The paper for the cartonboard is sourced from Forest Stewardship Council certified wood and API Group has developed a biodegradable laminate finish which results in a completely compostable final product.
The UK-based company released the biodegradable laminate product, PortaBio, last year, and is now exploring how to add finishes to the board that will attract the eye of the consumer.
Holding the consumer’s eye for a few seconds more is not insignificant.
Customers that focus on a product for more than 3 seconds are 63 per cent more likely to buy, said API Laminates managing director Andrew Stevenson (quoting Instore Research performed in 2006), when he presented the new products at packaging show PCD Congress.
In addition, he said, a customer that picks up a product in a store is 96 per cent more likely to purchase.
Biopolymer film
PortaBio is composed of cartonboard material, laminated with a biopolymer film which is fully compostable and recyclable, explained API Laminates product development manager David Williamson.
“Traditional metallic laminates usually employ the use of an oil-based plastic film which does not degrade as readily,” he told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com.
The laminate is a cellulosic biopolymer film which biodegrades when consumed by microbes, Williamson added.
“Holographic effects are achieved by embossing a pattern into a proprietary thin, thermoplastic coating which has been applied to a carrier film,” explained Williamson, adding that no inks or printing is involved in the effect.
HoloGreen, which combines the PortaBio material as a base with a holographic finish should be available to customers late 2010.
‘Lens’ effect
The company has also developed a ‘lens’ effect using the holograph finish which should also be available with the eco PortaBio material at the end of the year.
A holographic finishing in circle shapes placed in various locations on the image gives the impression of three dimensional domes that can be looked through to see the image below.