Paper: a material whose origin supposedly dates back to the 3rd millennium BC, when it was invented in ancient China. Even the first documented record of papermaking comes from the time more than two thousand years ago. As a writing medium, it has been facilitating information exchange and the spread of ideas, cultural values, and scientific knowledge. Its enormous significance is reflected in the fact that, even after the long and tumultuous history of human development and after the rapid modernization, digitalization, and the advent of information technology and multimedia in recent decades, paper is still regarded as the best medium for capturing ideas and its world consumption grows every year.
However, another material became an icon of modern times: plastic. It accompanies our daily lives and is present in the vast majority of objects we come into contact with every day. It is undeniable that plastic products make many of our everyday activities significantly easier. But the comfort comes at a price: the almost unlimited durability of plastics, combined with the lack of an ultimate solution to the problem of plastic waste management, severely affect the environment as plastics ends up in landfills, or worse, the oceans.
Neither the possible health risks of using plastics as food packaging should be entirely neglected. Environmental scientist warn that, although the amounts of toxic chemicals, such as formaldehyde, bisphenol or phthalates, that leach from plastic packaging into food are usually tiny, little is known about the impact of a long-time exposure to these substances. These concerns are reflected in the growing legislative requirements and the European Union’s interest in further research and monitoring of food packaging safety. It is also the reason many food packagers start to switch to natural materials such as paper.
We feel a common responsibility to protect the environment and we respond to the world''s environmental problems in our long-term strategy. We recognize the need for a gradual replacement of composite packaging materials with recyclable, easily degradable, sustainable alternatives. In this regard, paper is an ideal candidate.
At KRPA PAPER, we achieve excellent results when replacing composites by paper with a functional coating on its surface. We have created a unique wrapping paper with functional properties comparable to papers coated with a PE film. Our environmentally friendly substitutes are fully biodegradable and recyclable. Our products’ safety for direct contact with packaged food is confirmed by ISEGA according to BfR and FDA standards.
Our long-term environmental vision is to contribute, where possible, to the gradual substitution of plastic packaging with paper and thereby assist in reducing the environmental load of packaging on our planet.
KRPA PAPER, a.s.
Nádražní 266
543 71 HOSTINNÉ
Czech Republic