Constantia Flexibles launches paper-based butter wrap with NÖM

AUSTRIA – Constantia Flexibles has commercialised its paper-based butter packaging in Europe through a partnership with Austrian dairy producer NÖM, introducing the EcoPaperHighPlus wrap into real consumer application.

The wrap uses EcoPaperHighPlus, a paper-based material designed for recycling in the paper stream where relevant collection, sorting and recycling systems are available.

Constantia Jeanne d’Arc developed and industrialised the material with support from Constantia Flexibles’ research and development Paper Excellence Center. 

Butter packaging has historically relied on aluminium-based laminates that combine foil with paper to deliver barrier performance, structures that recyclers cannot easily separate.

Testing Confirms Shelf Life Comparable to Aluminium

EcoPaperHighPlus was developed for the barrier and handling requirements associated with butter packaging, providing aroma protection, grease resistance, freezing resistance and the deadfold performance used in butter wrapping. 

Testing on salted and unsalted butter found that the material delivered shelf-life results comparable with conventional aluminium-based reference packaging. 

This validation is significant for dairy producers, since butter is sensitive to oxygen and light exposure, and packaging that fails to match established barrier performance risks rancidity and shortened retail shelf life.

Compatible With Existing Wrapping Equipment

EcoPaperHighPlus is compatible with existing butter-wrapping equipment, allowing it to be used within established production processes. 

This compatibility removes the capital investment barrier that often prevents dairy processors from adopting alternative packaging materials, since converting to new formats typically requires modifications to wrapping machinery, changes to line speeds and requalification of sealing parameters.

Portfolio Expansion Reflects Regulatory Pressure

Its introduction with NÖM adds butter packaging to Constantia Flexibles’ paper-based packaging portfolio. 

Helene Chretien, dairy market product manager at Constantia Flexibles, said EcoPaperHighPlus combined the product protection and processing performance required for butter with a paper-based structure designed for recycling, adding that bringing the solution to market with NÖM took it from technical development into a real consumer application. 

Constantia Flexibles produces flexible packaging at 37 sites in 18 countries and employs more than 8,500 people. 

Earlier this year, the company received an A rating from CDP for its climate change disclosures, awarded after assessment under the organisation’s annual reporting process evaluating the depth and quality of environmental disclosures and management of relevant risks.

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