As we enter 3Q2021, many companies have announced new eco-friendly plans and initiatives to help meet their sustainability commitments.
From forming new partnerships and alliances to developing new product replacements for plastics, the pulp and paper industry has been booming, and below are some of the top stories from the last month.
Tetra Pak & The Kabadiwala Set up Unique Partnership to Increase Recycling Used Carton Packs
Citizens in Bhopal, India can now help recycle their used juice, milk and other beverage cartons from the comfort of their homes, thanks to a collaborative initiative between Tetra Pak and The Kabadiwala. The company, a world leading food processing and packaging solutions company has tied up with the platform, a well-known local waste management venture to increase collection of used beverage cartons in Bhopal.
In addition, the platform will work closely with the Municipal Corporation of Bhopal to recover used packs of juice/ milk, from the corporation’s sorting centers as well. All collected cartons will then be sent to the nearest recycler, Khatema Fibres, in Uttarakhand for recycling.
Stora Enso Delivers New Low-Carbon Material for Microwavable Ready-Meal Trays
Trayforma by Stora Enso is a new wood fiber-based material composition designed for microwavable food tray packaging. The renewable material is free of PET, has a very low share of PP and a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional meal tray products. The material contains up to 95% wood fibers, making it widely recyclable in most existing carton packaging recycling schemes.
By changing to recyclable, low-carbon trays, brand owners and retailers selling microwave ready-meals can act on circular economy commitments.
Voith Joins Sustainability Alliance 4evergreen
Voith recently joined the 4evergreen alliance, an association of more than 60 companies along the entire value chain of fiber-based packaging with the common goal of increasing the recycling rate of fiber-based packaging to over 90% by 2030. Various future projects are planned as part of the alliance.
The alliance includes paper and board producers, packaging producers and converters, food and beverage producers, food distributors, technology and material suppliers, waste paper sorters and collectors, as well as research institutes and technical universities. Together, members are working on innovative concepts to find solutions to global societal challenges, such as climate change and resource scarcity, with the help of fiber-based packaging.
Suzano Sets Out a New, Ambitious Long-Term Biodiversity Conservation Target
Suzano, the world's leading eucalyptus pulp and paper producer and a global benchmark in the manufacture of bioproducts developed from eucalyptus, announced a new, long-term biodiversity conservation target on 25 June at its inaugural ESG Investor Presentation.
The ambitious target will connect half a million hectares of conservation areas by 2030, specifically focused on Brazil’s Cerrado, Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes. This area covers an expanse of land the equivalent of Paris, Madrid, Moscow, Oslo and Rio de Janeiro combined.
Suzano identified that the most impactful way to support biodiversity is to reverse the fragmentation of habitats by creating ‘biodiversity corridors.’
WestRock Commits to Emissions Reductions; Pledges to Set a Science-Based Target
WestRock Company, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, today announced its commitment to setting a new greenhouse gas emissions reduction target that is aligned with current climate science. WestRock has confirmed its commitment with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and will develop, validate and publish a science-based target within 24 months.
This latest commitment builds on the progress WestRock has made as a sustainability leader within the packaging industry. As fiber-based packaging continues to grow in popularity, WestRock has been taking active steps for—and with—its customers to work toward a more circular economy. Pivotal to this progress is the company’s commitment to offering fiber-based alternatives to plastic packaging.
Siegwerk Unveils Next Generation of Sustainable Water-Based Inks for Paper & Board Applications
Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, is now offering a new generation of sustainable water-based inks for paper and board applications: UniNATURE. The new product range is formulated with renewable and natural components, providing an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional inks.
Siegwerk’s new sustainable water-based ink range comes with excellent ink performance and color strengths, offering similar levels of resistance as current water-based technologies. User tests have shown improved dot shape, comparable dot gain, high resolubility and easy cleaning on press, meaning it can be easily exchanged with current products without the need to change equipment, processes or color matches.
Sonoco Expanding Recycling of Iconic Paper Containers in US
Sonoco, one of the most sustainable, global diversified packaging companies, announced it is expanding recovery and recycling of scrap materials from the production of its iconic EnviroCan™ paper containers in the US to be used as raw material at three of its uncoated recycled paperboard mills to produce new paperboard.
According to Elizabeth Rhue, Sonoco’s staff Vice President of Sustainability, Sonoco expects to divert from landfills approximately 3,300 tons of scrap materials annually from four of its US paper container operations in West Chicago, IL, Greenville, WI, Jackson, TN, and Norwalk, CA. This material, which is projected to equal approximately 165 truckloads, will be sent to Sonoco paper mills in Menasha, WI, Newport, TN, and City of Industry, CA, where it will be used as raw material to produce 100 percent recycled paperboard, with up to 85 percent post-consumer fiber.
Sony Develops Sustainable Paper Material From Recycled Paper, Bamboo and Sugarcane
Sony has developed a sustainable and eco-friendly packaging material made from bamboo, sugar cane fiber, and post-consumer recycled paper. Sony’s cases, outer box, inner box, and protective pads can be made entirely from “original mixed materials”, which is recyclable, durable, and long-lasting material — a paper material produced without plastic or dye. By changing the mixing analogy, its body can be transformed into multiple shapes ensuring a wide variety of uses, while incorporating characters in the design can be embossed, avoiding the use of ink.
Sappi Joins the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA) – Harnessing the Power of Nature
Sappi, a leading global provider of powerful everyday materials made from woodfiber-based renewable resources, is pleased to announce that it has joined the CBA, a new global movement which places Nature at the heart of the global circular bioeconomy.
Commenting on the decision to join the CBA, Dr Tracy Wessels, General Manager Group Sustainability and R&D said: “Sappi’s purpose and vision aligns very closely with the CBA. We fully support the work of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance in facilitating a science-informed dialogue and in demonstrating on the ground through targeted investments the potential of a Circular Bioeconomy in the global South.”
Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, collaborated with the Italian machine producer ACMI to create a new wrapping system for pallets that uses paper instead of plastic. By transforming the way pallets are wrapped, Advantage StretchWrap reduces the supply chain’s reliance on plastic, moving to a renewable and fully recyclable material.
Advantage StretchWrap (patent-pending) is a brand new lightweight paper grade from Mondi made specially for wrapping pallets. It is able to stretch and resist punctures, providing robust protection for goods during transit. The current industry standard for pallet wrapping is a multi-layer plastic material with low recycling rates. The Advantage StretchWrap paper, along with ACMI’s Rocket E-500 wrapping system, makes it possible to switch to a fully recyclable pallet wrapping solution.
Source: Fisher International