{"id":115759,"date":"2026-05-07T22:49:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T20:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/?p=115759"},"modified":"2026-05-07T22:49:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T20:49:15","slug":"when-sustainability-becomes-a-process-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wenn-nachhaltigkeit-zur-prozessfrage-wird\/","title":{"rendered":"When sustainability becomes a process question"},"content":{"rendered":"

The transition to sustainable packaging materials presents new technical challenges for the industry. Particularly in processing, limitations of established methods are becoming apparent, necessitating adjustments in production. Technologies such as ultrasonic sealing are therefore gaining increasing importance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The packaging industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. New regulatory requirements, increasing demands for recyclability, and growing environmental awareness are leading companies to increasingly focus on sustainable materials. These include, in particular, mono-materials, paper-based packaging, and bio-based plastics. Technology providers such as Herrmann Ultraschall are also working on solutions for processing this new generation of materials. While these approaches offer advantages from an ecological perspective, technical limitations are increasingly becoming apparent in their industrial implementation.<\/p>\n

A key problem lies in the altered material properties. Many of the new solutions are more sensitive to thermal stress than conventional composite materials. For example, while mono-materials are highly recyclable, they often have narrower processing windows. Paper-based packaging, in turn, loses functional properties that were previously crucial for stability and impermeability due to reduced plastic content. At the same time, classic barriers like aluminium are omitted, which places additional demands on processing.<\/p>

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The following are demonstrated in quality assurance<\/h2>\n

These developments have a direct impact on established production processes. In particular, thermal joining technologies such as heat sealing are reaching their limits with sensitive materials. The necessary external heat input can lead to deformations, optical impairments, or insufficiently sealed seams. Consequently, the challenge is increasingly shifting from material development to process implementation.<\/p>\n

In practice, the consequences are primarily evident in quality assurance. Leaky packaging is one of the most common causes of rejects. Investigations indicate that even minor contamination in the sealing area can significantly reduce seam strength. In individual cases, the loss of strength can be considerable. This leads to increased reject rates, additional costs, and, in the case of food products, also to avoidable product losses.<\/p>