Thursday, January 9, 2025
Ahlstrom-Munksjö launches Health-Gard®
Ahlstrom-Munksjö chooses Edition Spéciale by LuxePack to launch its range of cosmetic packaging products made of 100% cellulosic fibers.
Capitalizing on Ahlstrom-Munksjö’s Nordic expertise in the transformation of natural fibers, the company has developed Health-Gard®; a new generation of materials that responds to the challenges of the cosmetics and healthcare packaging industry.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö is a world leader in fiber-based materials, providing innovative and sustainable solutions to its customers.
Its mission is to expand the role of fiber-based solutions for sustainable everyday living.
Its offering includes filter materials, food and beverage packaging materials, abrasive and adhesive backings, medical fiber materials, diagnostic and energy storage solutions, and more.
Its mission is to expand the role of fiber-based solutions for sustainable everyday living.
Its offering includes filter materials, food and beverage packaging materials, abrasive and adhesive backings, medical fiber materials, diagnostic and energy storage solutions, and more.
Health-Gard® products are based on the Genuine Vegetable Parchment (GVP) technology. Ahlstrom-Munksjö is one of the world’s only producers of this unique process – the only one in Europe and the Americas -, making GVP not a classic but rather a specialty paper.
In addition to its environmental advantage, i.e. made from renewable resources and being biodegradable and compostable, Health-Gard® is interesting for cosmetic and health applications due to its performance and functional properties: natural and absolute barrier to grease, wet strength, oxygen barrier or sealability.
In addition, resulting from the parchmentization process, the cellulosic fibers of Health-Gard® are bonded together, forming a barrier to potential contaminations. The cosmetic formulation is thus protected from possible chemical migrations. In addition, Health-Gard® is direct food contact certified (hot and cold).
As previously mentioned, Health-Gard® has sustainable attributes. On the one hand, its bio-sourced origin: the range is produced from wood pulp of responsible and renewable origin, certified according to Forest Stewardship Council® standards and, on the other hand, its biodegradability and compostability, certified with the OK COMPOST /OK COMPOST HOME label from TÜV Austria.
In summary, Health-Gard® is a new range of functional, plastic free materials offering a multitude of possibilities to package cosmetic products in a more sustainable way and thus presenting an excellent alternative to non-renewable and fossil-based cosmetics packaging.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö is already working with large stakeholders in the cosmetics arena (projects subject to NDA’s) on various primary packaging applications for cosmetics products, including in particular hot-filled formulations. For example, Health-Gard® recently proved its performance in “push-up” deodorant tubes as a replacement for the inner kraft-PE layer. Initially made of cardboard and kraft-PE, the use of Health-Gard® made it possible to remove this last layer of plastic allowing a push-up tube packaging 100% cellulose, recyclable, biodegradable and compostable.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö has also formed partnerships with converters and brands on new concepts offering a new user experience such as soap packaging.