Selecting a packaging concept for baked products is a task with an extensive checklist. Functionality, safety and design are only the tip of the iceberg. Although not immediately visible to consumers, packaging choices are important. Adding sustainability to the list of criteria makes the challenge even more complex.
The biggest sustainability improvements in packaging solutions greatly vary from one market to another, especially when it comes to labels and closures. They can include solutions that reduce material use, smart labeling, materials that are compatible with the recycling practices available, or reusable closures, to name just a few examples.
Kwik Lok works extensively on R&D in sustainable solutions for packaging closures and labels. The Enviro-Lok, for instance, one of the newest developments in this regard, reflects this priority in its characteristics and its name. The company takes a systematic approach to designing science-based sustainable solutions. Research at Kwik Lok starts with evaluating the environmental impact of packaging solutions through life cycle analysis (LCA) screening. “These assessments consistently show that material selection offers the greatest potential for sustainability improvements,” Viktoria Pakhnyuk, Sustainable Product Development Manager, points out. As a result, Kwik Lok focuses on expanding material options within its product portfolio to look into developments that help customers meet their sustainability goals, on any market.
What makes bag closures sustainable?
Kwik Lok analyzes sustainability throughout the lifetime of its bag closures, the company explains: “When considering raw material sourcing, Kwik Lok incorporates recycled content or bio-based materials where accessible.” As new materials are developed and validated, the company looks into local supply availabilities, too, for each manufacturing plant to limit transport (while preserving quality consistency).
”Assessments consistently show that
material selection offers the greatest potential for sustainability improvements.”
Viktoria Pakhnyuk, Sustainable Product Development Manager, Kwik Lok
“Kwik Lok also considers the packaging’s end-of-life fate like recyclability or compostability and pursues materials that have the potential for these more sustainable disposal options,” Pakhnyuk underlines.
The regulatory landscape is also a determining factor for packaging material choices. Because priorities vary from one geography to another, Kwik Lok offers products that can meet different sustainability goals, whether regulations measure packaging composition, weight, or other metrics. With different variables, the goal stays the same: to limit environmental impact. Beyond regulation requirements, Kwik Lok is taking its own bigger sustainability steps voluntarily to offer packaging choices in the supply chain. Retailers with ambitious sustainability targets, for example, are looking at such solutions with great interest, Kwik Lok observes.
This is how the latest bag closures, the Enviro-Lok and
Fibre-Lok concepts, were developed, with sustainability in mind. Their design prioritized multiple aspects:
+ Enviro-Lok, Kwik Lok’s first plastic closure free of polystyrene, is made from polypropylene with 34% less plastic, reducing reliance on petroleum-based materials. Over its lifetime, the Enviro-Lok has achieved a 67% reduction in water usage and 44% lower emissions, compared to traditional closures.
Additionally, it can be paired with a polypropylene label through a patented adhesive-free welding process, enhancing recyclability.
+ Fibre-Lok offers an alternative made from bio-based materials. Certain Fibre-Lok options feature 100% postconsumer recycled fiber or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for responsible forestry practices. Some variants are even certified for home composting, providing an alternative to landfill disposal.
Mindful of different understandings and priorities surrounding sustainability in each market, Kwik Lok offers the Enviro-Lok and several Fibre-Lok options worldwide, in addition to its traditional polystyrene bag closure. “No single product will meet all possible sustainability requirements, rather the trade-offs of each option must be evaluated according to established priorities. For example, the durability of plastic compared to fiber makes it a better choice under wet conditions. Customers must also consider how Kwik Lok’s product complements the composition of their entire package, like flexible film bags, to meet recommended packaging design criteria,” explains Viktoria Pakhnyuk.
Sustainability and efficiency combined
Beyond sustainability factors such as water usage and carbon emissions, considerations including cost, efficiency, and durability are equally important. “Each material has unique properties that present both benefits and challenges at various stages, from manufacturing and transportation to disposal. As sustainability remains a dynamic and evolving field, packaging trends can shift rapidly with new insights,” the Viktoria Pakhnyuk emphasizes.
Kwik Lok’s R&D working agenda prioritizes changing market demands and sustainability goals. Beyond material innovation, Kwik Lok ensures that all new closures are compatible with existing bag-closing machines, extending equipment longevity and minimizing waste.
