Cepi’s annual two-day event is the premier meeting place for the paper industry and European policymakers. Hosted on 25 November, the event focused on the European paper industry’s significant contribution to the European Green Deal.
The Paper & Beyond event brought together pulp and paper producers, paper and cardboard product manufacturers, technology suppliers, European policymakers, researchers, and press. This year’s programme included a session on ‘Beyond Recycling’, dedicated to 4evergreen and its mission.
This session featured Anna Granskog from McKinsey, who presented their report on how to improve the circularity of fibre-based packaging. They were joined by Eija Hietavuo, the acting chairwoman of 4evergreen; Richard Ali, Vice President of Public Affairs for Huhtamaki; and Alexey Vishtal, Senior Packaging Specialist at Nestlé. Moderated by Cepi’s own Public Affairs and Communications Director, Claire Couet, the panellists discussed the main insights of the study and its strategic recommendations.
They agreed that the McKinsey report brought a baseline for the alliance to understand the value chain better, identify its “blind spots” and set ambitious goals for itself. They also emphasised that circularity requires a holistic view to find appropriate shared solutions. Panellists asked European policymakers to help 4evergreen deliver on its promises by implementing policies built on sound impact assessments.
The session culminated in concluding remarks delivered by Cepi’s Director-General, Jori Ringman. He highlighted that 4evergreen was a unique opportunity for the entire value chain to collaborate and bring the sustainability of fibre-based packaging one step further, going from very good to great!