Global forest and paper industry highlights benefits of bio-based packaging at Interpack Trade Fair

Today, May 9, the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) will participate in the special event International Coalition Bio-based Packaging: A Green Food Saver at the 2014 Interpack trade fair held in Düsseldorf, Germany.  ICFPA is partnering on the event with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Technology Research Centre of Finland (VTT).

“Paper-based packaging plays an important role in minimizing food waste,” said ICFPA President Donna Harman. “By providing bio-based means to transport, protect and preserve food, our industry is helping to meet the needs of the growing global population.”

Paper-based packaging is made from a renewable resource – well-managed forests – and delivers a sustainable packaging option to bring food from the field to the home safely and in excellent condition: corrugated boxes protect food when it is shipped to stores; paperboard is used to package food for efficient stocking and display; and paper bags give customers an environmentally-friendly way to transport their purchases.

In addition, new and innovative paper-based packaging is continuously developed to increase functional use – including optimal food preservation – and to better serve consumers.

Paper and paper-based packaging industries around the world make great efforts to recover, and increase recovery of, their products for recycling. RISI data indicates that the global recovery rate for corrugated paperboard packaging is approaching 90 percent.

The ICFPA represents more than 30 national and regional forest and paper associations around the world, including the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa. Together, ICFPA members represent nearly 90 percent of global paper production and 50 percent of global wood production.

For more information about the sustainability of the global forest and paper industry, visit icfpa.org.