As part of its major r&D plan announced last May DS Smith has launched several studies to replace wood fibers and plastics with new, more sustainable alternatives. The London-based cardboard packaging manufacturer is working on alternatives to wood, including straw, hemp, cotton, perfoliated silphia and miscanthus (herbaceous plants), as well as agricultural waste such as cocoa shells and bagasse (pulp fiber from sugar cane).
And among the different natural materials that the group studies, "algae presents many exciting and innovative opportunities to help us create the next generation of sustainable paper and packaging solutions." says Thomas Ferge, DS Smith's paper and board development manager.
Algae fibers could be used as raw material in the manufacture of paper and packaging and as protection for food packaging.
The group has been testing the potential of algae to replace single-use plastic as a barrier coating to replace petroleum-based packaging used to protect foodstuffs. And the British company is in discussions with several biotech companies to explore the use of these fibers in a range of packaging products including cartons, paper packaging and paperboard trays.
The seaweed industry alone could represent more than 9 billion euros by 2030, and generate 115,000 jobs in Europe (according to the Seaweed for Europe: Hidden champion of the ocean report - October 2020).
