Author: Paper Market

Love Paper® is a global campaign to explain the sustainable and attractive attributes of print, paper and paper-based packaging.

Run by not-for-profit organisation, Two Sides, the campaign seeks to tell consumers across the world the positive messages about print, paper and paperbased packaging, from its environmental credentials to its ability to help with learning, enhance creativity and improve mental wellbeing. Paper is renewable, recyclable and the natural champion of new ideas and creativity.

Love Paper presents the sustainable facts in a simple and consumer friendly way. Our key sustainability messages explain the high recycling rates of 71% for paper and 82% for paper packaging, the highest of any material in the world, and the fact that European forests are growing in size by the equivalent of 1,500 football pitches every day.

How Should The Industry Support Love Paper?

By using the Love Paper logo and encouraging your customers to use it too!

The Love Paper logo is a great way to complement and enrich existing sustainability pledges and environmental labels, such as forest certification schemes and recycling symbols. By aligning with Love Paper, the industry and its customers can tap into a huge-reaching print and digital campaign, to help educate and inform consumers of print and papers’ sustainable attributes.

The Love Paper logo can be used in a number of ways to best suit your company, such as on your communications, marketing materials, envelopes, paperbased packaging or on your website. By connecting with our national adverts and social media campaign, we encourage consumers to find out more about the sustainability of print, paper and paper packaging by visiting the Love Paper website for the facts.

How To Use The Love Paper Logo

The Love Paper logo, a registered trademark of Two Sides, demonstrates that an organisation uses natural and sustainable materials. The logo can only be used on paper-based products which are sourced from sustainably managed forests, or made of recycled fibre, and are fully recyclable.

Members of Two Sides have full access to the Love Paper logo, along with the many tools and resources we create. 

Wood is the wonder fibre of the world. Multifunctional and renewable, when used sustainably, wood and its components are an indispensable part of the everyday life.

“Biotechnology and innovation are helping the forest product sector to use sustainably farmed trees in ways we never imagined possible,” says Jane Molony, executive director of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA).

Wood is made up of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and an array of waxes, resins and sugars. The properties of these elements make them suitable ingredients in functional bio-products, not just in paper, cardboard, tissue or sawn timber.

1. Cosmetics

In cosmetics, the water-absorption capacity of cellulose enhances product texture, providing a smooth and creamy feel and thus a better application experience for the consumer. Cellulose can also be used as a film former in nail polish allowing for thin layer application, or an anti-caking agent for cosmetic foundations.

2. Textiles

Viscose, rayon and lyocell are three textiles that are made from a specialised form of cellulose. Also known as dissolving wood pulp, this purified form of cellulose is suitable for chemical conversion into a range of products – it is spun into textile fibres for use in fashion and decorating textiles, cast into a film or regenerated into a sponge.

VIDEO – Watch how dissolving wood pulp made

3. Vitamins and pharmaceuticals

Don’t let the name scare you but carboxymethyl cellulose or microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is a fine, food-safe and versatile powder that is a proven filler and stabiliser in capsules and tablets, helping to bind active medicinal ingredients into a palatable form.

4. Animal feed

Lignin, the “glue” of the natural world, is often removed from the wood during the paper manufacturing process and recovered from spent pulping liquors. A great example of the bioeconomy, lignin is multifunctional and finds application in the agriculture sector. It binds the nutritive ingredients and additives in the production of compound animal feeds.

Sappi Southern Africa, a PAMSA member, recently achieved GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance (FSA) 2020 certification for Pelletin, one of its lignin-based products used as an additive in animal feed manufacturing.

5. Dust suppressants

Lignosulphonates are used in mining and road maintenance as a dust suppressant by binding the road surface particles together. Once sprayed onto the road, water evaporates from the lignosulphonate, and as it dries, the dust particles are trapped by the high-viscosity, naturally sticky material.

VIDEO – Take a look at how lignosulphonates are made.

6. Plasticiser for concrete

Lignosulphonates is common admixtures for concrete that acts as a water-reducer or plasticisers to improve the flow of concrete, slow down the setting time and reduce the amount of mixing water required.

7. Bio- oils and fertilisers

A potential substitute for diesel, bio-oils are obtained by heating wood waste in an oxygen-free environment, in a process known as pyrolysis. The solid product generated (bio-char) can be used as an enriched growing medium for seedlings or converted into high-grade activated carbon.

“Anything made from plastic or other fossil-fuel derived materials can be made from wood. By extracting more value from a tree, less goes to waste,” Molony says. “This opens our sector up to a world of innovation, and exciting career opportunities for young engineers.”

“Two key advantages that commercially farmed trees bring are their renewability and their carbon storage,” explains Molony.

Trees in plantations are essentially crops that are planted and replanted in rotations, with only about 9% of the total tree count being harvested in any given year. “This means that there are always trees growing, at different stages of maturity, and these trees are all absorbing carbon dioxide (CO₂) and storing the carbon,” she says.

With trees capturing more carbon from the atmosphere than any other biome, they offer a means to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Sustainable Development Report demonstrates delivery across environmental and social targets

Smurfit Kappa announced today that it has achieved four of its mid-term, Better Planet 2050 sustainability targets. The Better Planet 2050 targets quantify the company’s commitment to delivering a sustainable future through: low-carbon, circular packaging solutions; increasing support for the communities in which it operates; and further enhancing the lives of its employees. 

According to its 17th Sustainable Development Report published today, Smurfit Kappa has achieved its targets on:

• Waste: achieving a 35.8% reduction in waste sent to landfill, ahead of its 2025 target of 30% (24% in 2022)
• Forestry: achieving 95.5% of packaging sold with Chain of Custody certification, ahead of its 2025 target of 95% (94.3% in 2022)
• Communities: €25.6 million donated to support social, environmental and community initiatives, ahead of its 2025 target of €24 million (€18.4 million in 2022)
• Diversity: 25.1% of management positions were held by women at the end of 2023, ahead of its 2024 target of 25% (23.5% in 2022).

The comprehensive report, which covers January to December 2023, highlights the company’s progress through continued capital investment, ongoing operational improvements and collaboration with customers, suppliers and other key stakeholders. 

Dynamically and sustainably delivering 

In addition to reaching its key sustainability targets, several landmark achievements are noted in the report, including:

• Becoming an early adopter of the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (‘TNFD’), one of only 180 companies globally
• The installation of 12,000 solar panels at its Sangüesa paper mill in Spain, adding to similar green energy initiatives at plants in Spain, Colombia, Mexico and most recently, in a new facility in Morocco
• The completion of a €27 million investment in a new waste management and recovery facility at the Nervión paper mill in Iurreta, Spain, removing over 70,000 tonnes of material that was previously sent to landfill
• Inauguration of a pioneering purification and wastewater treatment plant in Belgrade, Serbia, the first of its kind in the country
• Continued progress in its US$100 million biomass project in Colombia, which will be the largest decarbonisation project in the Group’s history and is scheduled to start up in 2025
• Publication of the Group’s second Green Bond Impact Report
• Sustainability leadership recognised by Morningstar Sustainalytics who acknowledged Smurfit Kappa as the number one performer in the paper packaging sector, building on its strong performance in MSCI and ISS ESG and its recent improved A- score in CDP across climate, water and forestry.

Global Recycling Day takes place annually on 18 March. While South Africa recycles an average 1.1 million tonnes of paper and paper packaging each year, a significant amount is lost when it is discarded with wet waste, lost to the environment as litter or stored up in homes and businesses as documents and paper packaging.

Available statistics^[i] indicate that South Africans generate roughly 122 million tonnes of waste per year of which 90% is landfilled or dumped illegally. Around 10% is recycled or recovered for other uses.

“Recycling or separation-at-source is one of the simplest ways to commence a waste reduction journey,” says Samantha Choles, communications manager for Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA), advising that paper recycling is a good place to start.

“By putting certain items aside for recycling collectors and participating in dedicated recycling programmes, we can all make a big difference to our planet, another person’s livelihood and our personal waste footprint.”

Recycling saves landfill space

It is estimated that one tonne of paper products collected for recycling saves around three cubic metres of landfill space. This means that 3.3 million cubic metres of space is not filled with the very useful commodity of paper and paper packaging but goes back into the manufacturing loop.

For South African paper packaging and tissue producers, recycled paper is an alternative fibre and key raw material for corrugated boxes and paper bags, newspapers, tissue products, kitchen and industrial paper toweling, cereal boxes, and moulded paper products like egg boxes and cup carriers.

But it doesn’t save trees

Recycling paper is often coupled with the rationale of “saving trees”, but this notion is misguided as the trees used in papermaking are farmed sustainably.

Trees are planted, and the wood is harvested and converted to pulp, paper, or timber products. Only 10% of the total plantation area is harvested over a course of a year, and this same area is replanted within 12 months. This makes paper and wood a renewable resource.

Although paper fibres can be recycled anywhere between 6-25 times^[ii], they are not infinitely recyclable. Virgin or fresh fibre will always be required to keep the paper cycle going.

Recycling reduces emissions

When paper is mixed with wet waste, it becomes contaminated and starts to degrade, adding to greenhouse gas emissions. When we keep paper clean and dry for recycling, we ensure that the carbon that is stored in paper stays locked up for longer.

Recycling supports the economy

On any given day, recycling collectors weave through cities and suburbs for recyclable items that they can resell at a buy-back centre.

“Collectors are a vital cog in the recycling system, especially where mandatory separation and recycling programmes do not exist,” says Choles.

Larger recycling businesses and paper mills also contribute to society and the economy by providing employment – from sorting and baling, managing recycling processes, all the way through converting paper into new products. “Let’s not forget the people in the background such as finance, human resources, engineers, maintenance crews and everyone who keeps the process flowing,” notes Choles.

Recycling has that feel-good factor

Every person uses paper in one way or another every day, from cereal boxes to milk cartons, from documents to school reports, and the ever-essential toilet roll core and common cardboard box.

Separate your paper recycling into a dedicated bag or box for collectors to keep it clean and save them time and from digging through your rotting, smelly waste. Recyclable paper products should be kept clean and dry to ensure that the collector earns maximum value.

Some items are still recyclable even if they are not taken by a recycling collector who prefers higher value items that are neither too light (polystyrene) or too heavy (glass).

Know your paper recyclables – from the bathroom to the kitchen sink

It’s not just white paper and cardboard boxes that are recyclable, says Choles adding that there are several products that can be recycled.

“We suggest placing paper recycling bins in common areas of your home or where you have the space. This makes recycling a lot easier.”

 Kitchen:

• Grocery delivery bags and takeaway bags
• Paper packaging from cereal, tea, sugar, pasta, doggy treats and other dry goods
• Milk or juice cartons* – no liquids please.
• Pizza boxes – no leftover pizza please!
• Egg cartons and take-away cup holders
• Tubing from kitchen towel rolls
• Paper cups* (minus the lid – this made of polystyrene but can be recycled via other means)

Bathroom and bedroom:

• Cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls
• Boxes galore from shoes, facial tissue, toothpaste, soap, cosmetics and medicine, etc.

Office/study:

• Copy and printing paper, notebooks (minus wire binding and non-recyclable covers)
• Paperback books – donate old books to a library or community centre but for those that are well-worn, a new life awaits through recycling.

Front door:

• Post – if you still get any, including envelopes, postcards and advertising mail
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Cardboard boxes from your online shopping

Separation of the different waste streams – paper, cardboard, glass, tin, plastic, and e-waste – is critical to ensure that we reduce recyclables going to landfill, reduce pollution and create a culture of ‘green thinking’.

Pharmaceutical product packaging accounts for a large part of manufacturers’ Scope 3 emissions, which consider, for example raw material production, manufacturing, and end-of-life disposal. According to Metsä Board studies, fresh fibre paperboard can notably reduce the carbon footprint of pharmaceutical packaging by optimising the paperboard in use.  

Assessments* conducted by Metsä Board demonstrate the significant carbon footprint reductions that pharmaceutical manufacturers can achieve by switching from commonly used grades to Metsä Board fresh fibre paperboards. Switching from a solid bleached board (SBB) to Metsä Board folding boxboard can reduce the carbon footprint of packaging by over 50%, and replacing white lined chipboard (WLC) with Metsä Board folding boxboard can result in a 60% reduction or even higher. These assessments have been verified by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. The technical background report and the verification statement are available on Metsä Board’s website.

The lower carbon footprint of Metsä Board’s folding boxboards, compared to the above mentioned boards, is due to the use of fossil free energy in their production and their lighter weight. However, despite the lighter weight, Metsä Board’s folding boxboards still retain the durability and functional properties of traditional heavier grades.

“As a responsible materials supplier it is our job to provide pharma brand owners with transparent, unbiased information that helps them evaluate packaging materials to make better-informed and sustainable choices to reduce their carbon footprint,” says Anne Uusitalo, Product Safety and Sustainability Director at Metsä Board. Metsä Board provides accurate information about the carbon footprint of its paperboard products and can also provide full life cycle assessments to its customers.

*) Assessments follow procedural and methodological requirements of ISO 14025 and are consistent with ISO 14040 and 14044 standards. The selected system boundary for the study was cradle-to-gate + end-of-life and selected climate change impact methodology was EF3.1 Climate Change – total. Climate change impacts for competing materials utilises data from Sphera LCA for Packaging which seeks to represent general products in the European market. The technical background report and the verification statement are available on Metsä Board’s website.

About Metsa Board

Metsä Board is a producer of lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. The pure fresh fibres we use in our products are a safe, renewable and recyclable resource, that can be traced back to northern forests. We aim to have completely fossil free mills and raw materials by the end of 2030. We promote a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion.

Metsä Board is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. In 2023 our sales totalled EUR 1.9 billion, and we have around 2,300 employees. Metsä Board is part of Metsä Group, whose parent company Metsäliitto Cooperation is owned by over 90,000 Finnish forest owners. The sales of the whole Metsä Group were EUR 6.1 billion.

Less raw material, less waste, fewer emissions – the circular economy is at the top of the agenda.

Choosing fibre-based packaging such as paper carrier bags is one piece of the puzzle that retailers and brand owners can complete to take the next step in contributing to the bio-based circular economy. Paper carrier bags are a welcome resource in the paper recycling mix. A member of the initiative “The Paper Bag” explains how paper carrier bags are recycled into new fibre-based products. An infographic shows the cycle of paper carrier bags.

A study has found that fibre-based packaging can be recycled more than 25 times. It concluded that the number of possible recycling cycles is limited mainly due to losses that occur during the cleaning of the fibre material and the collection rate. In Europe, the recycling rate for paper and cardboard packaging is already very high at 82.5% in 2021. The 4evergreen alliance set thegoal to reach 90% for fibre-based packaging by 2030.

“Paper carrier bags are a valuable part of the paper recycling mix,” knows Matías Cowper Coles, Business Development Manager at the Spanish paper producer and paper recycler Alier. Alier is one of the members of the initiative “The Paper Bag” that recycles paper carrier bags and produces new fibre-based products from the fibres – among them paper carrier bags. But how does this work in practice?

Paper collection

When a paper carrier bag is no longer good for another reuse, it should be placed in the paper and cardboard recycling bin. In Europe, different paper grades are collected in the same container. After being picked up by the designated facilities, the paper is separated into different qualities. This is important because for some products, high-quality fibres must be used. Paper carrier bags, as other kraft paper products, can be sorted into different qualities, depending on the demand and the quality. Usually, they are mixed together with OCC – old corrugated cardboard.

Recycling paper carrier bags

When the raw material arrives at the paper factory, samples of the material are tested to classify them according to different parameters that are important for the papermaking process and the qualities that will be produced at the mill. “For each of our paper grades, we need a special material mix. The stronger recycled kraft paper we want to produce, the longer the fibres have to be in the mix,” explains Cowper Coles. “The kraft paper for paper carrier bags is one example where we use material with long, strong fibres.” For the recycling process, the selected paper mix is put into a pulper. The resulting pulp is filtered several times and cleaned of impurities. It is then collected in silos and stocked before it enters the paper machine, where it is manufactured into new paper that can be used in carrier bags, paper sacks, test liners or fluting.

The paper bag fibre cycle

The Spanish organisation La Bolsa De Papel has produced an infographic that demonstrates the fibre cycle for paper carrier bags – from the sourcing of the raw materials, the production of the paper and the paper bags via the distribution at retail sites, the use and reuse from consumers to the collection and the recycling process.

“Reusing and recycling paper carrier bags replaces new raw materials

This saves natural resources and reduces green-house gas emissions since the CO2 will keep stored in the paper products for a longer period,” explains Elin Gordon, Secretary General of CEPI Eurokraft. “Therefore, we want to encourage retailers to support the circular economy. They can do so by offering paper carrier bags to their customers and motivating them to reuse their bags for as long as possible before placing them in the recycling bins for paper and cardboard to recycle the fibres.”