Tag Archives: Paper

Packaging, Packaging Film, Paper

First Modern Ag Residue Paper Plant in NA Under Construction

Making Paper out of Wheat Straw – the first modern paper mill is officially under construction in the sate of Washington to make this happen.

“On September 27 FeedStock (Chicago, Ill., USA) reported that for the past 15 years, environmental not-for-profit Canopy (Vancouver, Canada) has been advocating making paper from commercial agricultural residue a reality. Columbia Pulp, the first modern mill of its kind, is now slated to make pulp for paper and packaging out of wheat straw; it is now officially under construction in the state of Washington.

By securing the support of large consumer corporations and creating focused demand, Canopy claims it has helped position straw papers and packaging as a strong alternative to products made with virgin tree fiber. Through Canopy’s Second Harvest initiative, corporations such as Staples, EarthColor and more than 100 fashion brands have expressed clear interest in buying agricultural residue paper, packaging and/or textiles as they become available.”

Read more about it in this article from Naylor Network

Paper

Cheever Specialty Paper & Film Conversion Chart

At Cheever Specialty Paper & Film we are always looking for new ways to provide the best service to our customers.  Our services include designing, sourcing and inventorying specialty paper, film and tape for the manufacturing and packaging industries, as well working with customers to solve problems that require a custom solution.  The latest innovation we have developed to meet our customers’ needs is a dimensions and dollars conversion chart.

The Cheever dimensions and dollars conversion chart was developed to easily convert different sizes and weight of paper.  This is important as basis weight, which describes the density of a specific sheet of paper according to how many pounds one ream weights at its basic size is only used in the United States.  One ream of paper is typically about 500 sheets of paper.  Other countries around the world measure this using the metric equivalent, which is grammage weight.   Grammage weight is the weight of paper in terms if grams per square meter.  It measures the same thing as basis weight, but does not consider paper density or basic size.

Another form of paper measurement is M Weight.  This refers to weight of 1000 cut sheets of paper.  M weight is useful for paper suppliers because it is always consistent with a specific paper size, which makes calculating shipping charges easier.  Many times this information needs to be converted into different units of measurement like lbs., linear foot, linear yard, and square yardage among others.  Once this conversion is made, it is also important to know how much it will cost per this unit of measurement to order.

Our conversion chart makes easy this process for you.  With this chart no longer will you have to do all of the equations to find out the information you are looking for each time you are looking to order new products.  For more information about this chart, and how it could benefit you, please reach out to our team.

Earth Day

Earth Day and Environmentally Friendly Products

Protecting the environment of planet Earth is a job for all people across the globe no matter what country they reside in.  It is the most valuable resource mankind has, and steps can be taken by both individuals and businesses to limit the harm done to the environment on both micro and macro levels. To call attention to the potential hazards to the Earth and the environment, Earth Day is celebrated around the world each April the 22nd.

Earth Day

Earth Day is an event that started in 1970 as a way to demonstrate support for environmental protection.  The goal of the day and the events around it is to bring attention to the vital importance of protecting our planet and to bring people together while doing it.  The campaign for Earth Day 2017 is Environmental & Climate Literacy.  Because education is the foundation for progress, the best way to foster change is to teach people about the concepts of climate change and make them aware of the potential threat to our planet.  Environmental groups around the world will be hosting events to educate their community on the things they can do to limit the pollution they contribute, and the steps they can take to make a positive impact on the environment.

At Cheever Specialty Paper & Film we recognize that many of our customers would like to take steps to help the environment whenever possible.  Many times this can mean using products and materials that are environmentally friendly or green.  With our over 75 years of experience designing, and sourcing specialty paper, film and tape for the manufacturing and packaging industries, we have the experience to get you the products you need.  Our capabilities allow us to provide products like papers or tapes that are made of recyclable materials of various percentages to help you lessen your negative impact on the environment.  Our team can also work with you figure out the best materials for your projects requirements that are cost effective while still being environmentally friendly.

For more information on how we can assist you with your paper, film, and tape needs, please contact us.

Food Packaging

The Next Step in Food Packaging

Food is one of the vital requirements of the human race.  We would not be able to survive without the nourishment that is provided by food.  As technology has improved, it has become easier to ship food across long distances.  To do this successfully though, it is important that the food products are packaged correctly to prevent spoiling and ruin.

Packaging Supplies

According to a study commissioned by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations called “Global Food Losses and Food Waste” one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted around the globe.  This amounts to approximately 1.3 billion tons of food per year that is lost or wasted.  To cut back on this extremely high number of food that is not able to be consumed, new packaging and distribution methods have been explored, as the current methods contribute to increased pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Demand has been growing for food barrier-packaging solutions that are recyclable and biodegradable and would shield and protect the quality of extended shelf-life foods.  One potential solution to this problem is to use paper.  Technical advancements in ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) technologies allow the paper industry to create packaging that safeguards food quality and at the same time minimizing spoilage and waste.

EVOH is a high gas barrier thermoplastic that is used in household food packaging for products like shredded cheese and baby foods.  It contains a semi-polar, semi-crystalline molecular structure that provides an excellent barrier against gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.  The gas barrier protection it offers is between 10,000 and 25,000 times more than the low density polyethylenes found in common plastic bags.  Since it shuts out oxygen, it slows the microbial degradation of the food from the ingress of oxygen over time, and ensures flavor is maintained while protecting vitamin content.

PVOH is a synthetic resin that has been used historically to coat paper for sizing, strengthening, and as a carrier for pigments and optical brightening agents.  Similar to EVOH, it has a low permeability to oils, greases, oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, but under dry conditions surpasses EVOH’s barrier performance due to its higher polarity and crystallinity.  It is considered to be the one of the highest barrier polymers available, and will greatly improve paper-based food packaging.

The food market wants to preserve foods for longer periods of time while using packaging that will not have a negative effect on the environment.  Paper packaging meets these demands, and the inclusion of EVOH and PVOH coatings and technology can help packaging manufacturers meet their goals.  At Cheever Specialty Paper & Film we can provide you with the film or paper that will meet your packaging manufacturing needs.  Contact us to learn more about how we can help you.