Toppan Develops Paper-Based Tube-Pouch to Reduce Plastic Use
May 24, 2020Paper-based material for body of easy to squeeze tube-shaped pouch further reduces plastic volume
Toppan
Printing (Toppan) (TSE:7911), a global leader in communication, security,
packaging, décor materials, and electronics solutions, has improved
user-friendliness while reducing resource use to achieve enhanced environmental
performance by developing the paper tube-pouch, a new paper-based version of
the existing tube-pouch, which is shaped like a tube and easy to squeeze like a
pouch. The paper tube-pouch is ideal for use in the food, toiletry, and
pharmaceutical sectors, and full-scale sales are scheduled to be launched in
Japan in fiscal 2020.
Due to the use of thinner film material, the conventional tube-pouch is easier
to squeeze and uses 30% less plastic than the type of laminated tube widely
used for toothpaste. The new paper tube-pouch maintains the tube-pouch’s
functionality while demonstrating even better environmental performance by
employing a paper-based material for the body, making possible a 50% reduction
in plastic volume. Coupled with a redesign of the plastic parts of the head
section, this enables plastic to be reduced by a total of 65%. Although plastic
has been replaced with paper, the tube-pouch still maintains its shape even
when the volume of content inside decreases, and the use of Toppan’s
proprietary GL BARRIER film on the inner surface ensures the world-class and
complete barrier performance required for such items as food and cosmetics.
The body of the paper tube-pouch has a thickness of just 0.1 mm and a special
folded structure. Combined with a horizontal design for the plastic spout, this
makes it easier to completely squeeze out the contents.
The use of paper
for the exterior surface also means that design and sales promotion can fully
exploit the advantages of the material’s feel and texture, making the paper
tube-pouch ideal for effectively communicating more natural and organic product
concepts to consumers.
“The paper tube-pouch represents a new solution that can meet the needs of
manufacturers, consumers, and society as a whole by reducing impact on the
environment, enhancing user-friendliness, and also offering new possibilities
for design,” said Shingo Wada, general manager of business strategy in Toppan’s
western Japan division. “It is another example of Toppan’s efforts to tackle
such issues as marine plastic and the need for efficient circulation of
resources by developing eco-friendly packaging and containers that sacrifice
nothing in terms of functionality while making use of more sustainable
materials, such as recycled and biomass plastics, monomaterials, and paper.”
About GL BARRIER
GL
BARRIER is Toppan’s range of transparent films providing world-class barrier
performance. The multilayer structure of GL BARRIER films combines unique
coating and vapor-deposited layers to enable outstanding, stable barrier
performance relied upon for a wide range of items in the food, medical,
pharmaceutical, and industrial materials sectors. Films in the GL BARRIER range
include PRIME BARRIER, for products with superior functionality and added
value, FRESHLIGHT, for simple barrier packaging, and GL FILM, for diverse
applications from fast-moving consumer goods to industrial materials.