You joined the Advisory Board this year - tell us what motivated you to do so.
We at Paptic see that PRIMA is such an inspiring and fruitful venue to meet current and potential customers and value chain partners. Partnerships between different kinds of players is essential and more valuable than ever to us as an innovation company, and to all parties to promote and advance the transition from plastics to fibre-based, at-scale-recyclable packaging solutions. In earlier years PRIMA has been offering really interesting insights as well as new contacts, and therefore it was a privilege to have this chance. PRIMA is the event to gather the change-makers together!
As an SME in the paperisation value chain, what are the key opportunities and challenges that you see in the near-medium term?
Paptic's focus is on replacing the use of plastic film in flexible packaging. We see the upcoming packaging regulation as an opportunity and the driving force in the transition towards circular and systemic resource efficient solutions. That is naturally supported by the large, multi-stakeholder understanding of the issues related to excess use of plastic. The role of the new Paptic materials is to supplement the variety of conventional paper products; for example to replace the last plastic component in the packaging, e.g. the protective component that is in direct contact towards a sensitive surface of the actual purchased goods.
New ways of thinking and collaboration are needed to make the change. The paperisation trend and the regulation have raised the importance of design for recycling now to the key position, which is an excellent direction. With good design and the combination of different fibre-based materials the whole packaging solution can be made recyclable and circular, to meet the upcoming regulatory requirements already today.
In terms challenges, there are still many details missing from the regulatory packages, but the collaboration, again, is really good. The role of innovative, circular and low-carbon materials will be emphasised, I believe, combined with the functionalities of the packaging. In the bigger picture, though, the major concern for us all is the instability of the global economy.
What are you looking forward to hearing discussed at PRIMA this year?
This year I will be excited to hear the CEOs' views of the development in paper and packaging as well as on the economy more generally, as well as their take on the revised climate targets. The forest-based industry is one of the leading industries in making the low-carbon future a reality with bio-based, circular solutions. It will be exciting also to hear of the new innovations as well as the brands' experiences of the transition to circularity. I’m expecting to see well-developed examples of the power of the long-term collaboration over the value chain.
