New study: Paper sacks outperform woven polypropylene (WPP) sacks in efficiency and dust emission

A new comparative study commissioned by CEPI Eurokraft highlights the clear advantages of paper sacks over woven polypropylene (WPP) sacks for cement and building materials. Focusing on filling speed, product loss, and dust emissions, the results reveal that paper sacks consistently deliver superior performance.

Paper sacks fill 21 percent faster than WPP sacks under identical conditions, reducing production time and operational costs. Their natural porosity eliminates the need for costly air extraction systems and enables faster, simpler machinery setup and maintenance.

When it comes to product loss, WPP sacks shed four times more cement during handling and transport simulations. The leakage, often across the entire sack surface, leads to increased cleaning, equipment wear, and safety risks. On an industrial scale, switching to paper sacks could prevent 128 tonnes of cement loss per million tonnes packed.

Potential to half the fossil-based CO2 emissions

Dust emissions are also significantly lower with paper. Tests showed that WPP sacks emit three times more PM10 and twice as much PM2.5 compared to paper sacks. These fine particles, linked to serious respiratory and psychological health risks, highlight the importance of choosing packaging that protects workers’ wellbeing.

The result of this specific study, is that the carbon footprint of paper sacks, calculated based on primary data from European kraft paper producers, is only half of the carbon footprint of a WPP sack calculated based on literature data – even when factoring in the longer transport routes for the paper alternative. The main difference in the study comes from the energy-intensive production of polypropylene that is found in literature versus the actual paper sack manufacturing process.

In sum, paper sacks provide measurable benefits in efficiency, product integrity, and worker health, making them the smarter choice for the construction industry.

Read the full study from CEPI Eurokraft

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