Fibre customer magazine 2019/2020

New regulations create market opportunities

The ban on single-use plastics creates a growth in demand for paper-based packaging. Susanne Oste, VP of Innovation and Sustainability at Sappi, shares her insight about the matter.

HANNAMIINA TANNINEN, photo SAPPI

In May 2019, the Council of the European Union adopted new rules on single-use plastic items and fish- ing gear, and set out the different measures that would apply to them. The goal is to reduce plastic waste and thereby benefit the environment. Where alternatives are easily available and affordable, as with cutlery, plates and straws, single-use plastic prod- ucts will be banned from the market. For other plastic products, the focus is on limiting their use through a reduction in consumption, and new requirements concerning design and labelling. In addition, new obligations for producers regarding waste management and clean-up were presented. The member states will have to implement the legis- lation in their national law by 2021. THE DIRECTIVE WILL GUIDE BEHAVIOUR “The single-use plastic ban in the EU is really interesting as it signals a high level of concern about the environ- ment across the EU,” Susanne Oste says. She is the VP of Innovation and Sustainability at Sappi, a global provider of sustainable wood fibre products and solutions. Sappi is also Metsä Fibre’s customer. “Despite its imperfections and the rushed negotia- tions, the directive will surely help to guide society’s behaviour towards more sustainable consumption, and as such it is welcome.” According to Oste, the new directive presents opportunities for Sappi to introduce alternative prod- ucts made from natural and renewable forest derived materials to the market. It also creates similar opportu- nities for the pulp and paper industry as a whole. The new directive will also stimulate the substitution of plastic with paper.

However, the market opportunities are anything but an easy-to-grab low-hanging fruit. “The directive will also challenge the pulp and paper industry, and we must continue to strive for high recy- clability rates in all our paper and paper-based packag- ing. It will require continued innovation and persever- ance for us to find sustainable solutions.” READY FOR CHANGE Sappi has been active in this field and has already four years ago started product development of functional papers. The company has also been investigating the development of new materials. “Companies in forest-based industries have a whole raft of products that can perform the same functions as their plastic counterparts. Many companies in the pulp and paper industry are already offering plastic-free alternatives and we are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities now presenting themselves.” In the Sappi innovation process the company has integrated sustainability as a major topic, resulting in new product designs based on recyclability and com- postability. For example, the Sappi Seal and Sappi OHG, which will be introduced to the market this year, can be put into the recycling stream. The company is also the first paper manufacturer to use paper wrappers for confectionery bars. These new products were introduced at the end of July 2019 by a major brand. “We see lots of interesting opportunities arising from the new regulations and new market needs for paper products, but also because of the need to reduce our impact on our planet. We have just started this journey,” Oste concludes. •

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