging materials. Urbanization and the improvements in living conditions will raise the demand for packaging material even more in the future.

“We believe that in the future, packaging materials are a part of sustainable development and circular economy. We want to be a Game Changer and help to reduce the world’s waste footprint. The plastic-free and easily recyclable packaging material we have developed is one answer to this problem” says Markku Hämäläinen the CEO of Kotkamills.

AEGLE™ Barrier Light consumer boards are ideal packaging materials, for example, for the needs of large fast-food chains. The products are also suited for short-term packaging of other greasy food-to-go products where a barrier is required. The difference to traditional packaging materials is that as they are plastic-free, they are easy to recycle and that they have a completely biodegradable barrier layer that can withstand water and grease. In natural conditions our product will disintegrate and decompose with ease.

Kotkamills’ products are easier and more economical to recycle than plastic coated carton boards. The product can be recycled with normal paper waste and deinked as part of the recycling process.

Creating a plastic free future by innovative technology

Kotkamills’ new BM2 consumer board machine’s production capacity of plastic-free barrier coated board is the largest in the world. Furthermore, the innovative use of curtain coating on the board machine to produce water-based dispersion coated barrier board is a unique offering to the market from Kotkamills. The factory based in Kotka can manufacture up to 400 000 tons of consumer boards on a yearly basis. AEGLE™ Barrier Light products do not need a separate treatment in the printing machine. The product does not contain any commonly used fluorochemicals or waxes that are potentially harmful for the health and that can easily transfer to food.

“Interest for our product has been substantial around the world. Now that the product is ready, we expect rapid take-up by the market. We are ready to respond to all demands of product that come to us.” Hämäläinen states.

“Every conscious consumer would rather choose a product better for themselves and for the environment. Small actions create a large effect and together we can therefore reduce the amount of plastic in the world one package at a time.” Hämäläinen ponders.

The AEGLE™ has landed.
 

Kotkamills at Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print Birmingham 2018

28 February–1 March 2018 Birmingham, UK

Halls 9-10, NEC Birmingham B40 1NT, stand L43

Opening hours:    

10:00–17:00 (28 February)

10:00–16:00 (1 March)

www.easyfairs.com/packaging-innovations-birmingham-2018/packaging-innovations-birmingham-2018/

For more information: 

Markku Hämäläinen

CEO

Kotkamills Oy

P.O. Box 62-63, 48101 Kotka, Finland

Tel. +358 40 721 0548

markku.hamalainen@kotkamills.com
www.kotkamills.com