At Paperex 2022, Michelman promoted paper packaging solutions – developed using its coatings for barrier properties – for the eCommerce industry’s secondary packaging applications. Michelman is leveraging its packaging incubator in Mumbai to bring innovations by applying barrier properties on paper to replace plastic used in various applications.
“Today, eCommerce companies in India dispatch approximately 70% of their products in plastic bags while the remaining in corrugated boxes. While corrugated boxes are slightly cost-prohibitive, eCommerce companies prefer plastic bags since the average value order in India is significantly lower compared to western countries. Instead of plastic bags, they can now use our barrier-coated 100% recyclable bags,” said Shailesh Nema, vice president and managing director of Michelman.
“This product is doing remarkably well in the market. We do our best to serve our customers. Innovations are also coming in from Michelman with the global supply chain challenges,” said Andrew Michelman, executive vice president of Michelman. “This is high time for us to innovate because the industry is battling compliance for plastic waste management regulation.”
Michelman added, “The supply chain problem will continue while the demand remains high. To overcome this problem, in addition to streamlining our processes to keep supplies coming in from our suppliers, we are also encouraging our customers to try our alternative products. We are providing them with more product options. The more options our customers have, the more ability we will have to keep them supplying – we are leveraging our R&D resources to design alternative solutions. We are regularly moving our customers from product A to B or C. Also, in the pricing perspective, this strategy is helping our customers and us alike.”
Adding positive recycling value to packaging
“Today, the biggest problem is that 90% of post-consumer waste being collected is not recyclable, ending up in landfills. At Michelman, our responsibility is to add positive recycling value to packaging so that they go to recyclers instead of landfills. A bundle of paper has a high recycling value and gets collected by recyclers in no time. That is how we should be able to convert other packaging structures. Michelman is working in that direction to add recyclable value to the structure using our barrier coating solutions. We aim to convert multi-layer structures into mono-layer or mono-family structures, and wherever possible, accommodate paper structure to make everything recyclable,” Nema said.
Michelman added, “We keep adding to our capability consistently. We neither decrease our investment during bad times nor do we pull back during the recession. Our R&D is focused on innovating a sustainable future. So all our new investments are directed towards sustainability – and we will continue to do that globally and in India too.”
Michelman, HP collaboration
The digital printing industry has benefited from Michelman’s collaborative innovation with HP Indigo for nearly 20 years. Michelman works directly with HP Indigo to offer the only HP-certified press primers for paper and film media to produce the best possible output. Its DigiPrime primers, certified for HP Indigo presses, optimize a wide range of substrates with solutions for printers, converters, and paper mills.
“We work in parallel with them – we both are developing the respective next-generation products that will help us succeed further. I think it is a wonderful partnership. I hope to see our Indian customers leverage this partnership even more as digital print grows in the country,” said Michelman.
Speaking about the Indian market, Michelman added, “We have had great success in Asia over the past many decades. We have invested heavily in Asia to reach here and will continue to do so in the future – the market is here and is growing. Also, the demand for the products and services we are offering is here. We are very much committed to India.”