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Why are some millers changing to plastic bag packaging?
The millers themselves point to three key factors: 1. Plastic material is stronger than paper hence the mills get far fewer claims and returns on damaged or broken bags. 2. The bags are closed by heat seal and then in the case of brick packs the top is folded and held down either by a resealable label or by hot melt glue. This creates a pack that is leak-proof. 3. Glossy printed plastic is an ideal marketing material, which is attractive and appealing to the consumer. These three points are important although paper producers and paper bag suppliers will argue that there is much more to the debate than just this and that the listed points are general theories rather than specific proven case studies. Quality in both paper and plastic can vary greatly. In the case of SOS kraft paper bags, the structure quality of the bag itself depends on the type of converting machine being employed to make the bag (type of machine, manufacturer of machine, age of the machine, quality of glue used for closing the seams and whether or not the machine is set up perfectly to make consistent quality bags in large volumes). Another major factor is the paper quality. Important paper suppliers such as Billerudkorsnas from Sweden who supply premium-quality paper to converters who then manufacture the flour bags, will rightly argue that if a good quality paper is deployed and the converter uses the correct paper thickness for the bags, the paper bags will be just as strong as plastic bags. Furthermore, a good quality print is achievable on paper bags comparable with that of plastic if the paper quality used is the right one. The paper suppliers will also highlight the environmental issue when comparing plastic v paper and the
The new Fawema packing line FA217 series servo-drive
The new type of plastic brick pack is becoming very popular
Milling and Grain - February 2017 | 63