As demand and the market for more environmentally-friendly packaging grows globally, Arjowiggins has launched Sylvicta® – a ground-breaking new sustainable alternative to plastic packaging using PEFC-certified wood pulp.
Sylvicta® is a translucent, functional barrier paper that preserves the quality of food and cosmetics just as well as conventional plastics – all the while ensuring limited impact on the environment. This pioneering paper is fully recyclable, compostable, bio-degradable and offers a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic packaging. Aimed at eco-conscious brand owners, retailers and converters, it offers a high-quality barrier packaging solution that enables them to reduce or even eradicate the use of plastics in their packaging.
Bio-based materials are now becoming popular as the foundation for sustainable and flexible packaging. “As a paper manufacturer, Arjowiggins is dedicated to protecting and respecting the environment,” says Christophe Jordan, Managing Director of the Translucent Papers division at Arjowiggins. “Consideration of environmental issues and more particularly the reduction of pollution forms an integral part of our business decisions and activities and is built into our production processes. Arjowiggins has always been at the forefront of environmental initiatives in the paper industry and was an early adopter of environmental regulations and standards being one of the first papermakers to achieve PEFC certification.”
The Sylvicta® name has its origins in the forests and the history of Kent, the home of the Chartham Mill production facility. Derived from the Latin name for Forest, Sylva and the word lnvicta, the historic emblem of the county of Kent, Sylvicta means the ‘forest that conquers’.
The principal raw material for Sylvicta® product is the cellulose fibres drawn from wood pulp. Making sure that the use of certified material and the assurances that the raw materials are from responsibly-managed forests, investing in chain of custody certification is critical. Choosing certified material ultimately drives healthy forest management and this is a concept that the wider packaging industry increasingly recognise.
“Consumer awareness of packaging waste in oceans and landfills is driving change,” says Christophe. “Plastic is everywhere, on our beaches, in our rivers, oceans and it has been on our TV screens a lot recently, whether it is in the news or in our social media feeds. The damage packaging waste can do is now illustrated with impactful visuals that can bring change.
“It would be wrong to let people think that all of the plastics can be eradicated any time soon. It may well be in the long-term future, but it is not realistic now. Where we need to focus is on single-use plastic, which already represents billions of tons. We can only hope that the current move towards shifting away from plastic is a trend not a fashion.
“Buying from responsibly-managed forests means respecting the forest owners – large and small – to maintain biodiversity, productivity and regeneration capacity. As well as creating clean air and water, supporting renewable resources, and reducing impacts of climate change, having PEFC-certification shows that Arjowiggins is supporting environmental goals to preserve the health and diversity of the forest while meeting society’s demand for forest products.”
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