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Paper Packaging

Renewable

Paper packaging is made from renewable wood fibre that originates from sustainably managed forests, as strongly supported by all EPPA members.

Sustainable forestry practices ensure that more trees are planted than harvested, and that wood is traceable throughout the supply chain.

With 90% of its wood sourced in the European Union, the European pulp and paper industry represents a long-lasting value chain contributing to the strategic autonomy of the EU. EPPA’s members are part of this value chain where the primary raw material is mainly manufactured, converted, recycled and used in Europe, therefore supporting the whole EU food value chain.

Paper-based packaging is made of a renewable material from sustainable forests certified at 74%, the highest rate in the world, guided by EU and national forest regulations as well as market-based certification systems such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification

Sustainable forestry not only ensures that wood has been sourced legally and is traceable all along the supply chain: it also means that annual forest growth is greater than the annual harvest, with more trees planted than harvested, thus increasing the available carbon sink and further enhancing reforestation. Thanks to sustainable forest management, Europe can proudly claim that it currently has more forest resources than it did a century ago, with the forest area in Europe growing by 19.3 million hectares over the last 30 years. Between 2005 and 2015, European forests grew by an area bigger than Scotland.

Renewable Paper Packaging Pulp

What you need to know:

Forest biodiversity is also embedded in sustainable forestry practices: leaving decaying retention trees and high stumps provides wood-living species with diverse conditions and natural nesting spots.

Products such as paper-based packaging are necessary for sustainable forestry management. Measures needed to produce large-diameter trees suitable for construction products entail the periodic harvesting of smaller trees used for pulp and paper production through thinning.

Residues from primary wood processing are also used to make paper-based packaging.

European forests absorb 20% of all the European Union’s fossil emissions every year, resulting in an estimated 806 million tonnes of CO2 captured annually.

Renewable Paper Packaging Fibre Trees