Sustainable and beautiful shopping bags

When it comes to sustainability, consumer awareness has changed quite dramatically in recent years. The most widely known example is the disposable plastic bag: more and more consumers now prefer to use paper carrier shopping bags. FormBags, the Italian bag specialist, recognised the emerging sustainability trend many years ago and has since been offering environmentally friendly paper carrier shopping bags for the retail trade. FormBags’ long-standing partner Sappi also places great value on sustainable production from renewable raw materials and on the high recyclability of its products. With its newly developed Fusion Nature Plus virgin fibre liner, the paper manufacturer offers the ideal solution to raise the quality standards of FormBags’ packaging while reducing its ecological footprint.

Sustainably ‘bagged’

All EU member states are committed to significantly reducing the consumption of single-use plastic bags by 2025. Italian packaging specialist FormBags has also been prioritising environmental awareness and sustainability for many years and is intent on contributing to this development with its diverse product range. To ensure that its paper carrier shopping bags deliver the best possible results, FormBags works closely with Sappi. “There are very few paper manufacturers who can so skilfully combine decisive properties such as strength, printability, look and feel,” explains Carla Badiola, Export Area Manager at FormBags, about the collaboration with Sappi. “It was clear to us from the very beginning that we would only benefit from the speciality paper expert’s comprehensive expertise during the development of
our customer projects.” More than 15 years ago, FormBags switched to Sappi’s portfolio to produce paper carrier shopping bags that are efficient, based on renewable resources, and both reusable and easily recyclable. “FormBags is one of the best choice when you look for an experienced and reliable shopping bags producing partner. FormBags is able to offer the best solutions out of the two main bags production techniques, thanks to the versatility of its production asset: on one hand the flexo printed shopping bags produced with high speed and remarkable cost-efficient ratio, and on the other hand the more accurate offset printed shopping bags manually assembled with embossing, hot foil and a wide variety of finishing techniques” says Andrea Riva, Sales Manager Italy and Iberica at Sappi Europe.

Sustainability is in the bag

Olos is one of FormBags’ customers that has recently successfully switched its packaging from plastic to paper. The Italian cosmetics company’s paper carrier shopping bags are made from Sappi’s new Fusion Nature Plus, which is based on the paper concept of the very successful Fusion Topliner. Unlike the double-coated Fusion Topliner, it has a natural uncoated surface. But unlike conventional uncoated fine papers, it stands out with a high degree of whiteness, brilliant colour reproduction and consistently high quality – which all contribute to a great unpacking experience for the buyer. “Since the launch of the new paper carrier bags, we have been receiving excellent customer feedback. Consumers can tell at a glance that this is a high-quality product,” says Carla Badiola.

Whether for daily shopping trips to the supermarket or a weekend stroll in the city centre, the bag always plays a pivotal role in carrying products from A to B. And yet it is so much more than just a bag: it is also effective as a mobile advertising medium for “green” messages. By switching to paper and thereby reducing plastic consumption, Olos is underscoring its commitment to sustainability.

Switching from film to paper with flexibility

For many manufacturers, the reluctance to switch from plastic-based solutions to paper is still high. “Thanks to Sappi’s methods, this was an extremely easy step to take,” confirms Carla Badiola. Retrofitting existing machines to use resource-saving materials was achieved with minimal effort.

About Sappi Fusion Nature Plus

Sappi’s fully recyclable Fusion Nature Plus virgin fibre liner has a natural, uncoated surface with outstanding tactile properties. It features bright white, uncoated virgin fibre paper with very good printability. And it is suitable for corrugated and solid board packaging where a bright white appearance is required for top liners, inner liners and corrugating medium. The virgin fibre liner is suitable for flexo and offset printing. Its pre-treated surface and high degree of whiteness also offer advantages in inkjet-based digital printing with respect to primer requirements and printing behaviour.