Knüppel Receives German Packaging Award for Sustainability

Knüppel Verpackung GmbH & Co. KG has received the German Packaging Award in the Sustainability category for its proprietary development of a cushioning paper net. This packaging solution can replace foam padding in shipping or transport packaging, providing companies with an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic solutions. The award ceremony took place on September 24 at the Fachpack trade fair in Nuremberg.

(Hann. Münden/Nuremberg) “The biggest challenge for us was to develop a packaging material made of paper that offers the cushioning properties of PE foams,” describes Marcel Beyer, head of packaging development at Knüppel in Dresden, the original task. “We have met this requirement.” The cushioning material, referred to as “paper net,” has nearly the same recovery forces as PE foam. This allows for multiple impact loads. Standardized drop tests, including those according to DIN standard 22 248, can be successfully passed. This enables shippers to forgo the use of, for example, foam in their transport and shipping packaging.

The German Packaging Award is presented annually by the German Packaging Institute e. V. In 2024, there were around 250 submissions, and 41 awards were given in a total of 10 categories. The award ceremony traditionally takes place as part of the FachPack trade fair in Nuremberg.

Björn Kniza, Head of Corporate Communications (center), and Product Manager Florian Resmerowski (right) at the award ceremony in Nuremberg with the dvi Chairman Thomas Reiner (left) © dvi, Uwe Niklas

The paper net is variably adjustable in quality and strength and can be used for different component geometries and weights. For the transport of metal parts, it can optionally be equipped with corrosion-protecting properties. Depending on the application, the paper net can be reused multiple times and can be easily disposed of in paper recycling after use.

Possible areas of application include the automotive and supplier industry, mechanical engineering, and companies that ship sensitive electronic components. In addition, the paper net can be used as a surface cushioning in large load carriers as well as on pallets as a bottom or intermediate layer.

The innovative product is already patented and has also been nominated for the Innovation Award of the Göttingen region and the Climate Protection Award of Lower Saxony.

Reducing Foam Usage

“With the paper net, we contribute to reducing the proportion of foam in the area of inner packaging, thus making a contribution to more sustainable logistics,” says Managing Director Ernst Hahn, convinced of the proprietary development. Knüppel now wants to focus on further expanding this new product area, Hahn adds.

Title image © Knüppel / Image caption: The winner; the cushioning paper net