Papair GmbH has expanded its production capabilities for PapairWrap, its paper-based alternative to conventional plastic bubble wrap, with the commissioning of a second production facility at its Rethem site in Lower Saxony, Germany.
The new plant has been in regular operation since early September and more than doubles the production width compared with the company’s previous pilot facility. The expansion is designed to meet growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions while improving production efficiency and cost structures.
The new facility features a production width of 800 millimetres, more than twice that of the pilot plant that began operations in 2023. Alongside the increased capacity, Papair has further developed its manufacturing technology, introducing a higher level of automation and process optimisation. According to Steven Widdel, CTO and co-founder of Papair, the new technology establishes the foundation for what the company describes as one of Europe’s most advanced production facilities for paper-based air-cushion packaging. The improvements are expected to optimise manufacturing costs and make PapairWrap accessible to a broader range of customers.
Papair’s development team has also refined the production process based on experience gained from the previous facility. The upgraded technology delivers improved embossing quality, strengthening the protective performance of the material. The enhanced production process supports a wider range of Papair products, including cushioning bags, pre-cut sheets and coated variants, providing packaging solutions for different product protection requirements.
The new plant will also serve as the technological foundation for BIOWRAP, a major European research and innovation project coordinated by Papair in partnership with 14 organisations from seven countries. The project has a total budget of approximately €19 million and is scheduled to run from June 2026 through May 2031. BIOWRAP is the first flagship project of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking to be awarded to a consortium led by a German organisation. Its objective is to support the industrial-scale development and deployment of PapairWrap as a fully paper-based alternative to plastic bubble wrap.
The additional production capacity will enable Papair to develop larger and more versatile formats for products such as PapairBags and PapairSheets. Customers will therefore have greater flexibility to select packaging formats according to their individual requirements. Papair will continue to offer coated solutions designed to provide additional functionality, including scratch protection and resistance to water or oil. These variants are being tested and developed across the company’s product portfolio.
With the additional capacity, Papair expects to serve larger industrial customers and suppliers. The company aims to support the transition towards plastic-free packaging materials while helping businesses develop more sustainable packaging supply chains. The expansion comes as demand for fibre-based and recyclable packaging alternatives continues to grow across the packaging industry.
Papair’s original Rethem facility, which entered operation in August 2023, has so far been responsible for producing customer orders. Following the commissioning of the new plant, the facility will return to its original role as a pilot production site. This will allow Papair to conduct process development, product testing and trials of new packaging solutions alongside regular commercial production at the new facility, supporting continued innovation while expanding the company’s production capabilities.
