PPWR and Pallet Packaging: Why InnoVent^® Is the Smarter Alternative to Corner Boards and Strapping

For companies shipping fresh produce, flowers, food products and other goods that require airflow, the challenge is clear: reduce packaging waste, simplify material use and improve recyclability, without compromising pallet stability, cooling performance or product protection.

Traditional pallet-packaging systems often rely on several separate components, including corner boards, straps, buckles and additional wrapping materials. This creates a packaging system that is heavier, more complex to apply, harder to store and more difficult to separate after use.

Designed as a high-performance replacement for corner boards and strapping in suitable pallet applications, InnoVent combines ventilation, load containment, material efficiency and recyclability in one advanced pallet-wrapping solution.

PPWR is the European Union’s new regulatory framework for packaging and packaging waste.

It places greater emphasis on:

• Packaging minimisation
• Recyclability
• Reduction of unnecessary packaging
• Increased use of recycled materials
• Reuse where technically and economically suitable
• Clearer environmental documentation
• Greater producer responsibility

Transport packaging is included within the scope of the Regulation. This means pallet wrapping, straps, corner boards and other materials used to secure goods during transport will increasingly be examined as part of the complete packaging system.

The key question is no longer only:

How can we use less film?

The more relevant question is:

How can we reduce the total amount of packaging used on every pallet while maintaining the performance needed throughout the supply chain?

Corner boards and strapping have traditionally been used to stabilise pallet loads, especially in the fresh-produce industry.

However, this system often requires several different packaging components:

• Four corner boards
• Multiple plastic straps
• Buckles or connectors
• Additional film or netting
• Manual labour during application
• Separate storage space
• Separate waste handling after delivery

This multi-component approach increases packaging complexity.

It may also create practical challenges, including:

• Higher material use
• More packaging waste
• Greater storage requirements
• Higher transportation volume
• More manual handling
• Additional procurement complexity
• More difficult waste separation
• Increased packaging cost per pallet

PPWR encourages businesses to examine whether all these components are necessary or whether the same essential packaging functions can be achieved using a simpler solution.

Yes, in suitable applications, InnoVent is designed to replace traditional corner boards and strapping with one primary ventilating pallet-wrap solution.

InnoVent is not simply another type of pallet wrap.

Its patented structure is designed to provide the two functions that matter most for ventilated pallet loads:

• High-performance load containment
• Near 100% ventilation

This allows companies to replace several separate packaging components with one efficient solution.

The result is a simpler pallet-packaging system with:

• Fewer materials
• Less handling
• Less storage
• Less packaging waste
• Easier application
• Easier waste separation
• Lower total packaging cost

For customers currently using corner boards and bands, InnoVent represents a clear opportunity to simplify the pallet while maintaining the ventilation and stability required by the load.

According to Tama’s Life Cycle Assessment, InnoVent has approximately 88% lower carbon footprint compared with a traditional corner-board and strapping system.

This reduction is mainly driven by the fact that InnoVent uses significantly less material and replaces several packaging components with one lightweight solution.

The environmental benefit is not limited to the amount of packaging used on each pallet.

It also includes potential savings related to:

• Raw-material production
• Packaging manufacturing
• Transportation of packaging materials
• Warehouse storage
• Handling
• Waste generation
• End-of-life management

Traditional corner boards take up considerable space during storage and transportation. By comparison, InnoVent rolls are compact.

One truckload of InnoVent rolls can wrap approximately the same number of pallet loads as 20 truckloads of corner boards.

This creates a significant reduction in:

• Delivery movements
• Fuel consumption
• Warehouse space
• Handling requirements
• Associated transport emissions

Is InnoVent 100% recyclable?

InnoVent is a 100% PE-based pallet-wrap solution and is designed to be fully recyclable within suitable polyethylene recycling streams.

This is an important advantage compared with multi-material packaging systems.

A corner-board and strapping system may require the user to separate:

• Paper or cardboard
• Plastic straps
• Metal or plastic buckles
• Film
• Labels and other accessories

InnoVent helps simplify the end-of-life process by providing one main PE-based material.

This can support:

• Easier sorting
• Fewer waste streams
• More efficient collection
• Reduced contamination between materials
• Simpler recycling guidance for customers

Actual recycling depends on the local collection and recycling infrastructure, but the mono-material PE design gives InnoVent a strong advantage in recyclability and packaging simplification.

InnoVent can reduce packaging waste by more than 90% compared with traditional corner-board and strapping systems, depending on the customer’s existing configuration.

Instead of using several heavy and bulky components on every pallet, InnoVent uses a highly efficient ventilating wrap engineered to provide containment using minimal material.

This directly supports PPWR objectives related to packaging minimisation.

A proper comparison should measure the total weight of:

• Corner boards
• Straps
• Buckles
• Additional wrapping
• InnoVent used per pallet

The most relevant KPI is total packaging weight per secured pallet, not simply the weight of one individual component.

Yes.

InnoVent can reduce breathable pallet-wrapping costs by up to 30% compared with corner boards and strapping, depending on the application and local costs.

The savings can come from several areas:

• Lower material cost
• Fewer packaging components
• Faster application
• Reduced labour
• Lower storage requirements
• Lower inbound transportation cost
• Reduced waste handling
• More consistent packaging performance

This means the commercial value of InnoVent should not be measured only by comparing the price of the wrap with the price of one packaging component.

The correct calculation is the total cost of the full packaging process.

Companies should compare:

• Total material cost per pallet
• Labour time
• Storage cost
• Transportation cost
• Waste-disposal cost
• Rewrapping cost
• Product-damage cost
• Cost of rejected loads

When all these factors are included, InnoVent can deliver a lower total cost per securely wrapped pallet.

Ventilation is essential for fresh produce, flowers and other temperature-sensitive goods.

Insufficient airflow can affect:

• Cooling speed
• Temperature uniformity
• Moisture removal
• Condensation
• Freshness
• Shelf life
• Product quality

InnoVent is designed to deliver near 100% ventilation across the pallet.

Its open structure allows air to circulate in and out of the wrapped load, supporting cooling and moisture management while maintaining load containment.

This makes it a strong alternative to closed stretch film and to complex corner-board and strapping systems.

The customer does not have to choose between ventilation and stability.

InnoVent is designed to provide both.

Packaging reduction is only sustainable when the product reaches its destination safely.

Removing corner boards or straps without replacing their stabilising function can result in:

• Leaning pallets
• Collapsed loads
• Product damage
• Rejected deliveries
• Additional wrapping
• Safety risks
• Product waste
• Higher logistics costs

InnoVent is engineered to provide strong and consistent load containment.

Its application can be adjusted according to:

• Load weight
• Pallet dimensions
• Product type
• Stacking pattern
• Transport conditions
• Required containment force

Tama supports customers through trials and application optimisation to ensure that InnoVent delivers the required pallet performance.

InnoVent does not replace the need for a company-specific PPWR assessment. However, it directly supports several key PPWR objectives.

InnoVent can help companies:

• Reduce the number of packaging components
• Reduce total packaging material
• Reduce packaging waste
• Move toward a mono-material PE solution
• Improve recyclability
• Simplify waste separation
• Lower carbon footprint
• Reduce storage and transportation impacts
• Lower packaging cost
• Maintain ventilation
• Maintain pallet stability
• Protect the packed product

This makes InnoVent highly relevant for packhouses, exporters, importers, retailers and logistics operators reviewing their transport-packaging systems.

What should companies measure before switching to InnoVent?

The best approach is to compare the current corner-board and strapping system with InnoVent using a structured pallet-packaging audit.

Relevant KPIs include:

• Total packaging weight per pallet
• Number of components used
• Packaging cost per pallet
• Application time
• Warehouse space
• Packaging transport volume
• Waste generated
• Carbon footprint
• Load stability
• Cooling and airflow performance
• Product-damage rate
• Rewrapping rate

Tama can support customers through an on-site assessment and controlled trial.

This makes it possible to build a clear business case based on measurable operational, environmental and financial results.

For businesses still using corner boards and strapping to secure ventilated pallet loads, InnoVent offers a proven and more sustainable way forward.

It combines:

• Near 100% ventilation
• Strong load stability
• More than 90% less packaging waste
• Approximately 88% lower carbon footprint
• 100% recyclable PE-based material
• Up to 30% lower wrapping cost
• Fewer packaging components
• Lower storage requirements
• Lower transportation impact
• Easier application
• Simpler end-of-life handling

PPWR is creating new pressure to reduce packaging and improve recyclability.

InnoVent turns that pressure into an opportunity.

Instead of managing several materials, customers can move to one smart, efficient and high-performance solution.