Into the post-fossil age?

Many consumers would like to see fossil-based plastics phased out once and for all. But so far, we cannot do without plastic in many areas—for reasons of hygiene, product protection, or cost. The environmental footprint of some plastic packaging is also surprisingly positive, even when compared to paper.
Nevertheless, we believe the trend toward fiber-based materials is unstoppable. Barrier papers are performing better and better, and new technologies such as dry-fiber molding give manufacturers hope that they will soon be able to compete with plastics on price as well.

In addition to solutions that clearly look like paper and therefore like wood as a raw material, the material is also conquering “hidden” areas. For example, the Finnish company UPM is developing bioraw materials from wood sources that can replace conventional polyethylene. This “Green-PE” is then used in packaging solutions, for example in Elopak’s“Pure-Pak“. The beverage carton is made from 100% wood-based sources. This is achieved by combining the wood-based polyethylene with a paper outer layer and dispensing with a plastic screw cap.

However, there is a catch here: although bio-based raw materials such as Green PE are also obtained from renewable sources (mainly sugar cane in addition to wood), they are indistinguishable from conventional polyethylene after polymerization. This means that the problems with recycling and, above all, the impact on the ecosystem after the packaging has been used remain virtually the same.

But what would a future look like in which all packaging were made from wood or fiber-based materials?
Let’s imagine a stroll through the local shopping center: At the electronics store, the new smartphone no longer rests in a plastic tray, but in a custom-fit, shock-resistant structure made of compressed straw fiber. At the supermarket, consumers pick up bottles of champagne and shampoo made of dark, elegantly textured cast wood fiber with embossed watermarks. All blister packaging consists of transparent, highly compressed cellulose film. After use, nearly 100% of all everyday packaging goes directly into the standard paper recycling bin without needing to be sorted first. The term “plastic waste” has disappeared from common parlance—packaging is simply a temporary organic resource.

However, this radical shift poses serious conflicts of interest: Meeting global demand for packaging using only wood and plant fibers will drastically increase pressure on forests and agricultural land. The consequences include looming timber shortages, intensive monocultures, and competition for land with food production. Furthermore, the processing of pulp and thermal shaping require enormous amounts of water, energy, and bleaching chemicals. Logistically, too, the material takes its toll: Fiber-based packaging typically has a higher weight than paper-thin plastics, which worsens the transport emissions balance. Since cellulose fibers also become shorter with each recycling cycle, the system remains dependent on a constant supply of primary fibers.

This brief reflection makes one thing very clear: relying on a single material is not the solution. Rather, we must optimize our use of ALL resources in a way that makes sense.