Carton board Triplex Gris Water-Resistant (WR) by RDM Barcelona Mill

RDM Group’s Barcelona mill has launched and is now offering a water-resistant GD2 board, Triplex Gris Water-Resistant (WR), to help packaging and brand improve performance under freezing and cooling conditions.

There’s been a significant shift across the food industry to using cartonboard for packaging for environmental reasons. However, not all cartonboard is up to the job – even when it meets the strict regulations that govern what materials can be used with food.

Chilled and frozen food will be perfectly packed and preserved with Triplex Gris WR because the box will withstand fluctuating temperatures, cooling, and refreezing conditions, especially when the goods are in transit from warehouses to retailers and after purchase reaching consumers’ homes.

Triplex Gris WR grade is the best choice for punnets, boxes, and sleeves. Nonetheless, it’s also great for non-food applications where moisture can cause damage to the packaging, for example, in the case of boxes for hygroscopic products.

Retailers and customers can be damaged by receiving deteriorated boxes due to moisture and fluctuating temperatures in transit from warehouses or supermarkets.

These problems are easily avoidable by adopting water-resistant cartonboards, yet many food producers are still not using them. Consumers increasingly see frozen food as a way to save money and prevent food waste, according to the international market research company Kantar[1], so this issue won’t disappear. 

Rather than being better for the environment, poor-quality carton board packaging can save food.

Triplex Gris WR is a sustainable solution, 100% recyclable

• Controlled water absorption of the board is needed to provide proper water resistance.
• Board stability during fluctuation of humidity and temperature.
• Packaging integrity and superior consumer experience.

Reducing water absorption

The water resistance of the cartonboard is measured on the Cobb scale. This tests the amount of water absorbed over a given time – usually 60 or 180 seconds. Rates are quoted in grams per square meter (g/m2) within the period. The lower the Cobb value, the more water-repellent the cartonboard.

We’re pleased to have started producing a water-resistant (WR) board called Triplex Gris WR (GD2) at our Barcelona mill in Spain. This has a Cobb value on the reverse side of less than 60 g/m2 over a 60-second test, compared with a standard carton board at up to 200 g/m2 over the same period.

“We’re pleased to have just started producing a water-resistant (WR) board called Triplex Gris WR (GD2) at our Barcelona mill in Spain.”

The board is made from premium fibers coming from selected paper sent for recycling. One side has a treatment that controls and reduces the amount of water absorption. This gives it a lower Cobb value and makes it significantly better at repelling the moisture caused when chilled food changes temperature. This water resistance treatment is applied at our mill upon request.

Triplex Gris WR (GD2) is fully recyclable and can be made into boxes, punnets, and sleeves. It’s also great for non-food applications where moisture can cause damage – such as boxes for dishwasher salt.

High-level water resistance

RDM Group makes two other water-resistant recycled carton board grades at its multiple European mills.

For customers needing packaging with three times greater water resistance, we make a carton board that has been hard-sized. This involves treating the fibers that make up the carton board and adding a more robust coating to the back. With a Cobb rating of 60 g/m2 over 180 seconds, it is designed for frozen food that will experience more significant temperature changes.

For maximum humidity and water protection, we also produce a plastic-coated recycled carton board that withstands direct contact with water – liquid spills included – without losing its integrity. This has a polyethylene coating on one side, kept as thin as possible to facilitate recycling.

Wider benefits

All of these water-resistant recycled cartonboards offer additional benefits. Their ability to repel water means they absorb less glue during conversion, for example, helping keep costs down. The fibers of the board bind better, forming a more closed reverse side, avoiding problems during die-cutting. Finally, packaging that doesn’t deteriorate helps maintain brand value for users.

It’s great that the packaging industry is responding to the need to be more environmentally friendly. But if that leads to more spoiled products, it replaces one waste problem with another. Companies using RDM Group’s recyclable water-resistant cartonboard are getting it right for their products and the environment.