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Molded pulp moves into new markets

The use of molded pulp as a dunnage or commodity material in packaging goes back to World War I. But only in the past few years have packaged goods manufacturers begun to design molded pulp to meet specific applications.

Two diverse applications were featured at the 4th Intl. Molded Pulp Packaging Seminar in Chicago in November, presented by the Intl. Molded Pulp Environmental Packaging Assn. (Mequon, WI).

Paul Pierson, senior packaging engineer for Durham, NC-based Organon Teknika, reported on a molded pulp tray (shown) that last year replaced a multimaterial tray containing 25 glass vials of BacT/ALERT®, a medical diagnostic reagent sold to hospitals and clinics for the detection of bacteria in fluids and tissue samples. The package won a Molded Pulp Award from the Institute of Packaging Professionals’ AmeriStar Package Awards competition.

Pierson says the tray “provides cushioning for fragile glass vials that contain medical reagents for worldwide distribution. The tray is also used as a storage and transport carrier for vials in hospitals and clinics. Molded pulp is not frequently used for packaging in the medical diagnosic industry, so this application helps introduce the technology to a new market.”

Using molded pulp also provides economic advantages for the company. “The new molded pulp tray will save an estimated $170ꯠ per year in materials,” Pierson says, compared with the previous package that combined E-flute corrugated, shrink wrap and honeycomb pads.

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