Ahlstrom’s Cristal® Transparent Packaging papers achieve SAFER™ Designation, helping brands demonstrate human and environmental safety

AHLSTROM OYJ PRESS RELEASE MARCH 29, 2023 at 9:00 AM EET 

In the movement to create more eco-friendly packaging, brand owners are seeking additional assurances their suppliers are providing safe and sustainable solutions that meet both packaging and consumer demands. To exceed these expectations, Ahlstrom is pleased to announce Cristal® Transparent Packaging Papers have met ChemFORWARD’s rigorous evaluation of human and environmental criteria for safer alternatives through the organization’s SAFER™ program.

Cristal® transparent papers are ideal alternatives to non-renewable materials, from replacing a plastic or film in a package to creating a fully fiber-based end-use structure.

“The use of transparent paper in packaging enables the food and ecommerce industries to effectively convey a value of trust in customers’ minds,” explained Guillaume Latourrette, Global Vice President of Food Packaging for Ahlstrom. “The strong sustainable attributes Cristal® already addressed as a natural, compostable, and recyclable packaging solution are now amplified by achieving SAFER™ status.”

To be designated as SAFER™, all chemicals intentionally added and present at or above 100 ppm have been disclosed and assessed by a qualified toxicology firm against ChemFORWARD’s comprehensive hazard methodology. The purpose of the program is to ensure human and environmental safety, to build trust throughout the supply chain with third-party verified transparency, and to help suppliers demonstrate leadership in chemical management.

Cristal® - Designed for Recyclability

This innovative technology has continued to evolve, and Cristal® products, including both transparent papers and PurposeSeal™ heat seal packaging products, are certified recyclable passing the
Western Michigan University SBS Equivalency (WMU SBS-E) testing protocol and have received 3rd party certification from Centre technique du papier certifying Cristal’s heat-seal coating is recyclable to the European Union’s EN13430 standards.

“Recyclable packaging for the ecommerce and industrial packaging industries is absolutely necessary in order to create less waste-to-landfill and reduce our impact to the planet,” said Eva Thunholm, Vice President of Ahlstrom’s Protective Materials business. “Achieving recyclability and compostability certification, in addition to this endorsement from ChemFORWARD’s SAFER™ program, offers our customers and the marketplace yet another fiber-based solution to reduce traditional non-renewable substrates in packaging engineering.”

Cristal® products offer replacement solutions for window packaging, sachets, bags, and more when a brand owner or packaging designer wishes to have their products in full view.

For further information, please contact:

Addie Teeters, Head of Marketing Communications & Public Affairs, addie.teeters@ahlstrom.com tel. +1-920-766-8304

To learn more about Cristal® products: https://www.ahlstrom.com/products/technologies/transparent-technology/

To learn more about how Cristal® products support Ahlstrom’s from Plastic to Purpose campaign: https://www.ahlstrom.com/campaigns/from-Plastic-to-Purpose/

To learn more about ChemFORWARD’s SAFER program, contact info@chemforward.org or visit www.chemforward.org.

Ahlstrom in brief 
Ahlstrom is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. Our vision is to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. We serve five growing and distinctive end markets, which form the basis for our five divisions: Filtration, Food & Consumer Packaging, Healthcare, Building Materials, and Technical Materials. Our pro forma net sales 2021 for continuing operations amounted to EUR 2.6 billion and we employ some 7,000 people. Read more at www.ahlstrom.com