tissueWave
Country: Germany
Category: Packaging Materials and Components
Shock-sensitive products are often packed in shipping packaging consisting of a paper-based cover with a glued insert made of plastic-based foam padding or bubble foam. According to a study by the German Consumer Initiative, packaging made of several materials is hardly ever separated by consumers.*
The vision to replace the foam with a 100 % fibre-based alternative emerged from the standard market solution. Two years of development have resulted in tissueWave. The primary material for tissueWave is a soft, mouldable cellulose. The embossed cellulose is formed into a corrugated shape, fixed and finally glued into the envelope. The innovative construction, which resembles corrugated cardboard, can be used as cushioning padding protection for sensitive products of all kinds. The entire packaging can withstand multiple loads and can simply be disposed of in the paper bin after use, without additional separation of the materials.
tissueWave, the sustainable application for foam!
*https://verbraucher.org/media/file/2911.8_Studie_Verpackung_01_22.pdf
Category: SPECIAL AWARD - Sustainability
Special Award: Silver Award
tissueWave is completely made of a fibre-based material. Fibre-based products are sustainable, as they are made from sustainably sourced, renewable und recyclable raw materials, and have a high end-of-life recycling rate.
Due to simple disposal without separation of the materials, tissueWave offers an advantage for society. In addition, since it is fully plastic-free, it is more environmentally friendly.
Based on a previous plastic based foam package with the dimensions 190 x 250 mm, the plastic part weighs 37 g. With an annual quantity of 100,000 packages sold, 3.7 tonnes of plastic are thus completely saved and 100 % replaced by cellulose.
According to the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control, the carbon footprint to produce polyurethane foam is 5.05 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per produced tonne material = 5050 kg/t while the carbon footprint for cardboard only amounts to 0.62 tCO2-equiv/t = 620 kg/t.* According to these facts, it means that the energy consumption of the inlay was reduced by 88 %.
*eew_infoblatt_co2_faktoren_2023.pdf (bafa.de)
Since the inlay naturally recovers itself, the packaging can withstand multiple loads which means it can be reused several times.
The packaging can be disposed in the paper bin without additional separation of the materials thanks to being a mono material packaging. In Europe, 82 % of all fibre-based packaging is recycled, which is the highest rate of any packaging material, making it a leader in circular economy! The value chain recycles as much in volume as all other packaging materials combined. Paper fibres from packaging were used 6.3 times on average in 2018. Several scientific studies show that paper fibres used in carton and cardboard packaging can be recycled 25 times or more while maintaining the quality of the packaging produced. This means packaging can be used, recycled and used again, all without losing its properties during the process.*
*FCP_Info_v5 (fibre-packaging.eu)