ITP – Industria Termoplastica Pavese (“ITP”) announces its technological contribution to the solution developed by Graphic Packaging International (Graphic Packaging), which has won a WorldStar Global Packaging Award 2026 — one of the most prestigious global recognitions in the packaging industry.

The awarded solution is PaperSeal® Shape, a paperboard tray for fresh and chilled food, designed to significantly reduce plastic usage while maintaining high technical and food preservation performance.

This achievement is part of a broader innovation journey for ITP, already recognized at an international level: in 2025, the company received a WorldStar award for its FreezyPeel solution, confirming its commitment to developing sustainable high-performance materials.

PaperSeal® Shape: Reduced-Plastic Paperboard Packaging for Food

PaperSeal Shape integrates a functional liner into a paperboard structure, resulting in a sustainable food packaging solution capable of:

reducing plastic content by up to 72–82% compared to traditional alternatives
ensuring protection against oxygen, moisture, and grease
maintaining a shelf life comparable to fully plastic packaging
remaining compatible with existing packaging lines

Graphic Packaging PaperSeal winning Worldstar Awards 2026 with PaperG liner by ITP

ITP’s Contribution: PaperG Coextruded Film for Paper-Based Packaging

Within this system, ITP contributed with PaperG, a self-adhesive coextruded film specifically developed for application onto paper and paperboard substrates, without the use of adhesives or solvents.

Based on a PE/EVOH structure, PaperG offers:

different levels of gas barrier performance
full compliance with food contact requirements
strong mechanical strength and thermal stability

Versatile Applications in Food Packaging

PaperG stands out for its application versatility, making it suitable for:

sealing with lids for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
skin packaging solutions
microwave-ready applications

The material also ensures excellent thermoformability, enabling its use across a wide range of food packaging formats.

Designed for Separation and Recycling

A key feature of PaperG is its designed-for-separation approach at end of life. Thanks to engineered adhesion levels:

the film remains firmly bonded during use
under specific conditions, it can be separated from the paperboard substrate after disposal. This supports proper waste sorting and recycling processes.

Driving Innovation Across the Packaging Value Chain

The WorldStar recognition achieved by Graphic Packaging highlights the valueof innovation across the entire packaging value chain, where advanced materials and structural design combine to deliver lower-impact packaging solutions.

Held by the World Packaging Organisation, the WorldStar Global Packaging Awards are recognized as a global benchmark for excellence in packaging, with 234 projects from 36 countries awarded in the 2026 scheme.