Walki®Pack
Barrier boards for circular folding carton packaging
High-performance fibre-based barrier boards for food and non-food cartons
Protect the product. Simplify packaging. Enable recycling.
Barrier boards for the folding carton industry
Barrier boards play a crucial role in modern folding carton packaging. They combine the strength and printability of fibre-based board with functional barrier properties that protect packaged products from moisture, grease, oxygen, aroma, heat or light.
Walki®Pack is Walki’s portfolio of barrier boards developed specifically for the folding carton industry, supporting converters and brand owners in designing packaging that meets both performance and sustainability requirements.
By combining carefully selected board grades with advanced coating and lamination technologies, Walki®Pack solutions deliver reliable product protection while maintaining compatibility with standard paper recycling streams.
Many structures are designed to reduce or eliminate the need for additional inner bags or plastic liners, helping optimise packaging systems and reduce overall material use.
Walki®Pack materials are also developed in line with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), helping customers prepare for future regulatory requirements. Typical applications include:
- Frozen food cartons
- Chilled and ambient food packaging
- Dry food and bakery packaging
- Confectionery packaging
- Detergent and household goods cartons
- Take-away food packaging
- Healthcare and medical packaging
Product overview
Walki®Pack barrier boards combine fibre-based boards with tailored barrier technologies to protect products and ensure reliable converting performance.
Key features include:
- Fibre-based structure with functional barrier coatings
- Excellent printability for high-quality carton graphics
- Sealability and glueability for efficient converting
- Solutions suitable for direct food contact
- Designed for recyclability in paper waste streams
- Customisable barrier properties depending on the application
Walki uses several technologies to design the optimal barrier structure:
- Extrusion coating and lamination
- Water-based lamination
- Dispersion barrier coating
- Film and foil lamination for specialised applications
This technology platform allows Walki to create tailored barrier boards for a wide range of folding carton applications.
Walki®Pack Product Range
Walki®Pack Chill
Barrier board designed for chilled food packaging, providing protection against moisture and environmental exposure.
Typical applications include fresh and refrigerated food cartons. The structure supports good printability and efficient converting performance.
Walki®Pack Frost
Developed for frozen food cartons, Walki®Pack Frost provides moisture protection and durability in freezer conditions.
The structure helps prevent edge wicking and moisture penetration, maintaining carton integrity throughout the cold chain.
Walki®Pack Frost Plus
For applications requiring higher barrier performance or enhanced heat sealing, Walki®Pack Frost Plus features a double-sided polymer coating.
This structure supports high-speed converting and reliable sealing for demanding frozen food packaging.
Walki®Pack GR
Designed for greasy or fatty food products, Walki®Pack GR provides an effective grease barrier while maintaining the strength and print quality required for folding cartons.
Typical uses include bakery products, fast food packaging and convenience food cartons.
Walki®Pack Foil
Walki®Pack Foil combines fibre board with an aluminium layer, providing excellent barrier properties for applications requiring strong protection against moisture, light and oxygen.
Typical applications include take-away food lids and specialised food packaging.
Walki®Pack Foil Plus
A high-performance version of Walki®Pack Foil offering enhanced barrier performance and insulation properties, suitable for demanding packaging applications.
Walki®Pack Soft
This laminated structure includes a soft or absorbent layer, designed for packaging applications requiring additional cushioning or absorption.
Walki®Pack Metalex
Walki®Pack Metalex features metallised film lamination, providing decorative or functional metallic surfaces for premium packaging or specialised applications.
Walki®Pack D
Developed for detergent packaging, Walki®Pack D combines mechanical strength with moisture protection. Versions with integrated tear strips are also available for convenient opening.
Walki®Pack Case
Walki®Pack Case is designed for lightweight cases, dividers and layer pads, offering mechanical protection during storage and transport.
Walki®PAck FROST TS
Barrier boards with integrated tear strip
Easy opening with reclose functionality
Walki®Pack barrier boards can be equipped with an integrated tear strip that allows the carton to open cleanly while maintaining the integrity of the barrier layer. Unlike traditional perforations that weaken the board, the tear strip is embedded directly into the packaging structure.
This enables the box to open smoothly, reduce in height and be easily reclosed, improving usability while keeping the product protected. Key benefits include:
- Clean and reliable opening
- Reduce-and-reclose functionality after opening
- Improved product protection and tamper evidence
- No cardboard residues contaminating the product
Suitable for applications such as frozen foods, cereals, pet food and other consumer goods packaging.
“The integrated tear strip allows the pack to be opened easily and reclosed again, helping consumers keep food fresh and neatly stored in the fridge.”
Stefan Erdmann
Technical Service and Development Manager
Tailored Barrier Performance
Every packaging application requires a specific combination of barrier and mechanical properties. Walki®Pack materials can therefore be customised according to:
- Barrier type (moisture, grease, aroma, oxygen)
- Barrier strength
- Printability requirements
- Sealability and converting performance
- Surface finish (gloss or matt)
- Board grade and thickness
- Reel or sheet format
This flexibility allows converters to achieve optimal packaging performance while controlling material costs, while also supporting efficient production and consistent packaging quality.
PPWR-ready and designed for circular packaging
The upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is accelerating the transition toward packaging that is recyclable, resource-efficient and compatible with circular systems.
Walki®Pack barrier boards are developed with these regulatory trends in mind. Sustainability is a central element of the material design, combining high-performance barrier functionality with solutions that support recyclability and material efficiency.
Walki focuses on developing materials that:
- Support recyclability in standard paper recycling streams
- Use fibre-based materials from renewable resources
- Deliver maximum barrier performance with minimal raw material use
- Reduce unnecessary plastic components
- Simplify packaging structures and material combinations
By replacing complex multi-material packaging structures with fibre-based barrier boards, Walki®Pack helps converters and brand owners improve packaging circularity while maintaining reliable product protection and converting performance.
This approach helps businesses prepare for future PPWR compliance while supporting the transition toward more sustainable packaging systems.
A comprehensive barrier board portfolio built on R&D expertise and deep packaging market knowledge.
Who uses Walki®Pack materials?
Walki®Pack barrier boards are used throughout the packaging value chain, supporting efficient converting processes, high-quality printing and reliable product protection.
Folding carton converters
Board producers
Food packaging manufacturers
Household and detergent packaging producers
Packaging material distributors and traders
Logistics and warehouse packaging suppliers
Comparison – Walki®Pack vs less circular barrier board solutions
| Criteria | Walki®Pack fibre-based barrier boards | Wax-coated board | Complex multilayer barrier laminates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main material structure | Fibre-based board with optimised barrier coating | Board coated with wax | Multi-layer structure |
| Circular design | Designed with high fibre content | Non-fibre coating limits circularity | Mixed materials difficult to separate |
| Recyclability | Designed for paper recycling streams | Typically not recyclable in paper streams | Recycling extremely difficult |
| Compatibility with paper mills | High compatibility when fibre content remains dominant | Wax residues can interfere with recycling | Layers are hard to separate |
| Material complexity | Optimised structure with fewer components | Single barrier but poor recycling | Multiple materials bonded together |
| Packaging optimisation | Can reduce inner bags or liners | Limited barrier options | Designed for high barrier but not circularity |
| Regulatory readiness | Developed with PPWR and recyclability targets in mind | Increasingly restricted in circular packaging systems | Likely to face regulatory pressure |
Barrier boards are cartonboard materials that include functional coatings or laminations to protect packaged products from moisture, grease, oxygen, aroma or light.
Walki®Pack barrier boards are designed for recyclability. Most solutions are compatible with standard paper recycling streams, helping enable circular packaging systems.
Barrier boards are commonly used in food packaging, frozen food cartons, bakery products, confectionery, detergent packaging and household goods cartons.
Barrier boards can provide protection against water, water vapour, grease, oxygen, aroma, heat and light, depending on the packaging requirements.
Barrier boards help reduce complex packaging structures and support recyclable packaging design, aligning with EU recyclability targets under the PPWR framework.
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