Herma unveils eco-friendly labels made from grass

Sun-dried hay is a major component of what Herma claims to be the world‘s most eco-friendly paper. Processing these fibers for paper production is very resource-friendly and generates very little CO2, compared with paper produced from fresh fiber or even recycled cellulose.

Since 2017, grass papers have been widely used for various kinds of food packaging – and have received a lot of attention from companies committed to sustainable packaging. Made from grass paper, the new label material HERMAnature fieno (grade 340) allows users to also apply special sustainability requirements to labels.

The production is based on special grass pellets developed and patented by a German company from the Rhineland. In this process, grass fibers are processed mechanically, requiring no chemicals. Compared to wood pulp processing, this results in energy savings of 97 percent and water savings of 99 percent. As the grass originates from domestic compensation areas, logistics expenses are also minimized, resulting in CO2 savings of up to 75 percent. In the finished product CO2 savings amount to a considerable sum of 20 to 25 percent.

The new label material contains 30 percent of grass and can be processed like conventional paper, offering good printability in offset and flexo printing.

‘As it is a natural product, its color can vary’, says Ulli Nägele, head of research and development at Herma. ‘But combined with the material’s somewhat rougher surface, this immediately and credibly signals to the consumer that this is sustainable packaging material.’

The grass paper contains no allergens that are subject to EU labelling requirements listed in the regulation (EU) 1169/2011, such as fish or nut products. In order to maintain this advantage, HERMAnature fieno is coupled up with the 62A adhesive which is suitable for direct contact with dry and moist and fatty foodstuffs with a correction factor of three or more according to the regulation (EU) 10/2011.