Uusi puu – The New Wood Project shows what wood can do. The project promotes wood-based innovations and provides information about them.
ZapFlap™, the new paper-based closure solution by Creamill Oy, challenges resealable plastic bags by offering a recyclable, easy-to-use and fully fossil-free option.
With the increasing use of paper and paperboard packagings, new solutions for sealing them are needed that are both user-friendly and recyclable. For long, the sealing mechanism familiar from zipper storage bags has been the only option for resealable bags. However, as a source of plastic waste this is in conflict with the goals of sustainability.
The paper-based adhesive closure by Creamill is simple yet effective. It seals the bag while retaining its shape. The closure can be easily opened and closed up to 200 times. Made of food-safe cup base paperboard, paper and adhesive, the product is fully recyclable as paperboard.
The closure makes it possible to manufacture packagings for breakfast cereals and mueslis, for example, without the need for a separate liner bag inside the paperboard box, which can significantly reduce the amount of packaging material. Thanks to the new type of closure, packagings can also be stored and displayed hanging, without risk of ripping. The closure is also handy for paperboard boxes.
The closure is available in rolls for flexible paper packaging and can be attached either at the start of the packaging machine or to the finished packaging at the end of the process. Grano Oy is responsible for the technical implementation of the closure, ensuring it can be produced and applied in packaging processes. The food-safe self-adhesive paper is delivered by UPM Adhesive Materials.
This Finnish innovation complies with the EU’s PPWR legislation and the goals of moving away from plastics. In the spring of 2025, the solution received the If Design Award, which has led to contacts to more than ten brands and independent packaging businesses around the world. The new closure has the potential to impact the entire packaging value chain, from the paper manufacturers to the end users.
Forest.fi and New Wood are initiatives of the Finnish Forest Association.