New Release: 'Papack® Thermal Band,' a Direct Thermal Printable Paper Bundling Band
Osaka Sealing Printing introduces a plastic-film-free paper bundling band that allows for direct thermal printing and heat sealing, simultaneously achieving environmental sustainability and operational efficiency.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 28, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 13:15 (1h 43m after Collected)
Osaka Sealing Printing Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tennoji-ku, Osaka; President: Tadashi Matsuguchi), a core company of the OSP Group that provides one-stop manufacturing of seals, labels, film products, paper packaging, and sales promotion tools, will release the eco-friendly product 'Papack® Thermal Band' on May 21, 2026.
In 2023, the company launched 'Papack®,' a packaging material that is free of plastic film but features heat-sealability, and developed the 'Papack® Band.' The newly released 'Papack® Thermal Band' is a part of this series and possesses the same heat-sealing properties. The unique feature of this product within the series is its surface coating with a thermal layer, enabling direct thermal printing. It is available in two base material types: White and Light Brown 'Treeloop Thermal™'. Both are FSC® certified products made from forest-certified paper.
### Development Background
In recent years, the movement toward 'plastic film reduction' has spread as companies replace plastic film packaging with paper products to reduce environmental impact. Conventional bundling bands were either coated with a silicone layer on the front and adhesive on the back, or had a plastic film laminated on the back without a silicone front. However, there is an increasing transition toward paper products with high strength for bundling materials as part of environmental initiatives. Responding to these market trends, OSP began developing a product that allows for ribbon-less thermal printing and bundling without the use of plastic film.
### About 'Treeloop Thermal™'
While traditional thermal paper developers are typically derived from petroleum, 'Treeloop Thermal™' is an eco-friendly alternative that replaces part of these with a lignin developer derived from kraft lignin. Kraft lignin is a component found in black liquor (a dark brown waste liquid) generated during the extraction of pulp from wood. By utilizing this waste liquid as a raw material, OSP has achieved upcycling and reduced environmental impact by lowering petroleum-based developer usage. Furthermore, since this product does not use Bisphenol A (banned in many international regulations) or Bisphenol S (restricted), OSP aims to strengthen sales not only in Japan but also internationally.
### Advanced Technology to Solve Challenges
This product features two conflicting characteristics: a surface thermal layer resistant to the heat of the thermal head and a back heat-seal layer that melts at relatively low temperatures. This allows for simultaneous direct thermal printing and thermal bonding. During printing, the quality remains stable without damaging the thermal head. Additionally, roll-shaped materials often suffer from 'blocking' (sticking of front and back surfaces) during storage, and tape-shaped bundling materials often cause issues with adhesive sticking to the bundled products. This product solves these issues through an adhesive-free design and a special heat-seal layer.
### Benefits of Cost and Waste Reduction
While thermal transfer printing requires the cost of ink ribbons and disposal of used films, direct thermal printing eliminates the need for ribbons, significantly reducing costs and waste. Furthermore, eliminating ribbon changes improves operational efficiency.
### Realization of Roll-Type Products
Previous challenges included 'curling,' where materials would warp due to temperature and humidity, even without plastic film. This phenomenon made smooth processing in packaging machines difficult. This product successfully overcomes this challenge, allowing for efficient packaging processes even with roll-type materials.
### Combined Adhesion, Openability, and Cuttableness
This product offers strong adhesion that does not loosen when pulled vertically, ensuring secure bundling during transport and display. For opening, it can be easily peeled off by pulling the overlapping layer in the opposite direction. Unlike plastic films that cannot be easily torn by hand, this paper product can be torn from any point, offering great usability for various applications.
In 2023, the company launched 'Papack®,' a packaging material that is free of plastic film but features heat-sealability, and developed the 'Papack® Band.' The newly released 'Papack® Thermal Band' is a part of this series and possesses the same heat-sealing properties. The unique feature of this product within the series is its surface coating with a thermal layer, enabling direct thermal printing. It is available in two base material types: White and Light Brown 'Treeloop Thermal™'. Both are FSC® certified products made from forest-certified paper.
### Development Background
In recent years, the movement toward 'plastic film reduction' has spread as companies replace plastic film packaging with paper products to reduce environmental impact. Conventional bundling bands were either coated with a silicone layer on the front and adhesive on the back, or had a plastic film laminated on the back without a silicone front. However, there is an increasing transition toward paper products with high strength for bundling materials as part of environmental initiatives. Responding to these market trends, OSP began developing a product that allows for ribbon-less thermal printing and bundling without the use of plastic film.
### About 'Treeloop Thermal™'
While traditional thermal paper developers are typically derived from petroleum, 'Treeloop Thermal™' is an eco-friendly alternative that replaces part of these with a lignin developer derived from kraft lignin. Kraft lignin is a component found in black liquor (a dark brown waste liquid) generated during the extraction of pulp from wood. By utilizing this waste liquid as a raw material, OSP has achieved upcycling and reduced environmental impact by lowering petroleum-based developer usage. Furthermore, since this product does not use Bisphenol A (banned in many international regulations) or Bisphenol S (restricted), OSP aims to strengthen sales not only in Japan but also internationally.
### Advanced Technology to Solve Challenges
This product features two conflicting characteristics: a surface thermal layer resistant to the heat of the thermal head and a back heat-seal layer that melts at relatively low temperatures. This allows for simultaneous direct thermal printing and thermal bonding. During printing, the quality remains stable without damaging the thermal head. Additionally, roll-shaped materials often suffer from 'blocking' (sticking of front and back surfaces) during storage, and tape-shaped bundling materials often cause issues with adhesive sticking to the bundled products. This product solves these issues through an adhesive-free design and a special heat-seal layer.
### Benefits of Cost and Waste Reduction
While thermal transfer printing requires the cost of ink ribbons and disposal of used films, direct thermal printing eliminates the need for ribbons, significantly reducing costs and waste. Furthermore, eliminating ribbon changes improves operational efficiency.
### Realization of Roll-Type Products
Previous challenges included 'curling,' where materials would warp due to temperature and humidity, even without plastic film. This phenomenon made smooth processing in packaging machines difficult. This product successfully overcomes this challenge, allowing for efficient packaging processes even with roll-type materials.
### Combined Adhesion, Openability, and Cuttableness
This product offers strong adhesion that does not loosen when pulled vertically, ensuring secure bundling during transport and display. For opening, it can be easily peeled off by pulling the overlapping layer in the opposite direction. Unlike plastic films that cannot be easily torn by hand, this paper product can be torn from any point, offering great usability for various applications.