---
title: Navigator Expands into 30g Lightweight Kraft Paper, Reshaping Sourcing for Plastic Replacement and Packaging Reduction
lang: en
source: https://mindsprt.dev/en/knowledge/navigator-kraftpaper-expansion/
---

# Navigator Expands into 30g Lightweight Kraft Paper, Reshaping Sourcing for Plastic Replacement and Packaging Reduction

*Industry Insights · 4 min read · 2026-08-31*

> Portuguese paper manufacturer Navigator announced an expansion of its lightweight kraft paper line, filling the 30-38 g/m² specification gap.
As mills shift capacity toward high-strength lightweight paper, Taiwanese brands and printers gain a much more practical material choice to navigate price swings and plastic reduction

**Quick answer:** Navigator will launch ultra-lightweight kraft paper in October 2026, with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes

## Why Is Navigator Investing Heavily to Rebuild Its PM3 Line?

Surging end-market demand for high-strength lightweight packaging paper prompted Navigator to rebuild paper machine 3 (PM3) at its Setúbal mill in Portugal, widening the gKraft line to range from 30 to 170 g/m².

I'm particularly watching the downward expansion: unbleached brown kraft dropping to 30-38 g/m², and bleached white kraft reaching 30-34 g/m².

This isn't just about making paper thinner. It's about pushing the physical limits of papermaking.

In mill operations, keeping tear and tensile strength intact gets significantly harder the thinner the paper gets, usually dragging down formation and porosity.

Yet for this 100,000-tonne annual lightweight capacity, they fundamentally re-engineered porosity and formation while boosting density and strength.

When a paper mill commits capital expenditure to roll out specs like this, it signals that global FMCG and e-commerce brands are moving fast away from legacy plastic packaging, and mills are eager to capture those shifting orders.

## How Does Lightweight Kraft Paper Impact Existing Packaging Supply Chains?

It enables brands to replace vague green marketing with hard carbon emissions data, as the digitization of Scope 3 material metrics reshapes procurement decisions from the ground up.

Over recent months, as supplier climate reports like the UPM Climate Review turn into packaging procurement specs, I've noticed client demands shift from simply looking eco-friendly to proving verifiable carbon numbers.

Heavy kraft paper traditionally goes into shipping cartons or shopping bags, but 30g-class Machine Glazed (MG) kraft directly targets turf long dominated by plastic films.

・Replacing plastic films: High density and improved porosity give this paper superior performance in water-based barrier coating or metallization, making it an ideal base substrate to replace single-layer plastic laminates.

・Structural lightweighting and cost reduction: Confronted with soaring recovered paper costs and mill capacity restructuring in 2026, replacing heavy conventional liners with high-strength thin paper is a direct way to defend margins.

・Cross-border compliance edge: Under increasingly strict European packaging waste regulations, virgin fiber paper boasts far higher recyclability than multi-material composites, lowering global compliance risks for brands.

## How Should Taiwanese SMBs and Brand Buyers Respond?

Brands should immediately ask suppliers to assess lightweighting potential across current packaging, factoring these 30g-class high-strength materials into redesigns.

With this new paper hitting the market in October 2026, now is the time to review packaging structures across product lines.

In advisory projects with the [Mai Strategy Knowledge Academy Consulting Team](https://mindsprt.dev), we typically focus on material carbon data accessibility and structural lightweighting to rebuild pricing and procurement models.

Never rely solely on print volume to bargain down prices, because under a third wave of paperboard price hikes, packaging quotes are no longer dictated by a single variable.

Base paper, contracts, and tariffs form a triple risk for the years ahead. Taiwan's packaging supply chain is feeling intense pressure from cost reshuffling.

Redesigning flexible packaging with these lightweight, high-strength materials, or swapping heavy paperboard layers for thin kraft paper, is the real long-term fix.

Brands that know how to turn advances in material science into product competitiveness are the ones that will hold their ground in the next round of sourcing shakeups.

## Key Takeaways

・Navigator pushing kraft paper specs down to 30 g/m² shows that high-strength thin paper has become strategic ammunition for papermakers targeting plastic-free markets.

・By optimizing density and porosity, 30g-class lightweight kraft paper serves as an ideal substrate to replace plastic films and inner food packaging.

・Brands should use these new materials to reduce packaging weight and structure, hedging against rising costs of recovered paper and heavy paperboard.

## Further Thoughts

Navigator's line retrofit reveals how paper suppliers are using material science to answer the market's sustainability anxieties.

For print manufacturers and graphic designers, future value won't come from how many boxes you print for clients. It will come from whether you can apply these new materials, combined with structural engineering and carbon data, to make packaging lighter, stronger, and aligned with upcoming regulatory procurement standards.

## Further Reading

・[Navigator Expands Kraft Paper Range](https://www.print.de/allgemein/navigator-erweitert-kraftpapier-sortiment/)

## FAQ

### What is Machine Glazed (MG) kraft paper?

MG kraft paper is dried during papermaking by pressing the paper web against a massive heated Yankee dryer. This gives one side high smoothness and gloss while leaving the other side rough, offering a distinct edge in print quality and downstream coating operations.

### When will Navigator's new lightweight kraft paper be available?

According to Navigator's schedule, this new lineup of kraft papers, covering 30-38 g/m² unbleached and 30-34 g/m² bleached grades, is slated to hit the market in October 2026.

### Why does lightweight kraft paper help brands drive ESG initiatives?

Adopting high-strength lightweight kraft paper directly cuts material use per package and serves as a substitute for single-layer plastic packaging. This delivers concrete data contributions when facing tighter Scope 3 emissions scrutiny and plastic reduction targets.


---

> HTML version: https://mindsprt.dev/en/knowledge/navigator-kraftpaper-expansion/
> MINDS — 麥思印刷整合有限公司 · https://mindsprt.dev