Whether served in cafés, hotels, or workplace cafeterias, sugar is commonly packaged in individual sticks and sachets. Many of these formats use a plastic coating that can account for up to 25 percent of the total packaging material. Specialty paper producer delfort has developed a paper-based alternative designed to address evolving food and beverage industry trends. “We’ve designed packaging paper for sugar with future needs in mind – it consists of more than 95 percent paper. This helps reduce packaging costs,” says Markus Rothböck, head of the Packaging division at delfort.
Businesses that introduce packaging to the market already face Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) charges for managing packaging waste in several European countries. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is expected to strengthen the role of eco-modulation, making recyclability an increasingly important factor in fee calculations. Packaging that can be recycled more effectively could qualify for reduced EPR charges, while less recyclable formats may incur higher costs.
“This is exactly where our papers show their potential,” says Rothböck. “Because they consist of more than 95 percent paper, they can be recycled within established paper recycling streams according to the CEPI method.”
Replacing conventional paper-PE laminates—typically comprising 40 g/m² paper with 10 or 12 g/m² PE—with selected delfort paper grades can substantially reduce EPR expenses. In Belgium, for instance, the current fee structure of the Fost Plus packaging recovery system allows savings of up to 98 percent compared with composite packaging formats that do not satisfy CEPI recyclability criteria. The result is a direct financial benefit created by meeting a regulatory objective. Actual savings will vary according to the market, fee framework, and packaging specification.
Paper sugar sachets respond to changing packaging requirements
The PPWR will also introduce stricter requirements for certain foodservice formats. From 2030, single-use plastic packaging in restaurants and hotels will be restricted—and in some applications prohibited altogether. Paper packaging containing less than five percent plastic will remain outside the scope of these specific measures.
“Companies that make the switch today can align with upcoming requirements at an early stage and position themselves for the future with our paper solutions,” says Rothböck.
This development reflects wider food manufacturing trends, food processing technology priorities, and food and drink sustainability goals. It also illustrates how food and drink regulations are influencing material selection across the food and beverage industry. As food and drink consumer trends increasingly favor recyclable formats, paper-based packaging can support both compliance and brand positioning. In addition, food and drink packaging decisions are becoming more closely connected to food and drink marketing strategies, particularly where businesses want to communicate measurable environmental progress.
delfort sugar sticks run on existing packaging equipment
A delfort customer has evaluated the performance of thinbarrier fit and thinbarrier fit natural under standard production conditions. “The papers integrated seamlessly into our existing production environment and performed reliably on our packaging lines at the usual operating speeds, without any modifications or additional investments.”
The customer also reported that the paper materials required considerably lower sealing temperatures than conventional packaging for both sticks and sachets. This can help manufacturers adopt the format without replacing equipment or making significant process changes, supporting practical food and drink industry innovation and emerging food distribution trends.
www.delfortgroup.com