CMPC Presented Innovative Solutions for Packaging at the REP Forum 2024

During the forum, the national company was part of a panel that addressed various issues associated with sustainability in the packaging sector.

Fresh salmon packaging without expanded polystyrene and Pulp-T were some of the products presented by the company at the event. 

The second version of the REP Forum was held from October 1st to 3rd as a way to generate connections and expand networks among all the actors involved in the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsivity Law (EPR). The meeting gathered nearly 40 specialists in sustainability and circular economy.

The event’s attendees included Felipe Morales, Innovation and Project Manager of CMPC Biopackaging, who participated in the fourth panel of specialists entitled “Innovations and packaging: where are the incentives?”. There, he met with representatives from companies such as Bioelements, Tetra Pak and Fundación Chile, and discussed innovations that aim to make this sector increasingly sustainable. Various initiatives were presented. 

During his presentation, Morales addressed several macro-tendencies of the packaging sector, such as digital immediacy, priority sustainability, etc. Then, he showed different innovations developed by the company,  among them, a type of packaging for fresh salmon that replaces expanded polystyrene (EPS) with hydro-repellent corrugated cardboard, which has a smaller carbon footprint in manufacturing, optimizes warehouse space, and is repulpable and recyclable. 

Pulp-T was also presented, a product for packaging eggs manufactured with recycled cardboard pulp and tea fiber. It allows the reutilization of more than six thousand tons of raw materials a year based on vegetable fiber and won first place in the sustainability category of the Viva Chile Packaging 2024 awards. 

At the end of the forum, Felipe Morales expressed: “I think one of the main conclusions discussed is that companies are really interested in promoting responsibility for the products they generate, in finding a way to give them a second use, to extend the useful life of each of them or revalue what all of this generates so we don’t have a negative impact on the market. We were able to address concepts such as eco-design, which are a priority for all of us manufacturing products linked to packaging, and being able to keep promoting projects that do not have negative impacts or externalities for the country.” 

The second version of the REP forum featured a series of new activities for its attendees, such as the REP Talks, where companies were able to share their circular economy initiatives, and the REP OPEN DAY, a program where attendees were able to visit various waste treatment plants of the host companies. 

Different CMPC Biopackaging Solutions

CMPC Biopackaging is the company’s packaging business, and it offers sustainable solutions based on natural fibers that seek to promote, transport and protect products. They are used in sectors as diverse as gastronomy, health, construction and agriculture, among many others. 

Other developed solutions include the Zero Waste Sack, a cement sack that is directly incorporated into the mix, breaking down and leaving no waste when used. There is also the Natural Kraft cardstock that acts as a barrier for fats and was conceived as a solution for the delivery sector, as it allows transporting any food in direct contact with it thanks to its fat barrier. 

There are also initiatives developed abroad, for example, Woamy, a spin-off of Aalto University in Finland, where a bio-based foam material was developed that seeks to replace expanded polystyrene plastic, known as Styrofoam. This material is recyclable and biodegradable. 

Finally, there is Pulpex, a British company that, thanks to a round of investment in which CMPC participated, will be able to manufacture up to 12.5 million paper bottles a year in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. These bottles contain over 90% fiber from sustainable sources and are part of the first stage of the Pulpex technology commercial launch, catalyzed by the strategic alliance with the Chilean company.