Toilet paper manufacturer: from 35 to 28 µm with 35-55% PCR

A toilet paper and towel manufacturer wanted to reduce the plastic footprint of its packaging and introduce a high share of recycled content without losing runnability on the packing line. A new multi-layer formulation made it possible to go from 35-40 µm to 28 µm with 35% PCR in the standard line and up to 55% PCR in the premium variant, with runnability maintained.

01 Customer

A hygiene products manufacturer in Central Europe: toilet paper and towels. It previously packed using a classic, homogeneous technology optimised for easy opening.

02 Challenge

The goal: a smaller plastic footprint without losing runnability on the packing line and without logistics risk, plus a high recycled content.

The difficulty is that high PCR and thin film impair exactly the parameter that is critical in this application: tear resistance when the pack is carried.

03 Solution

• New construction: a new multi-layer formulation with enhanced mechanical properties instead of the homogeneous technology.
• Downgauging: from 35-40 µm to 28 µm.
• Recycled content: 35% PCR in the standard line and up to 55% PCR in the premium variant, introduced together with the downgauging.
• Printing: integration with NEX PRINT, flexo CI in up to 10 colours, for two of the customer’s product lines.

04 Results

Before and after

Film thickness	35-40 µm → 28 µm
Construction	homogeneous → multi-layer with enhanced mechanical properties
PCR content	35% as standard, up to 55% in the premium variant
Packing line runnability	maintained
Printing	up to 10 colours on both product lines

05 What this means for you

55% recycled content in 28 µm films is a level that most of the market does not reach even with thicker constructions. If you have a PCR target written into a contract with a retail chain, this is a benchmark.