Liquid Packaging Board
Korsnäs Sack PaperA relationship based on consistent quality
Producer: Papersticks Ltd
Brand:
Material Supplier: Korsnäs AB
Grammage: Korsnäs FB Easy Repulpable
 
For more information, please contact:

Rolf Gustafsson

rolf.gustafsson@korsnas.com

Sucking on a lolly is one of life’s delights during childhood and many of us can probably remember peeling back the paper of the lolly stick and spreading the paper out. Shepperton-based Papersticks Ltd has thrived on this nostalgia by manufacturing a variety of different sized Papersticks for the confectionery and pharmaceutical industries, as well as for use as flag and balloon poles, toy car axles and candlemaking kits. Papersticks Ltd was first established over 60 years ago and was one of Korsnäs’ first UK customers when it started to sell its products into the UK market. This heritage has been an excellent foundation for the successful relationship between the companies over the years based on Korsnäs’ commitment to providing excellent quality Kraft paper.

 

Billions of sticks
Papersticks Ltd chairman Neil Moss has worked at the company for over 30 years. After originally starting his career at the company as a design engineer, he has played a pivotal role in the progression of the company and the continual enhancement of its manufacturing capabilities. This has contributed towards the company producing billions of sticks a year. Ensuring it has a good supplier base has been essential for Papersticks Ltd in its drive towards maintaining efficient productivity in a fast turnaround market. »As we have such a longstanding successful business relationship with Korsnäs, we know that we can rely on the uniformity of the quality of the reels,« Neil says. »We will continue to develop and upgrade our machinery to produce high quality products at exceptional speeds and we know that we can rely on the quality and consistency of Korsnäs products.«

 

Paper rather than plastics
The use of paper for lolly sticks has always been a popular choice but, after decades of competing alongside plastic sticks, paper is now outperforming plastics in the popularity stakes in this area because of its strength, safety qualities and sustainability. The growing trend among confectionery suppliers towards opting for paper rather than plastics also coincides with many European countries, including the UK, phasing out plastic in preference to paper sticks because of child safety issues. When the stick receives an impact it needs to bend but not snap and this requirement gives paper a clear advantage.

The good working relationship between Korsnäs and Papersticks Ltd has been particularly beneficial during the development of new product lines. Papersticks Ltd recently developed a 360 mm stick to be used as a flagpole. The stick had to match the strength of a plastic counterpart but also had the benefits of providing excellent sustainability and environmental credentials. Korsnäs supplied its Korsnäs FB Easy Repulpable product to Papersticks Ltd and provided support during the developmental stage. Neil comments on the work behind the product development:

 

»We had to trial the product before its official launch and Korsnäs helped us by adding an extra weight to the range. The difficulty in creating a stronger stick is that you are fighting the laws of physics – the heavier the paper is, the harder it is to wind tightly.«

 

Excellent printability
The pure qualities of the Korsnäs paper have also been an essential component in supplying a product that is fit for the confectionery industry, especially as the lolly stick is put in the mouths of children. For some new applications Papersticks Ltd has seen the use of paper lolly sticks being used as an alternative to wood for ice cream lolly sticks. Another growing trend has also been the use of barcodes on lolly sticks. This trend created a range of technical challenges for Papersticks Ltd to ensure that the printed information is displayed correctly. The excellent printability of the Korsnäs substrate has enabled this information to be displayed in a clear manner to ensure swift scanning in a retail environment. Neil concludes: »The paper has to be the purest of the pure to meet safety standards. The process we use to make the sticks for the UK market doesn’t use adhesives or dyes and the sticks have an excellent environmental profile. «