Development of a Manufacturing Process for New Environmentally-Friendly Bread Bag Fasteners Using Alternative, Local Biomass

KLR Systems (KLR) wants to collaborate with Innofibre on a research project to develop a process for manufacturing new bread bag fasteners from fibre derived from local agricultural biomass. The company has recently developed a technology for making ties from recycled cardboard to replace plastic ties. However, recycled fibres are becoming scarce due to a number of factors, and in the short term the company could run out, as it did at the beginning of 2022 (for 3 weeks). This shortage of material led to a number of problems with its various customers (in Canada and Australia), who were forced to revert to the old fasteners, with all the inconvenience that this would entail. The resulting complaints prompted KLR to think about a new local and inexpensive source of supply.

This is why the research project aims to implement a production system using alternative sources. Pulping will focus on the twin-screw extrusion process, as the company already has this type of equipment for plastic fasteners. Fasteners will be produced using either the thermoforming process or the paperboard production process. The cost-effectiveness of the two processes will be compared, as will the quality of the fasteners produced.

This project will also be an opportunity to provide the fasteners with specific properties (water resistance) to meet the requirements of certain international markets. Thanks to the knowledge acquired from previous projects, Innofibre's team will be able to support KLR in implementing its strategic plan to develop a production chain from pulping to the production of a new product, and to train its staff in paper-making techniques. The technologies resulting from this research will be transferred to KLR for the industrial scale-up of the new fasteners. This will create new jobs and stimulate the local economy.