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How an inconspicuous type of paper replaces plastic display packaging – a technology with signal effect for the entire industry
The era of paper packaging with plastic windows is coming to an end. What long seemed like a sustainable solution turns out, on closer inspection, to be a problem: a material mix, non-recyclable, technically outdated. Now comes the alternative – of all things, from a long-familiar, hitherto underestimated material: glassine.
Glassine by Siopack® is a multi-effective barrier coating for which a patent application has been filed. In combination with conventional glassine paper, this creates a paper-based display packaging material that is highly transparent and protective and is designed for recycling in the paper stream. The coating gives the paper the necessary clarity and barrier effect – making glassine a real alternative to plastic display packaging for the first time. The technology was developed by the Saarland-based company nanopool, which has specialized in the functional refinement of surfaces for years.
A clear break with old compromises
Until now, plastic was considered without alternative when products needed to be packaged visibly and protected at the same time. Paper solutions such as glassine were considered an alternative to plastic, but technically not sufficiently transparent – and therefore unsuitable for many applications.
With Glassine by Siopack®, this changes fundamentally: the applied barrier not only gives the paper a previously unattained transparency, it also makes it barrier-capable against oxygen – and is designed for recycling in the existing paper cycle.
“We haven’t simply improved a product – we have rethought a packaging standard,” explains Saskia Lokermans-Schwindt of the SiOPack® development team.
And indeed: the technology can be applied both inline during paper production and offline via conventional flexographic printing systems – without retooling, without new supply chains, but with immediate effect.
Retail is already showing strong interest – concrete talks are currently underway with paper manufacturers, converters and OEMs to enable an industry-wide market launch.
Cross-industry applications – first pilot in food retail
The first applications show how great the potential of the technology is – especially in food retail. In a pilot project, Glassine by SiOPack® was successfully used for classic self-service bread roll bags with a viewing window. The result in this pilot project: the plastic content could be completely replaced, and no loss of freshness or product protection was observed. At the same time, the new transparency can help reduce theft in the self-service area – an often underestimated but economically relevant advantage for retailers.
Many retail chains and packaging manufacturers are currently trying to replace plastic viewing windows with pure glassine paper – out of an understandable desire for more sustainability. But the limit quickly becomes apparent: pure glassine is by far not as transparent as plastic – or as glassine with Glassine by SiOPack®. The visibility of the contents thus remains limited – and with it the function as a sales-promoting design element or control aid in retail.
The baked goods sector in particular offers massive leverage for reducing plastic packaging: in Europe alone, several billion bread roll bags with plastic windows are used every year. Switching to a paper-based solution such as Glassine by SiOPack® could replace plastic viewing windows here – depending on the complete packaging structure.
Rethinking packaging design – visibility becomes an experience
With Glassine by SiOPack®, not only does the era of the plastic window end – a new phase for packaging design across all industries begins. What used to be functionally impossible now becomes feasible: full visibility of the product on a paper-based surface, combined with protection, recyclability and industrial processing.
Whether detergent pearls, muesli, tea varieties or chocolate bars – products that were previously hidden behind elaborately printed paper or plastic windows now become directly visible. Visibility is no longer restricted by materials or material combinations – it is an integral part of the packaging itself. This not only creates trust, but also opens up completely new creative scope for brands.
In the household and cleaning products sector, Glassine by SiOPack® creates entirely new possibilities for combining functionality and design. Whether detergent pearls, tabs, strips or refill systems – products that were previously hidden in opaque paper canisters or elaborately printed paper bags can now be presented transparently and completely paper-based.
Visibility becomes an active part of the design: the fill level is recognizable, the colors of the ingredients become part of the brand world, and the packaging concept remains paper-based. Packaging thus becomes not just a carrier but a stage – with a paper-based viewing window instead of plastic.
For consumers, a new packaging experience emerges that creates order, orientation and trust. For brands, there is the opportunity to rethink entire product ranges – visible, paper-based and with recognition value.
In the pharmaceutical and health sector, too, Glassine by SiOPack® opens up new possibilities for the protective and at the same time visible packaging of sensitive products. Whether plasters, sachets or herbal medicines – until now they had to be packaged either in completely closed, printed paper packaging or in plastic solutions where visibility came at the expense of recyclability.
With Glassine by SiOPack®, the viewing window itself becomes an integral part of the paper packaging. The highly transparent barrier makes it possible to make contents visible without compromising hygiene, barrier function or recyclability.
Especially in mail order or on the pharmacy shelf, this visibility is gaining importance: consumers see at first glance what they are getting – be it the type of ingredients, the form of administration or the dosage. At a time when trust and naturalness are central purchasing criteria, the packaging thus becomes an extended space of trust for the brand.
In system catering, too, the paper-based technology from SiOPack® opens up new scope – wherever speed, clarity and hygiene matter. Portion sachets for sauces or refill systems show directly what is inside: ketchup, mayo or curry – clearly recognizable, in paper-based packaging. This reduces errors when serving, simplifies handling in day-to-day business and at the same time makes the packaging change visible to guests.
In addition, SiOPack® has already established another market-ready product with its paper-based cup barrier: a paper drinking cup that manages without a plastic coating – functionally leak-proof and designed for paper recycling. This shows that SiOPack® technology is not limited to display packaging – depending on the application, it can replace plastic systems in various packaging categories.
The packaging itself thus becomes a functional design carrier: visible, designed to support hygiene requirements, economical – and ready for high volumes in daily use.
More than just material – a lever for real change
According to nanopool’s own estimate, over 100 billion display packages containing plastic are used in Europe alone every year. By this calculation, replacing just ten percent with Glassine by SiOPack® could avoid over 150,000 tonnes of plastic per year – visible to millions of consumers, noticeable for waste disposal systems.
And best of all: the change is possible without retooling, without production downtime, without a system break. Brands and retailers that switch now benefit twice – through a visible packaging change at the point of sale and through a design feature that offers both differentiation and transparency.
Glassine by SiOPack® is not intended as a niche solution but as a possible new packaging standard. It is designed to meet the requirements of the market and legislation – and brings visibility back to where it was lost: into the packaging, onto the shelf, into the trust of consumers.
The era of plastic display packaging is ending. With Glassine by SiOPack®, a new chapter begins – visible, designed for recyclability, economical.
About nanopool / Siopack®
SiOPack® is a technology platform of nanopool GmbH, an owner-managed family company from Saarland – run in its second generation. For over two decades, nanopool has been developing functional coating solutions for industry, healthcare and packaging. The company combines technological innovative strength with the ambition to create solutions that are technically and economically viable.
The SiOPack®– barrier technology is based on an already patented matrix coating that has been used successfully in various industries for years. The further development based on it into transparent, paper-based display packaging – in particular on glassine – is the subject of a separate patent application. This means that both the technological basis is secured and the packaging innovation itself is legally protected.
For its development of plastic-free barrier solutions for paper packaging, the technology has already received several awards: the Green World Award (Gold) in 2020 and the Green Product Award in 2022. These recognitions mark important milestones on the path from laboratory development to market-ready application. Today, SiOPack® stands for a market-ready, scalable solution that is increasingly establishing itself in everyday industrial packaging – particularly as an answer to the growing demand for plastic-free alternatives.
With SiOPack®, nanopool pursues a clear goal: to rethink packaging standards – practical, partnership-based and ready for broad use in the market.
👉 More information: www.nanopool.eu/glassine_by_siopack