Sylvicta

Sylvicta overlay paper / Source: Arjowiggins

AfricaAsiaBeautyCompostableEuropeFood & BeverageFood GradeNorth AmericaOceaniaOdour ResistantOil ResistantOxygen Barrier PackagingPaperRecyclableSouth AmericaSylvicta

WHAT WE SAY:

Translucent plastic film is a surprisingly tricky substance to recreate with natural materials, unless you add suspect chemicals. This is why Arjowiggin’s achievement with Sylvicta is all the more impressive.

A translucent barrier paper made entirely out of wood fibre, with no chemical treatment, it is aroma, oxygen and grease-resistant, and ideal for packaging both food and cosmetics. Its ability to decompose without releasing any harmful chemicals ticks another box. It is not quite as transparent as its plastic alternative - which could create a barrier to entry with consumers - but clear and consistent communication about the benefits it brings, will help steer people towards this circular, toxic-free solution.

Sylvicta

WHAT IS SYLVICTA?

Sylvicta is a translucent barrier Paper made from 100% wood fibres. It can be used to protect food as effectively as plastic film and package a range of cosmetics, without leaving harmful particles behind at the end of its life. The paper is available in weights as low as 42gsm up to 180gsm and can be delivered in reels or sheets.
The company has achieved the translucency of the paper thanks to a process called microfibrillation, whereby fibres are cut into smaller and smaller strands until they become see-through. The best part about the process is that no additional chemicals are added to develop the film, ensuring recyclability in the paper waste stream.
The film can be used across purposes in food and cosmetic packaging, including, and not limited to, overlays, windows, wrapping, laminating, stand-up pouches, sealed bags, labels and sachets. When metallised it can be used for butter and margarine packaging.
The material competes well with its plastic alternative and is aroma, oxygen and grease resistant. It acts as a barrier to fatty foodstuffs and mineral oils.
The material can be run through conventional converting lines - meaning no machinery investment is needed. It can be foil-stamped, glued, embossed, printed in offset, gravure, and flexography, metallised, or coated with heat or cold sealable materials. It can also be die-cut. In 2021, Arjowiggins’ managing director, Christophe Jordan, told
Packaging Gateway that it is collaborating with businesses in Europe to add high moisture and UV barriers to the paper.
Sylvicta can be recycled in the paper waste stream – big tick. It is certified for both home and industrial composting through the OK compost mark by the TÜV institute. This means it is certified to compost in a home compost environment in under a year and guarantees that Sylvicta will completely biodegrade in the soil without adversely affecting the environment. In addition, it complies with the Marine Aerobic Disintegration Test indicating that it will disintegrate in sea water – albeit sea water temperatures and biospheres vary hugely across the globe.
Sylvicta is said to be cost-competitive, with the company stating that it has worked with both luxury and high volume brands. It is being used across varied products, including frozen and snack foods, and the company claims that brands are using multiple layers of the paper to mimic plastic, while remaining cost-effective.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Compostable
Food Grade
Odour Resistant
Oil Resistant
Oxygen Barrier
Recyclable

INDUSTRY:

Beauty
Food & Beverage
Packaging

AVAILABILITY:

Mass Market

DIVE DEEPER:

The global plastic film packaging market is expected to reach a value of USD 5.7 billion by 2023, registering a CAGR of 6.2% between 2020 and 2023. Flexible plastic film - used to package everything from dried food to fresh vegetables - is incredibly difficult to recycle, with most kerbside facilities not accepting it, sending it to landfill or incineration instead.
The transparency of this flexible material is one of its key attributes, as consumers have become accustomed to seeing their food before they buy it. Traditionally, paper has not been transparent and despite its higher recyclability rate - European paper recycling rates stood at 73.9% in 2020 - this design feature has made it unsuitable as a flexibles replacement.
Sylvicta’s use of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) means there is now a flexible, transparent material on the market that comes from a renewable source rather than fossil-fuels. Arjowiggins’ pulp is sourced from FSC and PEFC-certified forests.
And the material goes one step further by helping to reduce food waste too. Arjowiggins claims Sylvicta keeps products fresh for longer than plastic. Its oxygen barrier is 2000 times higher than BOPP and PP, and 100 times higher than PET, according to the company. The material also scores highly for grease resistance according to The Kit Test measures.
These credentials mean Sylvicta is now being used to replace plastic salad bags, a tricky thing to do. Keeping salad fresh requires a modified atmosphere packaging, consisting of a lower level of oxygen and more carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Sylvicta can create this environment.
Available worldwide, Sylvicta’s carbon footprint is further reduced by a collaboration with World Land Trust, whereby Arjowiggins offsets every tonne of CO2 produced in the making and mill transportation of the paper.

Sylvicta dry fruits pouches / Source: Arjowiggins

Sylvicta sandwich window / Source: Arjowiggins

KEY FACTS:

$5.7bn

The global plastic film packaging market is expected to reach a value of USD 5.7 billion by 2023.

2000x

Sylvicta's oxygen barrier is 2000 times higher than BOPP and PP, and 100 times higher than PET.

73.9%

European paper recycling rates stood at 73.9% in 2020.

Key Questions to Ask:

Do you need water-tight properties?

Sylvicta is not currently suitable for housing liquids and is better suited to dry goods, and whole fruits and vegetables. However, Arjowiggins is working to develop a water resistant coating and we will be the first to inform you when this materialises.

Do you want to push Sylvicta’s properties even further?

Arjowiggins is continually adapting and improving its offerings. Those using Sylvicta can work with the brand to add light protection, wet-strength, more transparency and even an enhanced moisture barrier to the paper, without compromising performance or environmental commitments. Ensure these modifications do not impact the 100% bio-based nature of the paper or reduce its recyclability, however.

Could you do without it altogether?

Consumers only seem keen to see certain foods on offer, but not all. Freezer food, for example, mainly comes in opaque packs, while everything from alternative milks to chocolate, crisps and tinned goods are not visible either. This may have something to do with perceived freshness, but is it possible to move consumers away from the need for transparency altogether? Barilla pasta, for example, used to have a plastic window, which it has recently replaced with an accurate image of the product inside. With slow but sure replacements across different product categories, consumers will become comfortable with the idea of not seeing their food before purchase. In fact, let us be honest, sometimes a photo will look much more appetising.