Articles
Plastic-free, fibre-designed monomaterial food packaging
arrow_backTo the overview17 March 2026 | KROONPAK
Food packaging has to do a lot at once. It needs a reliable barrier against moisture, grease and external factors, while staying strong in use. Yet many conventional solutions still rely on plastic coatings or multilayer structures, which complicate recycling and face growing regulatory pressure under EU packaging legislation.
That is why Kroonpak has developed a pilot burger box with a fibre-on-fibre approach. Using a Woodcell™ crystalline cellulose coating, it creates a paper-based, monomaterial structure that avoids conventional fossil-based plastic layers, delivers the barrier properties food service needs and supports paper recycling pathways.
An innovative, cellulose-based coating
Woodcell™ crystalline cellulose is a wood-derived barrier material developed by Fibenol. Applied as a functional coating on paperboard, it enables a monomaterial fibre-on-fibre structure. Unlike conventional polymer coatings, it integrates into the fibre matrix rather than forming a surface film. The pilot burger box concept is developed with Kroonpak as the packaging partner, with high-demand food-service use in mind.
Barrier performance
In essence, it is paper-on-paper approach, refreshingly simple in structure, yet powered by high-purity crystalline cellulose chemistry, offering the following barrier properties:
• Grease & oil resistance
• Light moisture protection
• Oxygen & air barrier
• Mineral oil barrier
This material is well suited to high-demand food-service takeaway formats and a broad range of food packaging applications.
Why this packaging matters?
It's designed for performance, circularity and compliance.
• Monomaterial
• Repulpable in existing paper recycling systems
• Plastic-free barrier coating
• Bio-based and food-contact safe
Come visit our stand to get your copy of our pilot burger boxes to test in your own operations.
Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!
This article is written by:
KROONPAK
Kroonpak is the leading Estonian packaging manufacturer, offering sustainable, food-safe, and innovative paper and carton solutions.
Our core focus lies in the food and beverage, HoReCa, and FMCG sectors. We also serve pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and other consumer goods industries across Europe.
Our product portfolio combines multiple packaging types under one roof – from cups and bowls to boxes, wrapping papers, bakery bags, and labels.
One producer. Many solutions. Less hassle.
Kroonpak Services:
Manufacturing of food-safe packaging
Product design and prototyping
Printing and
