WE ARE upPAK. A SWISS BASED CONSORTIUM COMMITTED TO A COMMON GOAL: TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT CHITOSAN BASED PACKAGING SOLUTIONS FOR FOOD PRODUCTS.
HELLO
upPak was established in Switzerland by Fabian Weinlaender with the support of the Coop Sustainability Fund. By bringing together key players, that represent critical steps along the supply chain, upPak forms a consortium aligned both in business and vision.
OUR MEMBERS ARE EXCEPTIONAL
01
CREATING THE
CONSORTIUM (completed)
The first step of this project was to find the right companies that will make up the consortium. That meaning, companies that are necessary to develop, produce and launch the innovation of chitosan coatings for paper based food packaging. Relentless research, networking and cold calls led to a unique group of companies that in part had no previous business together, were located in different countries but had the means to develop this innovation and in parallel build a realistic and lasting business relationship.
02
DEFINING OUR
GOAL (completed)
Rather than innovating out endlessly into the world (as there are a myriad of applications chitosan can be used for), a specific target had to be set for the consortium. Or rather a specific product. Packaging isn't just packaging. It is, unbeknownst to the public eye, a highly complex product, layered with many different materials that have various functions. Depending on the product it protects, it can stop water, air, fats and even smell from escaping or entering. Each of these properties has different specifications and levels of complexity.
We aimed to find an existing product on the Swiss market that had wide application, simple format and needed the following barrier properties: humidity barrier, compostable and sealable.
03
PROTOTYPING (completed)
With Chitinor and the department of material sciences at ZHAW, our technical know-how about chitosan, its range of functionalities, and the development of coatings for Roll-to-Roll machinery in the packaging industry is second to none. In accordance with the necessary standards both ACTEGA and HALBA provide, we will showcase technical feasibility of chitosan coating by the end of 2025.
04
PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT (in progress)
With feasibility is proven on lab scale, we intend to further develop and produce our coatings in industry standard processes develop more complex functionalities throughout 2026
05
MARKET
LAUNCH (pending)
The last step will be to implement the process for the entire product line and launch the product by 2027 in retail outlets across Switzerland.
OUR STRATEGY
HOW IT WORKS !
CHITIN
We start by saving an abundant side-stream (shrimp shells) from being disposed of in landfills.
COATINGS
Chitosan has many fascinating properties, one of which is being a bio-polymer. This means we have the chance to create fully degradable, petro-chemical free plastic alternatives from a by-product.
PAPER PACKAGING
By applying our coating to paper based packaging, we provide a micro-plastic free solution that fulfills the neccesary industry safety standards.
CIRCULAR
Our unique coating is designed to seamlsessy integrate with recycling and composting processes.