Packraft: Edging up with green packaging
Packraft Containers is quite optimistic about sustainability in packaging. “The choice is clear. We are going green,” says, marketing director, Vikram Vashishta.
18 Feb 2014 | 5556 Views | By Rushikesh Aravkar
Based in Ballabgarh town of Faridabad, Packraft Containers has established itself as an innovative packaging solution provider rather than being just a packaging material supplier.
Its portfolio of Safepack products delivers innovative and eco-friendly solutions with a combination of three elements: corrugation, angle boards and honeycomb.
What is honeycomb core?
The possibilities with honeycomb are endless. During PrintWeek India team’s visit to Packraft, Vashishta explains, “The honeycomb boards are so versatile that they can be used to develop almost any kind of imaginable application for packaging that requires protection against shock and safety of people handling it. It can be used to safely transport delicate products like bone-china, home appliances, and vehicles among others.”
Similar to a corrugated board with a fluting medium sandwiched between two liners, a honeycomb board is a sandwich structure with core at the centre of two liners. The internal core has hexagonal structure, which imparts strength to the board.
It uses 140 to 180gsm recycled paper with standard cell sizes of 6mm, 8mm, 12mm and 14mm sizes. Vashishta adds, “Smaller the cell size higher the load bearing strength, while bigger the cell size better is the cushioning strength.”
The combination of honeycomb and paper angle board is used to produce pallets, skids, shelves, racks, edge protectors and cushioning among others. These products boast of lighter weight, lower cost, and eco-friendliness. “We have installed honeycomb racks for retail stores and clients such as Bharti Walmart and Vishal Mart,” says Vashishta.
According to Vashishta, the specialised packaging solutions that are used for load bearing and cushioning applications can reduce the use of wood up to 90% in most of the cases and EPS (Thermocol) can be replaced completely.
Green pallets: The way to go
Vashishta informs, “Except for plastic feet pallets, all the pallets are 100% recyclable. The advantage is that these pallets do not require any fumigation and wood-moth treatment as in case of wooden skids.”
Demystifying the eco-friendly character of these pallets, Vashishta says, “Every five paper pallets can save one tree. We at Packraft manufacture more than 300 pallets per day. That is substantial contribution towards sustainability.”
With this Vashishta raises a valid point when he says that the government does not encourage this concept of saving trees. He explains, “The excise duty on corrugated carton is 6% while that for paper angle board and honeycomb is 12% as opposed to zero duty for wooden pallets. We have been writing to the government against these unjust norms but there has been no response so far.”
A corrugated journey
Established in 1996, as a packaging unit catering entirely to Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices with mono cartons and shipping cartons, Packraft formed a private limited company in 2000.
In 2002, it introduced paper angle boards, which form internal and external cushioning agents and edge protectors. Later in 2008, Packraft introduced the concept of honeycomb in India. With the vision and mission of going green, Packraft treads the way of sustainability. Vashishta proudly says, “It is always refreshing to look through one’s window and see green.”