A Four-Part Series on
Sustainability in the
Paper Industry



PART I - Looking for Poly

Originally Published June 7th, 2021

This word in the print market has become a hot topic. Not the corny Hot Topic of the malls in the late 90s, but a massive trend in printing. Time magazine has done a few articles on this, and one interesting fact is that 8 million tons of plastic leak into the ocean annually. Or, from a different perspective, that is one garbage truck dumping into the sea every minute.

Plastic is everywhere and in everything. We use plastic water bottles and containers for food, but what if you, the printer, could help the end users move away from that? Here at Patriot, we have an opportunity to help!

Each week I will highlight a product we can offer for food service as a replacement for plastic. Today's is EnShield SBS. This product is like a regular SBS-coated stock but has an oil and grease barrier. Right now, the spec sheet is a Kit 5+. Higher the kit level, the better the grease-resistant barrier.

Last week I had a customer who asked, "Why not just Poly C1S?" Well, Poly C1S is not widely accepted as recycled. However, Enshield is fully recyclable, repulpable, and polyethylene-free. Wouldn't you want to say that your products are environmentally friendly to an end user? I would think every corporate buyer would like to push for this.

So if you have a customer looking for Poly, feel free to give us a shout and let us know if we can help. Personally, I am all for a reduction in plastic. It is our job to reduce plastic waste and start thinking of the future!

PART II - Getting Krafty

Originally Published June 14th, 2021

Part II of our sustainable food packaging blog is one product that I think is cool. This product can replace a lot of food packaging that is so common in our everyday lives.

Donuts are everywhere. The ones in the clear clam shell package are so delicious. I buy mine from the local gas station, and my kids devour them quickly. The box goes on the counter and eventually into the recycling. I always think those are good to go when recycling, but many do not make it there.

What if I told you there was a way to achieve that barrier and be on a natural-looking kraft stock? Here is where EnShield Natural Kraft paper comes in. It is a Kit 12 grease barrier. So no donut will overcome it. It looks hip and has all the designer characteristics to be the new package for your customer. It is fully recyclable! A fun fact is that in a million packages of Enshield Natural Kraft, CO2 emissions are reduced by 73% compared to rigid plastic packaging.

Enshield Natural Kraft is designed to eliminate Poly in most applications, is available in 14pt-22pt, and serves various food applications. There is little drawback to using paper in this application. The biggest is convincing the designers that this is an option. So if you need a sweet treat to test, I am your guy. We can make a neat package with a better carbon footprint.

PART III - Four-Pack Futures

Originally Published June 21st, 2021

This weekend was Father's Day weekend. I hope all the dads out there enjoyed the day. I know I did. One thing that is more of a tradition for our family now is baseball. My son and nephew had games all weekend. We used more consumable paper products than ever this weekend.

From drink carriers to napkins, we used them all. Unfortunately, running around Coon Rapids and Zimmerman, Minnesota, does not provide much time to enjoy a sit-down meal. One product that I have seen some significant potential in is 4-pack carriers. West Rock's new product called Renew100 Tote would work amazingly well.

Renew100 Tote is an excellent product for four and 6-pack carriers and offers recycled wet strength for the smaller carriers. I used enough 4-pack carriers for kids' slushies and coffees this weekend that I could have funded a new printer. In all seriousness, this product is impressive. Some consumers like myself would have really enjoyed a banner on the drink carriers that said recyclable.

That is one takeaway I have from the weekend. Just like in baseball, know where you will make the next move. It is truly a game of small ball in packaging. Small movements are crucial. If you tell the consumer what the product is like and why it is better, it will help the company's image. For example, if it said "more environmentally friendly" on that drink carrier, it would have made all those slushies seem just a little better.

So if you are doing a 4-pack drink carrier for your local coffee shop, check out Tote100. This stuff is legit and available. Help your customers make minor moves to make major changes for our future!

PART IV - The last part, PHEW

Originally Published July 9th, 2021

We talked about Endshield Natural Kraft, SBS, and Tote100 in the past few weeks. All fantastic choices for their applications. What if your customer was asking for an all-brown option?

Kraft and brown-bending chip stocks are hot right now. Really hot! The market is tight, and for some good reasons. Designers are raging for the earthy look and sweet background, and we have one more option that is becoming increasingly popular: Enshield Recycled Board. This board is a brown earthly look that is so popular but is rated for grease!

Made from 100% recycled fiber, fully recyclable, polyethylene-free, and made with no perfluorochemicals (PFAS), improving packaging end-of-life recovery. How can you get better than that?

People ask me for thoughts on how to use this product and applications that might work. I think you could use it for many products that you want to look more natural. Like, think of the applications with health foods. Nuts are one product that I believe could be very cool and look unique.

All these grades I have talked about in the last month are available and do not have crazy lead times. So let me know what delicious ideas you can come up with! I am here to help with food packaging ideas.