What is Kraft Paper and Why Is It A Popular Packaging Choice?

Kraft paper originated from Germany as kraft papier (Kraft means "strength" in German), which is a packaging paper made from kraft coniferous wood pulp as raw material. It is mostly yellow brown or khaki in color, and can also be bleached into light brown, cream, or white. The core characteristics of kraft paper are strong toughness, high burst resistance, excellent tear resistance and dynamic strength. Kraft paper is widely used in various aspects of your life, such as brown paper bags, gift boxes, paper soup cups, paper soup containers, and many other packaging applications.

 Natural Brown Kraft Paper

It retains the original color of wood pulp and comes in two shades: light yellow and dark brown. It is widely used in the market, suitable for food packaging containers such as brown ice cream cups, paper coffee cups, kraft paper bowls, kraft paper bags, etc. It comes with your own environmentally friendly brand style and enhances the brand level.

 White Kraft Paper

Made from bleached wood pulp, this product is white on both sides, has a smooth surface, and produces excellent print colors. It's highly versatile, providing a one-stop solution for various packaging needs, including high-end shopping bags, gift boxes, ice cream cups, paper soup bowls, cone water cup, ice cream cone wrapper and more. You no longer need to purchase multiple types of paper separately, simplifying supplier relationships and reducing management costs.

 PE/PLA Coated Kraft Paper

The surface is covered with a thin film, which is PE or PLA material, to ensure waterproof, oil-proof and leak-proof functions. Making it ideal for use in french fries box, cake box, cups and bowls, hamburger wrapping paper, and takeout packaging bags.It is a necessity for the entire catering industry, with a very wide customer base and stable demand,resulting in low inventory pressure for you.

 

There are also Recycled kraft paper, which is used in express packaging carton box, corrugated box, non-food grade paper boxes, industrial packaging boxes. These products are not for food direct contact. So they are made of recycled paper.

The core process of kraft paper is the sulfate pulping method invented by German chemist Karl Dahl in 1879.The entire process consists of five steps.

Raw Material Preparation

The main raw material is coniferous wood (pine and spruce), which has long fibers that significantly improve paper strength. The logs are first processed to remove bark and impurities, and then made into uniform wood chips to ensure stability in the subsequent pulping process and produce high-quality pulp.

Kraft Pulping Technology

Put the wood chips into a steamer, add a white solution composed of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, and steam under high temperature and pressure. This process can dissolve lignin and hemicellulose, which can better preserve fiber length and strength compared to other methods.

Washing And Screening

The pulp needs to be washed multiple times to remove residual liquid and impurities. Screen and remove wood chips to ensure pulp uniformity.According to your intended use, you can also choose whether to bleach or not.

Pulp Refining and Additive Preparation

Mechanically pulping the pulp and adding additives such as fillers and sizing agents in proportion to enhance fiber interlacing force and strength.

Paper Formation Process

Mix the pulp with a large amount of clean water and transport it to the paper machine mesh, where the moisture is initially filtered out and the fibers are interwoven into a wet paper web. Wet paper enters the pressing system for further dehydration, and then evaporates the remaining moisture through multiple drying systems to shape the paper. Finally, it is rolled by a calender machine to improve smoothness and printability.

The reason why kraft paper has become a popular packaging material cannot be separated from its own characteristic advantages, while also fitting the current trend of green packaging.

 Good Performance

It is highly durable and not easily damaged or cracked. Even if it is bumped or squeezed during transportation, it can protect the contents well. Some kraft paper can also be waterproofed by adding a coating.This material effectively reduces breakage rates and minimizes your after-sales costs.

 Environmental Friendly

The kraft paper can be 100% recycled and reused, and it can naturally degrade without coating. Meeting the environmental standards of various countries,offering a clear advantage in compliance and attracting customers with a preference for green packaging.

 Cost-effective

Kraft paper production technology is mature, and compared with specialty packaging paper, plastic packaging and other materials, the supply of raw materials is sufficient, and the overall bulk purchase cost is low, which helps to reduce your packaging costs.

 Natural Appearance

Kraft paper itself has a natural texture, simple and high-end. The original color also conveys environmental value, which is very suitable for enhancing your brand image.

 Kraft Paper vs Other Packaging Materials

Features	Kraft Paper	Plastic	Non-woven Fabric
Strength	High	Depends on Weigh	Medium
Biodegradable	Yes	No	Partial
Recyclable	Yes	Limited	Limited
Printability	Excellent	Good	Medium
Food safety	Yes	Limited	No

Q1:What is the common basis weight (gsm) range for kraft paper?

Usually ranging from 60gsm to 320gsm.60gsm-100gsm is food packaging paper, such as bread paper bags and packing paper. 100gsm-150gsm is mostly used as paper bags with handles or gift bags. 240gsm-320gsm has high hardness and is used for packaging cartons and hard cardboard boxes.

Q2:Which is better, brown kraft paper or white kraft paper?

Both have the same performance; the only difference lies in printing effect. Brown cowhide is better suited for single and dark inks (black, dark brown,red,dark green) for color rendering. White kraft does not absorb ink, resulting in high ink color reproduction, allowing for clear rendering of full-color printing and intricate patterns, making it the first choice for complex designs.

Q3:Will kraft paper release harmful substances at high temperature?

Food grade kraft paper that meets national standards can stably withstand short-term high temperature contact at 120 ℃, and will not release harmful substances during normal use. However, there are risks associated with ordinary industrial kraft paper, recycled pulp paper, or when exceeding the temperature resistance limit.

 

Q4:Can kraft paper be used for microwave food packaging?

Ordinary uncoated food grade kraft paper can be microwave heated for a short period of time; PE coated kraft paper is normally prohibited from entering the microwave oven, it is OK for heating the food within 3 mins under 800W. Becuase the PE plastic film will soften, melt, and release harmful substances when exposed to high microwave temperatures for over 3 mins, and is also prone to causing safety hazards when in microwave too long.

 

Q5:Is kraft paper oil-proof and waterproof?

Ordinary uncoated kraft paper can directly penetrate oil and water, causing the paper to become soft, damaged, and leave marks; Only coated kraft paper bags can achieve waterproof and oil resistant effects, while also being resistant to low temperature freezing,suitable for general takeaway food.