Innovating for tomorrow: How the pulp and paper industry is turning the page for a sustainable future Stefano Cinquina, Global Business Line Manager for Pulp and Paper, ABB Process Industries

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
This article covers the first in a three-part series of industry
papers exploring real progress in the pulp and paper sector. Future
papers will dive deeper into the themes of decarbonizing operations
and improving resource efficiency, highlighting how companies are
tackling these pressing issues with ingenuity and collaboration.
Sustainability as a business imperative
Sustainability is no longer just a compliance requirement or
a strategy to conserve resources – it has become a fundamental
business imperative and a driver of innovation within the pulp and
paper industry. Leaders in this space recognize that their success
lies in maintaining the balance between environmental responsibility
and financial performance.
ABB’s industry paper on innovations within sustainability
in the pulp and paper industry highlights how companies are
embedding these principles into their core strategies, using
innovation to align environmental stewardship with business growth.
This perspective is echoed by Tracy Wessels, Group Head of
Sustainability and Investor Relations at Sappi, who states: “We have
integrated sustainability into all parts of our business – it’s part of our
value proposition.”
This ethos is not new to the industry. Historically, pulp
and paper companies have championed responsible forestry
and pollution reduction, laying a strong foundation for today’s
achievements. However, there is a noticeable shift in perspective:
sustainability is now seen as an opportunity, not an obligation.
Companies are proactively embedding it into their core operations,
not only to meet government regulations but because it aligns with
long-term business growth and societal impact.
Central to this progress is the industry’s commitment to
innovation. Achieving net-zero papermaking requires collaboration
across supply chains, developing technologies to reduce energy use
and emissions. At the same time, companies are investing in value
chain innovations to improve fiber recycling, explore alternative
materials and optimize processes.
These efforts illustrate a critical point: sustainability is not
a constraint – it is the gateway to pioneering new approaches,
diversifying products, and meeting the expectations of
environmentally conscious consumers. By doing so, the pulp and
paper industry can lead the charge toward a circular economy and a
low-carbon future.
Paper-based packaging as a plastic substitute
As environmental concerns about plastic waste escalate, the
pulp and paper industry has emerged as a key player in developing
sustainable alternatives. Paper-based packaging, with its renewable
and biodegradable properties, offers a solution to the global reliance
on single-use plastics. Yet this innovation comes with its own set of
challenges.
Jurgita Girzadiene, Sustainability and Better Planet
Packaging Director at Smurfit Westrock, highlights the complexity of
developing paper alternatives:
“The main challenge in developing paper-based alternatives
is that paper would acquire some properties given by plastic, but
would remain renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable. That
means, if we give paper a property of barrier to water by applying
coating, that coating should not hinder the recyclability at the
packaging end of life.”
This challenge underscores the importance of collaborative
innovation. ABB’s technologies, such as energy efficient drives
and process optimization solutions, are enabling mills to enhance
productivity while developing paper-based alternatives that meet
both environmental and performance standards.
And industry players are making progress. Finland’s
Metsä Group, for example, has pioneered its Muoto™ 3D fiber
line, leveraging molded pulp technology to create lightweight yet
durable packaging solutions. These innovations demonstrate that
paper-based products can match the strength and functionality of
traditional plastics while operating on renewable energy.
Figure 2: Paper-based packaging, with its renewable and biodegradable properties, offers a solution to the global reliance on
single-use plastics.
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