The printing company du Large, located in Bourcefranc-le-Chapus near the island of Oléron (Charente-Maritime), has launched a waterproof cardboard that can replace plastic for certain uses, reveals France Info.
Made from recycled cardboard, the product is covered with a varnished protection that makes it perfectly waterproof. As shown in the France Info report, it is even possible to pour water into it without it leaking.
This cardboard, which meets food standards, can be used for many purposes, including the packaging of oysters, a particularly developed sector in the region. According to the news site, the printer could devote up to a quarter of its production to this new cardboard in the future.
The urgency to find alternatives to plastic
A recent study published in the journal Nature Sustainability , reveals that just 10 plastic products account for 75% of all waste in the oceans. Of these, single-use bags, plastic bottles, food containers and cutlery, and food packaging account for nearly half of all human-made waste.
The development of paperboard solutions with barrier properties is therefore an important development issue for the paper and cardboard industry. According to the Society for Packaging Research Corrugated cardboard could replace 21% of plastic packaging in the short term with solutions that exist or can be developed within 3 to 5 years.
Among the different innovations Chromatogenics (a technology developed to make paper and cardboard hydrophobic) could open up great possibilities for the use of paper and cardboard in areas previously reserved for other materials such as plastics.
