When a Releaf carrier bag is crumpled, it sounds like autumn leaves crumbling underfoot. That's exactly what's inside: fallen leaves from Parisian avenues have been ground into pulp – without chlorine and with a residual scent of a walk in the woods. Releaf's pilot line at Les Mureaux already produces 100 tonnes per month and uses just 0.002 litres of water and 0.066 kilograms of CO₂ per kilogram of paper. That is around 70 per cent less than the industry average. Although paper is considered environmentally friendly due to its high recycling rate and the use of renewable raw materials, traditional production from wood is increasingly viewed critically due to the immense demand. Wood prices, energy shortages and climate targets are among the challenges facing producers. Reason enough to rethink the raw material base.
A few figures illustrate the scale of this: Europe accounts for a good fifth of global paper production, employs over 180,000 people and generates a turnover of around €100 billion. However, paper production is a resource-intensive process: pulping, refining, screening, dewatering and drying – every stage of the mechanical process determines the energy requirements, water consumption and use of chemicals. Although efficiency can also be increased in traditional paper production, for example by reducing the fresh water requirement to 1 to 2 litres per kilogram of paper through closed cycles, those who use alternative fibres can take it one step further. However, those who use alternative fibres can go one step further, as grass, hemp and cup plant require less lignin breakdown and shorter grinding times. This not only reduces the use of chemicals, but also extends the service life of the technology, for example press and sheet screens. There are at least seven good reasons for new fibres:
- Conserving wood: Short-lived packaging should not consume old spruce trees.
- Preserving biodiversity: Every tree that is not felled remains a habitat.
- Less input: Alternative papers save water, energy and additives.
- CO₂ balance: Grass and bagasse grow annually and bind CO₂ faster than it is released.
- Regional value creation: Silphium grows on our doorsteps, grass grows on embankments and leaves fall everywhere.
- Reducing chemicals: Grass fibres require almost no bleaching.
- Circular economy: Residual materials from agriculture or urban green waste close material cycles.
Who is already supplying these materials?
First, the good news: the development of alternative paper raw materials is no longer a dream for the future – it is already in full swing. And it is running at full speed in Europe. At the forefront is Releaf, a young company with roots in Ukraine that is now active in Estonia and France. Releaf processes fallen leaves from urban ecosystems into stable, breathable paper for bags, cardboard boxes and notebooks. The key feature is that not a single tree has to be felled. The leaves are collected, granulated and broken down into fibre. The result is an industrially compostable paper that decomposes completely within 55 days.
There is also movement in Germany: OutNature, a spin-off of the PreZero Group, is focusing on cup plant, a regional energy crop with a high cellulose content. Cup plant fibres can be processed in existing paper mills to produce a fully recyclable paper that fits well into the material cycle, both ecologically and economically.
NextGenPaper is taking a different approach: the start-up produces paper from bagasse (the fibrous residue left over from sugar cane processing). Combined with a water-based barrier coating, this creates a multi-layer paper that does not require any plastic and yet remains grease-proof, water-repellent and recyclable – ideal for packaging that comes into direct contact with food.
The collaboration between Traceless Materials and packaging giant Mondi goes one step further. Here, barrier papers are produced with a coating made from plant-based residues. They are not only functional, but also completely compostable – without any fossil raw materials or microplastics.
