The Importance of New and Recycled Fiber To Maximize the Sustainability of Fiber Packaging
Originally published in International Paper's *Thinking Inside the Box* white paper
Effective leadership in the circular economy requires companies to think carefully about the entire life cycle of their products. With much of modern commerce occurring online, this has led to the development of a complex global supply chain that is often erratic, wasteful and energy intensive. Businesses throughout the value chain, as well as individual consumers, are becoming more aware of how their habits contribute waste to the landfill after use. The packaging industry and packaging users must continue to prioritize renewable solutions that can be easily reused or recovered as a sustainable alternative to products made from nonrenewable resources.
While the circularity story of a corrugated box starts in the forest, it ends with high collection and recovery of this valued natural resource. The fiber-based packaging cycle naturally aligns with the circular economic model. Still, there is always room for improvement in residual loss, resource efficiency, and striving for a closed-loop resource cycle to reduce GHG emissions and prevent pollution.
A point of contention within the fiber-based packaging industry is whether virgin fiber or 100% recycled fiber is more sustainable. At first glance, it might seem that using only recycled fiber would be more sustainable, but recycled fiber is only one part of a sustainable fiber system. The other part is virgin or ‘new’ fiber, which, when sourced from forests whose ecosystems are sustainably managed, plays a critical role in mitigating climate change and promoting biodiversity. While the use of recycled fiber avoids some GHG emissions from landfills, new fiber from sustainably managed forests can support the removal of carbon emissions from the atmosphere.16 Underscoring the need for new fiber inputs is that trees are a renewable natural resource and provide considerable benefits to humans and biodiversity while they are growing in the form of carbon sequestration. Using new fiber maintains the demand for sustainably managed forests.
On average, containerboard producers use 56% recycled fiber in their production process.17 International Paper believes that, in the long run, using a mix of new and recycled fiber is more sustainable. Recent studies on the recyclability of packaging materials show that fibers can be recycled up to 25 times without significant losses in strength properties.18 This is significant, but at some point, the fibers will become brittle and lost. Using a mix of new and recycled fiber increases the useful lifespan of a single corrugated box, because recycled fibers cannot be used indefinitely.
Given the limited reusability of any recyclable material, including wood fiber, businesses labeling their products as 100% recycled fiber are procuring their recycled material from new kraft manufacturers and vertically integrated companies like International Paper. This collaboration within the packaging supply chain requires input in the form of new fiber.
Digital tools and data infrastructure have led to improvements in the recovery process. As a member of the American Forests & Paper Association, International Paper facilities contribute data to the Fiber Box Association Life Cycle Assessment report, which has documented considerable improvements in the overall circularity of the box lifecycle since 2008.
From 2006 to 2020, industry-wide recovery rates increased from 72% to 90%, which reduces both landfill emissions and the requirement for extraneous new fiber production. During the same time, containerboard that was made from 100%-recycled fiber increased from 22.3% to 31.8%.
The introduction of fresh fiber into the system drives the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, while the use of recycled fiber contributes to the avoidance of CO2 and methane from the landfill.19
Looking at either stream of production in isolation has advantages and disadvantages, but the combination of new, fresh fibers and recycled fibers maximizes fiber reuse and enables circularity. By investing in sustainable forest management as well as its recycling infrastructure, true circularity can be brought to the wood fiber value chain.
About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of the world's largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what's next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2023 were $18.9 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com/.
About International Paper - EMEA
In Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), International Paper focuses on the production and marketing of fiber-based packaging and specialty pulp, employing approximately 4,400 people. As a leading supplier of high-quality corrugated containers for a multitude of applications, we serve customers throughout the region from our network of two recycled containerboard mills and 23 box plants in France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Specialty pulp is made in Gdansk, Poland. Other products available from International Paper in the region include a variety of Kraft linerboard and other pulp products.
17 National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF U.S. AVERAGE CORRUGATEDPRODUCT (2020)
18 NCASI, , NC: National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc, Recyclability of paper and paperboard. White Paper (WP-23-03). Cary (2023) [link]
19 National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc, LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF U.S. AVERAGECORRUGATED PRODUCT (2020)
