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Material/Equipment Combo Allows for Tray Bundling with Paper

WestRock and Atlantic Packaging collaborate to develop Canopy, a new system that provides a curbside-recyclable replacement for PE film for tray bundling.

Canopy Wrap is made from Atlantic’s FibreShield extensive kraft paper, which provides containment with flexibility to withstand supply chain rigors.
Canopy Wrap is made from Atlantic’s FibreShield extensive kraft paper, which provides containment with flexibility to withstand supply chain rigors.

WestRock, in collaboration with Atlantic Packaging, has introduced a new machinery and materials solution—Canopy Equipment and Canopy Wrap—for tray bundling that eliminates polyethylene in favor of an extensible, curbside-recyclable paper material.

According to John Perkins, vice president of Packaging Machinery & Automation for WestRock, several years ago, longtime WestRock partner Atlantic suggested they work together on developing a replacement for shrink film. “In this particular case, we worked with them across the entire solution,” he says.

Canopy Wrap is made from Atlantic’s FibreShield extensive kraft paper, which provides containment with flexibility to withstand supply chain rigors. As Perkins explains, the stretchiness of the paper is built into the material during the manufacturing process. “It’s got some give to it, versus a normal wrap like a grocery sack, where the moment you start to tear it, it starts to fail.” Demonstrating the sturdiness of the paper, at PACK EXPO Las Vegas, Perkins held a standard, 24-ct multipack of bottled water by the paper wrap with one hand, without any tearing of the bundle.

According to WestRock, Canopy Wrap has passed rigorous ISTA 3 testing, is coated for moisture and abrasion, and provides a printable surface. As for recyclability, it notes that up to 77% of the fiber in the wrap is recoverable, based on industry-standard pulping processes.

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