BIOWRAP Scales Up Paper-Based Bubble Wrap For Industrial Packaging
A European consortium has launched BIOWRAP, a five-year project designed to bring fully paper-based bubble wrap to industrial-scale production. The initiative focuses on PapairWrap, a recyclable packaging material intended to replace conventional plastic cushioning in applications such as e-commerce, logistics and product packaging.
A Fibre-Based Alternative To Plastic
The EU produces more than 16 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste each year. However, recyclers process only around 40% of this waste.
BIOWRAP aims to offer packaging designers and manufacturers a practical alternative. PapairWrap consists entirely of paper and offers the cushioning effect of plastic bubble wrap. After use, consumers can place the material in the wastepaper bin. The project partners aim to recover at least 90% of the material through paper recycling.
In addition, the team wants to cut carbon emissions by 25–50% per square metre compared with plastic bubble wrap. The project also supports the goals of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. From 2030, this regulation requires all packaging on the European market to be recyclable.
Combining Material And Manufacturing Innovation
At the heart of BIOWRAP is a new production plant in Lower Saxony, Germany. The facility will test the technology in a full industrial setting.
The production line will measure 1,200 millimetres in width. Moreover, it will produce up to 100 metres of packaging material per minute. The process combines nanocellulose compounds, accurate embossing and biobased coatings. Digital systems will manage the whole production line.
The partners will record the plant’s technical design, costs and environmental impact. As a result, other companies can use this data to build similar factories across Europe. This approach could support a local supply chain for paper-based protective packaging.
European Collaboration And Measurable Targets
Led by Hanover-based Papair GmbH, which developed and patented the underlying technology, the consortium comprises 14 industrial and research partners from Germany, Portugal, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark and Poland. Participants include paper manufacturers, engineering companies, coating specialists, producers of plant-based paper alternatives, research institutes and universities.
BIOWRAP has a total budget of approximately €19 million and is co-funded through Horizon Europe by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking. By 2031, the partners aim to enable the replacement of more than 100 million square metres of plastic bubble wrap within five years after the project ends, save approximately 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents annually and achieve at least 70% consumer acceptance in European trials.
Source: Papair / BIOWRAP
Photo: Papair