MM Board & Paper has expanded its machine-glazed kraft paper portfolio with MM Polar Plus, a new bleached virgin-fibre paper developed for carrier bags, fast-food packaging and other food-contact applications.

The new kraft paper is available in 40, 45 and 50 g/m² grammages and is manufactured at the company’s integrated pulp and paper site in Kwidzyn, Poland.

MM Board & Paper says the development responds to growing demand for packaging papers that combine print and converting performance with fibre-based material options.

Three New Grammages Added to Kraft Paper Portfolio

MM Polar Plus extends the company’s existing machine-glazed kraft paper range with three lightweight grades.

The paper is produced using elementary chlorine-free (ECF) bleached virgin fibres and has been developed to provide consistent formation and a smooth surface.

These characteristics are particularly relevant to packaging applications requiring printing, coating or varnishing.

Uniform formation can help provide consistent converting performance, while surface quality influences print reproduction and the application of functional coatings.

For packaging producers, these properties are important when the same paper needs to provide both the structural base of the package and a printable surface for branding or product information.

Designed for Food and Non-Food Packaging

MM Board & Paper identifies several potential applications for the new grade, including:

• Carrier and shopping bags
• Fast-food packaging
• Food-contact materials
• Printed packaging
• Coated and varnished papers
• Selected non-food packaging applications

The lightweight grammage range gives converters options for applications where reducing material consumption is important while maintaining the required paper performance.

For food applications, the substrate can also serve as a base for additional functional layers where the finished package requires properties beyond those provided by the paper itself.

Surface Designed to Support Barrier Coatings

One notable feature of MM Polar Plus is its suitability as a base for PE coating.

MM Board & Paper says the uniform paper surface supports coating applications where additional resistance to grease, moisture or oxygen is required.

These barrier properties can be important in foodservice and other packaging formats where uncoated paper alone cannot provide sufficient protection.

The distinction between the paper substrate and the finished barrier structure is important: MM Polar Plus provides the fibre-based base material, while additional coatings can be applied according to the performance requirements of the final package.

For converters, coating compatibility can broaden the number of applications that can be produced from a single paper grade.

Printability Targets Branded Packaging

Packaging paper increasingly serves both a functional and communication role.

MM Board & Paper says MM Polar Plus provides consistent whiteness and surface properties designed to support repeatable print results across different packaging formats.

This is particularly relevant for carrier bags and foodservice packaging, where the paper surface may carry logos, product information and other graphics.

Consistent substrate properties can also be important when converters need to reproduce the same branding across multiple production runs or package dimensions.

Production Integrated with Pulp Manufacturing in Poland

MM Polar Plus is produced at the MM Board & Paper mill in Kwidzyn, which combines paper and board manufacturing with an integrated pulp mill.

The site operates three paper and board machines.

According to the company, producing tailored pulp at the same location provides control over the fibre furnish used for its paper products and supports consistent product quality.

The Kwidzyn operation also holds quality and environmental management certifications, including systems covering responsible forest sourcing, supply-chain traceability and ISO 9001 quality management.

Fibre-Based Packaging Continues to Expand into New Applications

The introduction of MM Polar Plus reflects continuing development in lightweight papers for packaging applications traditionally served by a combination of paper and plastic materials.

For paper producers, simply offering a fibre substrate is increasingly insufficient. Converters also require predictable printing, coating, sealing and downstream processing characteristics.

Food packaging adds another layer of complexity because grease, moisture and oxygen barriers may be required depending on the packaged product.

Markus Nöcker, VP Sales UFP and PKP at MM Board & Paper, said the new grade was developed to address increasing requirements around sustainability and compliance while maintaining performance and cost efficiency.

Industry Outlook

Demand for lightweight kraft and specialty packaging papers is encouraging mills to develop grades for an increasingly diverse range of converting processes.

MM Polar Plus positions MM Board & Paper in applications ranging from carrier bags to coated food packaging, with the 40, 45 and 50 g/m² range giving converters several options depending on the finished package.

For the wider paper packaging market, the development also illustrates an important trend: replacing or reducing conventional packaging materials increasingly depends on engineering the paper substrate to work effectively with printing, coatings and other converting processes.

As barrier requirements become more demanding, the interaction between fibre, surface properties and functional coatings will remain an important area of development for kraft and specialty packaging papers.

Last Updated on 12/08/2026 by Jota Machinery