Unwrapping the role of paper as alternative to flexible plastic packaging

• More than 40 leading organisations and experts call for rapid innovation in paper-based alternatives to help tackle flexible plastic packaging pollution.

• New Ellen MacArthur Foundation report sets critical criteria to ensure paper-based solutions deliver benefits and support a circular economy.

Paper could play a valuable role in tackling plastic pollution, providing an alternative to flexible plastic packaging, according to a new report released by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

The report has been endorsed by 47 businesses, NGOs, investors and academics with a common vision on accelerating innovation to develop and scale paper-based flexible packaging solutions which are designed responsibly.

Flexibles, including sachets, wrappers and pouches, are the fastest-growing type of plastic packaging worldwide. In countries with low formal collection and recycling systems, they are a major source of pollution, making up 80% of the plastic packaging that ends up in oceans.

The Foundation’s report Paper-Based Flexible Packaging – The role it could play in tackling small-format flexible plastic pollution in markets with high leakage rates – is particularly relevant for countries such as India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Paper-based alternatives have the advantage that they can be more easily designed to be both recyclable and biodegradable. In markets where flexible packaging has a high likelihood of ending up in the environment, this would enable them to be recycled once collection and recycling systems are in place, while reducing persistent plastic pollution in the event they do leak into the environment.

But the report also warns that without careful design and sourcing, paper packaging may offer little or no benefit. Endorsed by organisations across the plastics value chain, it defines six criteria as critical to prevent swapping one issue with another, such as plastic pollution with deforestation.

• Responsibly sourced to avoid contributing to forest degradation.

• Responsibly produced to minimise pressure on climate and water resources.

• Meets technical, economic, and consumer needs to be viable in practice.

• Recyclable locally and supported by efforts to scale up collection infrastructure.

• Avoids hazardous chemicals and persistent plastic pollution.

• Fits within a broader, socially inclusive circular economy strategy.

Sander Defruyt, Plastics Strategy Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said:

“Flexible plastic packaging pollution is a systemic challenge – with an estimated 20 trillion items expected to enter our oceans over the next 15 years. There’s no silver bullet, therefore adding paper-based alternatives to the mix helpfully expands the toolbox, complementing other priority solutions such as reusable packaging.

“This will require major innovation and action from industry and policymakers to speed up development and scaling, guided by the six critical criteria in this report to ensure we don’t replace one problem with another.”

While acknowledging promising innovations are emerging, the Foundation’s report highlights that paper-based solutions do not yet exist at the scale, cost or performance needed.

The report calls on businesses and policymakers to accelerate the development of paper-based flexible packaging solutions and establish the safeguards needed to guide their responsible use.

The international circular economy

charity highlights paper-based packaging as one part of the solution – prioritising minimising reliance on small-format flexible packaging of any material, for example, by scaling reuse

models.

Small-format flexible plastic packaging – widely used for everyday items from snacks and shampoo to coffee and milk – is identified as one of three systemic barriers in the Foundation’s 2030 Plastics Agenda for Business. This latest report helps to tackle it by defining the role and guardrails for paper-based alternatives.

Pablo Costa, Global Head of Packaging, Digital & Transformation at Unilever, said:

"Next-generation paper-based flexible packaging is a key focus for Unilever and an industry-wide priority.

“This report is clear on the important role paper will play and what it will take to scale solutions that are desirable for consumers, better for the environment, and viable for businesses.”

Gaurav Goel, Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, said:

“This report, backed by evidence and stakeholder input, sets the initial canvas on challenges and critical conditions to turn the promise of paper flexibles into a scalable reality.

“It strongly emphasises the need to combine judicious material choice and radical material innovation with deep collaboration and data-driven assessment for engineering packaging solutions that protect the product and the planet.”

Notes to editors

Launched in 2010, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international charity accelerating the transition to a circular economy – one that is globally resilient and thrives within planetary boundaries.

The current system for making, using, and disposing of plastics is a primary driver of waste and pollution. By addressing today’s most pressing challenges, our ambition is to deliver systemic change in the areas of plastics and packaging, critical minerals, and fashion and textiles by 2030. Further information: ellenmacarthurfoundation.org: LinkedIn