European Paper Bag Day

Submitted by: Holly Coulton October 18, 2018

Today is European Paper Bag Day – a day to raise awareness of paper carrier bags as a sustainable and efficient means of  packaging

Launched by The Paper Bag platform, the purpose of the day is to celebrate and inform consumers on the benefits of using paper bags. The 18th of October will be the first European Paper Bag Day and will be hosted annually.

There are plenty of advantages to paper bags. Not only are they easy to recycle and are biodegradable, but there are other less obvious benefits to consider too.

Paper bags are reusable, recyclable and made from renewable wood fibres. As a wood-based product, paper bags also store carbon dioxide throughout their lifetime.

Not only are paper bags the sustainable choice, they are also preferred by consumers for being strong, reliable and an attractive means of packaging. There are plenty more benefits and facts available on The Paper Bag’s website and you can read their fact sheets here.

Global packaging manufacturer and Two Sides members, Smurfit Kappa are getting behind the initiative and working alongside the Sangüesa Paper Mill and the Navarra government in Spain, to distribute 130,000 paper bags across the region.

Drawing on their high quality paper portfolio, Smurfit Kappa created strong and durable paper bags suitable for food contact and wet conditions, and have circulated them to local shops and supermarkets across the Navarra region.

Isabel Elizalde, Navarra’s Regional Minister for the Environment said, ““It’s great to see companies like Smurfit Kappa making a real environmental difference at such a local level. Working together, knowing that the future is better if we make it sustainable, results in paper-based products from our certified forest. Today and tomorrow will be sustainable.”

COO of Smurfit Kappa Paper Europe, Laurent Sellier, added : “We’re delighted to have collaborated with the Navarra Government to support European Paper Bag day as part of our wider initiative, Better Planet Packaging.

“At Smurfit Kappa, we have committed to exploring ways in which paper packaging can be used as a sustainable alternative. Paper is 100% recyclable and has the least impact on the environment so it is a viable option for many products.”

To read more see:

Smurfit Kappa Celebrate European Paper Bag Day
The Paper Bag – European Paper Bag Day
CEPI – Eurokraft

You may also be interested in:
The Importance of Sustainability in Packaging

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