General Plastics, the European specialists in tying ribbons for bag-closing, has just unveiled its Tiefix-2Ki paper twist-tie at the recent IPACK-IMA 2003.
The Tiefix-2Ki looks similar to the well-known plastic twist-tie ribbon, but is covered with reinforced paper instead, making it the only 100 per cent biodegradable hermetic reusable closure for food bags, the company claims.
General Plastics says that the components - paper and iron wire - degrade completely at the end of their life and go back into the natural life-cycle.
A new high-strength special paper makes it suitable for every automatic or semiautomatic tyer. The ribbon is wound in spoolless rolls, so that manufacturers only buy precious tying material and not expensive and unnecessary spools and the relative cost for disposing of. The company says that its precision-winding allows a continuous supply of ribbon with no jams.
Tiefix-2Ki is an answer to the increasing demand for natural looks and environment-friendly packaging currently in demand from European bakeries and food companies, and means that they can now line up with the long-established North-American habit of tying bags with paper twist-ties.Perhaps most importantly, General Plastic claims that the tie is much cheaper than conventional plastic-covered ties.
Based in Rome, Italy, General Plastics is a small company specialising in ties and sealing systems for the packaging and agricultural industries.