1 Feb. 2024: In the wake of the climate targets set by the federal, state and EU governments, companies in many sectors are currently under pressure to act. Investments in sustainable production methods, energy-saving processes and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are therefore inevitably without alternative. The situation is completely different in the paper industry. For years, it has been one of the major role models when it comes to sustainability.
Nevertheless, it is not resting on its laurels, but is endeavouring to exploit untapped potential. One example of the industry's commitment is the Modellfabrik-Papier (paper model factory), in which various companies from the paper manufacturing industry are working together to test new energy-saving and climate-neutral technologies.
The paper industry is a sustainability pioneer
High energy consumption and greenhouse emissions are a major challenge for many industries in the industrial sector. Companies in the paper manufacturing and processing industry are showing how this can be done. In the period from 1990 to 2020, CO2 emissions fell by around 50 per cent per tonne of paper. Overall, the paper and pulp industry only accounts for a negligible 0.8 per cent of total emissions in the EU. However, the industry is also doing well in terms of other aspects of sustainability. Energy efficiency plays a decisive role in the ongoing reduction of the ecological footprint. Producers already cover more than half of their primary energy consumption with renewable energy sources. Of this, over 50 per cent is generated from biomass.
It can be assumed that solar power will also gain in importance in the future. How quickly and to what extent energy from photovoltaic systems will become a central energy source currently depends heavily on the development of corresponding storage technologies. Another factor is the utilisation of raw materials. In the past, much of the wood used for paper production came from overexploitation and unsustainable forestry. Nowadays, sourcing from sustainable wood sources is a priority in many places. Institutions such as FSC certification, which requires strict environmental and social standards along the entire production chain, have also ensured this. Sustainable supply chains also take into account the resource-saving purchase of wood within the EU.
Modellfabrik-Papier ("Model factory paper") shows existing potential
What sets the paper industry apart from others is that leading manufacturers recognised early on how efficiency, sustainability and the opportunity to reduce costs work together. The willingness to invest in innovative processes and concepts has therefore always been quite high. However, the idea of progress in the paper producing and converting industry does not only thrive on competition between the big players, but also on co-operation. This is best illustrated by the so-called Model Factory Paper, which is currently being built in the Innovation Quarter in Düren. The research centre is expected to be completed in 2024 and will serve as a laboratory for sustainable technologies and solutions in the paper industry. Twenty well-known companies as well as the federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia are involved in the forward-looking project. The focus is on the climate-neutral production and processing of paper. Various research institutes such as RWTH and FH Aachen and TU Darmstadt were already involved in the conception and planning phases. The innovation network is intended to ensure that the industry remains competitive on an international level. In the long term, the aim is to maintain and further expand around 10,000 jobs in the Rhine region.
New environmentally friendly packaging solutions
The industry has been focussing on the use of recycled materials for many years. This is precisely why resource consumption and efficiency have steadily increased. The Packaging Materials Act, which has been in force since 2019, also stipulates the return and recycling of packaging materials put into circulation. By consistently returning used materials to the production cycle, the paper industry is already close to the ideal model of a circular economy. At the same time, market leaders are researching new fibre materials that further reduce the amount of wood required for paper production. One example of innovative packaging solutions that can partially replace conventional paper is paper made from the silphia plant. Thanks to its particularly high proportion of cellulose fibres, the plant is ideal for the production of resource-saving packaging solutions. Fibres made from bamboo and sugar cane are also already in use in some areas.
Synergies with digitalisation and AI
Just a few years ago, there were concerns that digitalisation could cause problems for the industry. Although the need for paper has actually fallen in many offices as a result of the switch to electronic information and document exchange, it remains extremely relevant as a medium and, most recently, as a packaging material. More decisive than the question of the role of paper in the digital age is therefore the question of important synergy effects. The focus here is particularly on AI assistance systems that can analyse large volumes of data and thus make the recycling cycle even more efficient. Various pilot projects conducting research in this direction are working on solutions that react independently to changing waste paper qualities and automatically adjust key parameters. The virtual AI assistant can also be useful for downstream quality controls.