The major packaging manufacturers are beginning to organise themselves in depth to work on sustainable development. After International Paper creating the position of Director of Sustainable Development It is now the turn of the English group DS Smith to appoint its first director of research and development for the replacement of plastics and the development of innovative barrier solutions. And this director is a director. Susana Aucejo's mission is to further develop DS Smith's range of recyclable corrugated cardboard.
His work will focus on the development of technologies that allow paper-based solutions to withstand wide variations in temperature, contact with oxygen, moisture, water vapour and fats. She will lead R&D activities focused on developing sustainable solutions for customers who currently use plastics to ensure the safety of their products.
"Single-use plastic is a huge problem worldwide. With fibre-based packaging that protects products from water, grease or oxygen, there is a huge growth opportunity for sustainable packaging. Fibre-based solutions can create lasting positive change" explains the director.
Susana Aucejo is a chemical engineer with a PhD in food packaging and holds an MBA from IESE Business School, an MSc in food technology from IATA and five patents. Before joining the papermaker, she worked for ITENE, a private research institute specialising in packaging, logistics and mobility technologies, where she was responsible for the packaging segment and R&D Director.
According to studies commissioned by DS Smith in Europe, 1.5 billion tonnes of plastic per year in supermarkets could be replaced by alternative renewable materials.
