Podcasts & White Papers on Barrier Papers and Sustainable Packaging
Learn more about the future of sustainable packaging. In our technical articles, podcasts, and white papers, DELSCI experts share their knowledge on functional barrier papers, recyclable packaging, the circular economy, and the transition from plastic-based to paper-based packaging solutions.
The focus is on technical and regulatory issues in packaging practice: What barrier properties are required for food packaging? When can paper replace plastic? How can packaging be designed to be recyclable? And what impact do new regulatory requirements have on the packaging industry?
Video Podcast | September 21 | 23 min. 45 sec.
Recyclable Packaging: From the Lab to the Market
Recyclable Packaging: From the Lab to the Market
How is recyclable packaging created—and what people, methods, and perspectives are needed to successfully bring innovative barrier papers to market? In this video, Patrizia Pappenreiter, Daniela Kroiss, and Johannes Zipfel provide insights into the development work at DELSCI. The focus is on agile project management, regulatory uncertainties, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the journey from a scientific idea to a market-ready packaging solution.
Key Topics:
Recyclable Packaging · Barrier Papers · Agile Project Management · PPWR · Recyclability · Packaging Innovation · Product Development · Market Launch
Here's what you'll learn in this video:
- how packaging innovations are developed,
- why scenarios and short development cycles are important in project management,
- what requirements barrier papers will have to meet in the future,
- how technical product knowledge supports a successful market entry,
- why trusting relationships with suppliers and customers are crucial,
- the role that diverse teams and different perspectives play in development.
Patrizia, Daniela, and Johannes also talk about their personal career paths—from chemistry, biotechnology, and biochemistry to building an interdisciplinary research and innovation team. The conversation covers the transition from development to sales, long-term planning in light of European packaging regulations, and the question of how scientific findings can be translated into successful products.
At DELSCI, technical expertise, agility, and collaboration come together to develop sustainable packaging solutions that not only meet today’s requirements but are also designed with tomorrow’s circular economy in mind.
An article by Patrizia Pappenreiter, Head of R&D Project Management; Daniela Kroiss, R&D Project Manager; and Johannes Zipfel, Managing Director at DELSCI
Podcast | Sept. 21, 2026 | 36 min. 40 sec.
#glaubandich Podcast - What You Don't See on the Supermarket Shelves
Paper packaging may seem simple. But a great deal of research and development goes into ensuring that it protects food from moisture and oxygen, is recyclable, and can be processed reliably.
On the #glaubandich podcast from Startrampe Sparkasse OÖ, Herwig Kirchberger of DELSCI discusses what we can’t see just by looking at packaging on a supermarket shelf—and why functional paper packaging can play an important role in the future of sustainable packaging.
We encounter paper every day—often without giving much thought to the technical requirements it must meet. Especially when it comes to food packaging, what seems like a simple material can quickly become a complex development challenge.
Modern paper-based packaging must reliably protect food products—for example, from moisture, oxygen, or other external factors. At the same time, it should be recyclable, easy to process, and provide the necessary stability and functionality for its intended use.
On the #glaubandich podcast from Startrampe Sparkasse OÖ, Herwig Kirchberger, CEO of DELSCI, offers insights into exactly this development work. He discusses why there are often many months of research and development behind the packaging on supermarket shelves—even though you can hardly tell from the finished product.
A key focus here is on functional barrier papers. They are designed to provide properties that have traditionally been achieved using plastics or composite materials. Depending on the application, this may involve, for example, keeping oxygen, moisture, water vapor, or grease away from the product while simultaneously meeting processing and recycling requirements.
This is precisely where the challenge lies: sustainable packaging must be capable of far more than meets the eye. Product protection, barrier properties, material usage, industrial processability, and recyclability must all be considered together and coordinated with one another.
During the interview, it becomes clear why the journey from an initial material concept to market-ready packaging is so complex—and why research and material development play a crucial role if paper is to replace plastic or complex composite materials in additional applications in the future.
Herwig Kirchberger not only provides insight into the current development of paper-based food packaging but also offers a glimpse into the requirements paper will need to meet in the future.
This podcast episode is aimed at anyone interested in sustainable packaging, barrier paper, food packaging, recyclability, packaging development, and innovative paper solutions—and who wants to learn just how much science goes into a product that looks so ordinary on the supermarket shelf.
Podcast | July 23 | 36 min. 5 sec.
Made in Austria - Paper Beats Plastic as a Packaging Material
How can functional paper packaging replace plastic? In this podcast episode, Herwig Kirchberger, CEO of DELSCI, discusses the potential of functional paper packaging as a sustainable and recyclable alternative to plastic and composite packaging. The discussion focuses on technical requirements, recyclability, regulatory developments, and the question of how sustainable packaging innovations can be successfully brought to market.
Key Topics:
Sustainable Packaging · Barrier Papers · Paper Instead of Plastic · Circular Economy · Recyclability · EU Packaging Regulations · Packaging Innovation
Here's what you'll learn in this episode:
- when paper can be an alternative to plastic packaging,
- what technical requirements functional paper packaging must meet,
- the importance of recyclability for sustainable packaging,
- what impact regulatory developments have on the packaging industry,
- Why Interdisciplinary Collaboration Is Crucial for Packaging Innovations.
Herwig also talks about his personal career path—from physicist to the semiconductor industry to establishing DELSCI as the delfort Group’s research and innovation center. The conversation covers a culture of innovation, entrepreneurial courage, viewing mistakes as opportunities, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in bringing sustainable solutions to market. Learn how sustainable packaging and innovative materials are transforming the packaging industry and which new approaches to thinking and development are crucial for creating sustainable packaging solutions.
An article by Herwig Kirchberger, Managing Director of DELSCI GmbH
Expert in sustainable packaging development, functional papers, and packaging innovation.
Podcast | Oct. 16, 2025 | 31 min. 58 sec.
Circular Academy - Circular Economy Experts Share Their Insider Tips
In this live-recorded podcast episode, Herwig Kirchberger of DELSCI, Nicole Seyring of circulatemore, and Dominik Bock of BB Plastpack discuss the packaging industry’s transition toward a functioning circular economy. They cover alternative packaging solutions, circular materials, regulatory requirements, and the practical implementation of sustainable packaging concepts.
Key Topics:
Circular Economy · Sustainable Packaging · Circular Materials · Recycling · Packaging Regulation · Packaging Innovation
Here's what you'll learn in this episode:
- Why the circular economy means more than just recycling,
- what opportunities and limitations circular packaging materials present,
- what regulatory requirements companies must take into account,
- the challenges that SMEs in particular face,
- Why collaboration along the value chain is crucial.
It becomes clear that the circular economy is much more than just recycling—it requires new ways of thinking, collaboration across the entire value chain, and the courage to question existing processes. Exciting insights, thought-provoking discussions, and practical ideas for companies that want to not only keep pace with the megatrend of sustainability but also actively shape it.
An article by Herwig Kirchberger, CEO of DELSCI GmbH; Nicole Seyring, environmental scientist and founder of circulatemore; and Dominik Bock, CEO of BB Plastpack e.K.
Podcast | March 5 | 37 min. 16 sec.
Inside Packaging - Flexible, Sustainable, Revolutionary?
Herwig Kirchberger, Managing Director of DELSCI, discusses the development of paper-based flexible packaging and its potential for a more sustainable packaging industry. Learn how flexible barrier papers can replace plastic packaging and about the technical, economic, and regulatory challenges involved in transitioning innovative packaging concepts to the industrial mass market.
Key Topics:
Flexible Packaging · Barrier Papers · Sustainable Packaging · Material Innovation · Recyclability · Packaging Development · Cross-Industry Innovation
Here's what you'll learn in this episode:
- which packaging applications already use paper,
- where barrier paper is currently reaching its technical limits,
- what role recyclability and regulation play,
- how innovations make their way from the lab to industrial applications.
Look forward to a practical discussion about material innovations, cross-industry innovation, and how sustainable packaging solutions can make the leap from a niche market to the mass market. An interesting episode for anyone who wants to actively shape the future of the packaging industry.
An article by Herwig Kirchberger, Managing Director of DELSCI GmbH
Expert in sustainable packaging development, functional papers, and packaging innovation.
White Paper: Agile Strategies for Sustainable Packaging Development
Agile strategies for packaging development
Developing sustainable packaging requires more than just the use of new materials. This white paper shows how agile development strategies help to align complex requirements for functionality, recyclability, and sustainability early on and efficiently manage the transition from conventional to sustainable packaging solutions.
Here's what you'll learn in the white paper:
- Why agile approaches support the development of sustainable packaging,
- how technical, environmental, and economic requirements can be taken into account at an early stage,
- what role interdisciplinary collaboration plays in the development process,
- how companies can proactively drive the transition from conventional to recyclable packaging solutions.
Author: Herwig Kirchberger, Managing Director of DELSCI
White Paper: The Need for Barrier Coatings for Sustainable Packaging
The need for barrier coatings
Functional barrier coatings are a key component of high-performance, recyclable paper packaging. This white paper outlines the requirements that modern barrier papers must meet and explains how innovative coating solutions can help replace conventional packaging materials with more sustainable, paper-based alternatives.
Here's what you'll learn in the white paper:
- what functions barrier coatings serve,
- why barrier properties are crucial for food packaging,
- how paper can become an alternative to plastic and composite packaging,
- what requirements sustainable packaging solutions must meet.
Author: Dr. Johannes Zipfel, Managing Director of DELSCI