For a long time, we asked paper to perform three functions.
Contain.
Protect.
Communicate.
Once this task was completed, its journey could continue through recycling or end with disposal.
Today, however, materials are beginning to take on new functions.
They no longer have to focus solely on reducing their impact.
They can be designed to continue generating value even after use.
It is through this transition that paper stops being merely a substrate and becomes a bioactive material for packaging.
A material capable of accompanying a product, being printed and converted and, once its first function has ended, entering into a new relationship with the earth.
But what does this mean in practical terms for those who have to design, print and convert it?
Paper has always been a medium.
A substrate on which to print a message.
A surface capable of carrying information, protecting a product or shaping its presentation.
Its function has traditionally been linked to the period in which the packaging is used.
Once the box was opened, the hangtag removed or the card taken out, the material had completed the task for which it had been designed.
A bioactive material introduces a different possibility.
It does not perform only a passive function.
It contains a living element and is designed to begin a new phase after use.
In the case of Carta Piantami®, this new phase begins with the seeds incorporated into the material.
The paper communicates, protects or accompanies the product.
It can then return to the earth and generate new life.
Paper containing seeds is often associated with invitations, small cards, promotional items or artisanal production.
These applications have played an important role in making the concept of plantable paper more widely known.
However, a material intended for packaging must meet different requirements.
It must ensure production continuity.
It must be available in suitable quantities.
It must maintain consistency, stability and convertibility.
It must be capable of being printed, converted and integrated into the production processes of printers and packaging converters.
The presence of seeds alone does not therefore make a paper suitable for packaging.
The relationship between the cellulose component, seeds, grammage, surface, stability and technical performance must be carefully designed.
This is where the transition from paper containing seeds to a patented bioactive material takes place.
It is not enough for the substrate to germinate.
It must also perform its first function effectively.
Defining a material as “bioactive” cannot depend solely on the visible presence of seeds or on its ability to germinate under controlled conditions.
When a substrate is designed to return to the earth, the compatibility of its composition with the soil must also be verified.
Carta Piantami® has undergone laboratory testing based on the parameters established by Italian Legislative Decree 152/2006, with positive results.
The analyses verified compliance with the applicable reference values, confirming that the material can also be planted in agricultural soils.
This step is essential.
A material designed to return to the earth must do more than contain viable seeds.
Through specific analyses, it must be able to demonstrate that its composition is compatible with the soil in which it will be planted.
Bioactivity is therefore not merely a narrative promise.
It is a function supported by laboratory testing.
In addition, Carta Piantami® is FSC® certified, confirming the use of fibres from responsibly managed sources and a controlled supply chain.
For printers and packaging converters, this is especially important because it allows the material to be used in projects where fibre origin, traceability and environmental requirements must be clearly documented.
Bioactivity does not replace other sustainability criteria.
It complements them.
Piantami® combines viable seeds, the ability to return to the earth and a cellulose-based raw material sourced from certified origins.
Packaging is not selected solely for what it represents.
It is also selected for what it can do.
It must accept print correctly.
It must run properly through the machine.
It must be capable of being cut, creased, die-cut or converted.
It must maintain a level of quality consistent with the product it accompanies.
For this reason, bioactivity cannot be separated from technical performance.
Carta Piantami® has been tested using different printing technologies, including:
It can also be processed through cutting, die-cutting, creasing, adhesive coating and different types of finishing, to be evaluated according to the characteristics of the specific project.
Its surface retains a natural, tactile character.
A quality that should not be concealed, but can become part of the visual and sensory language of the packaging.
For printers, working with a bioactive material first means moving beyond the idea that it is simply a promotional substrate.
The material must be treated with the same level of care as a speciality paper.
It is necessary to assess:
There is no universal setting suitable for every machine and every project.
An initial test therefore becomes a natural part of the process.
