JASA’s Bag-2-Paper Is a New Sustainable Packaging Solution

JASA has recently unveiled a new sustainable packaging solution called Bag-2-Paper, which can be used to pack unprocessed potatoes, but also onions, garlic and more. Unlike traditional paper packaging that always had a plastic coating on the inside, the new option will remove the plastic component.

JASA’s alternative is 100% sustainable for recycling and can be recycled along with other papers. Bag-2-Paper is a new technology for the vertical packaging machine that makes it possible to close paper bags without sealing. There’s no heat used to close the package, and because of that the Bag-2-Paper machines are also very energy-efficient.

“Since traditional paper packaging and plastic packages are closed through sealing, we always think in terms of sealing our packaging. However, paper isolates, so it requires a lot of energy in the form of heat to seal that type of coating and more energy to cool it down again” explained Hendrik van den Berg, R&D director at JASA. “Paper itself is a porous material, which means, air runs through it. Some packaging solutions can handle a little bit of moist, but not too much. However, with our current concept, we can look for biodegradable coatings that make it possible to create paper packages that take wet produce or seal airtight,” van den Berg went on.

Before deciding on the current solution to close the Bag-2-Paper packages, JASA explored several ideas. “We thought about hot-melt. But that too needs to be heated and then cooled down again. Also, it is difficult to use and comply with food safety regulations. We compared all the different methods of closing until we settled on the one, we’re using now,” van de Berg said.

The new form of packaging uses food-safe adhesive to close the packages of high speed. The label is attached on the holes before it’s folded and closed around the filling tube. A closing mechanism presses the paper and label together before it’s cut off.