At Linney, we’re often asked about more sustainable material choices.
These conversations usually come from a good place. Clients want to reduce impact, make better decisions and explore new ideas. But quite often, when sustainability comes up, what’s really being asked is: is there something new we should be using instead of paper?
There’s a perception that a more sustainable option must be different. Something innovative. Something that feels like a step change.
This piece is about taking a step back from that assumption.
Because when you look at the data, the infrastructure and the way materials perform in the real world, paper and board still stand out as one of the most practical and sustainable choices for a large proportion of what we produce.
Across print, packaging and temporary display, they continue to deliver in a way that is difficult to match.
That comes down to a combination of factors.
- They are renewable.
- They are widely recyclable.
- They are proven at scale.
- They are commercially viable.
- And they are supported by systems that already exist.
That combination matters.
Across Europe, more than 80% of paper packaging is recycled – that’s almost double plastic, which sits at around 40-42% – and paper and board make up more than 40% of all packaging materials.
This isn’t an ambition.
It’s already happening.
The industry itself has also made significant progress. Carbon emissions per tonne have reduced by around half since the 1990s, supported by more efficient processes and a shift towards renewable energy. Today, around two-thirds of the energy used in European paper production comes from renewable sources, much of it generated within the process itself.
There is also a strong level of governance behind the material.
Paper used within our industry is typically sourced from responsibly managed forests, supported by certification schemes such as FSC and PEFC. These ensure forests are replanted, biodiversity is protected and supply chains are monitored.
With the introduction of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), that level of accountability is increasing further, giving greater confidence in the origin of materials placed on the market.
There is also a common misconception about how raw material is used.
Paper is not the primary driver of tree harvesting. In most cases, forests are managed for the timber industry. The highest- value parts of the tree are used for construction, furniture and other long-life applications.
The paper industry works alongside this, using the remaining material.
That includes smaller trees removed during forest management, the tops and branches that aren’t suitable for timber, and sawmill residues such as wood chips and offcuts. On top of that, recycled fibre plays a growing role, keeping materials in circulation for longer.
So rather than competing with timber, paper production is part of a wider system where material is used efficiently across multiple industries.
That same thinking continues through the production process.
During pulping, fibres are separated using mechanical or chemical methods. The by-products from this process, including lignin and other organic materials, are used to generate energy for the mill itself. This is a key reason why the industry has been able to transition so significantly towards renewable energy.
Other residual materials, such as lime-based compounds and ash, can be reused in agriculture to improve soil quality and balance pH levels.
Nothing is perfect, but very little is wasted.
Alongside this, there’s a practical reality that often gets overlooked.
Paper and board are commercially viable. They are cost-effective, widely available and supported by established supply chains. Many of the newer materials entering the market are still developing, often more expensive, and not yet proven at the volumes required for large-scale retail and brand activity.
End of life is another area where the difference becomes clear.
Paper and board benefit from well-established recycling systems. In most cases, fibres can be recycled around 5 to 7 times before they degrade, significantly extending the life of the material.
Some newer materials are described as biodegradable or compostable. In theory, that sounds positive. In practice, many of these materials require very specific conditions to break down properly. If those conditions aren’t met, they may not degrade as intended.
Others don’t yet have clear or widely accessible recycling routes.
So while they may present well from a sustainability perspective, they don’t always perform that way in real-world systems.
That said, innovation absolutely has a role to play.
Materials such as moulded fibre, mycelium-based packaging and seaweed-derived films are developing quickly, and in some applications they may offer genuine benefits. But they are not yet established at the same scale, cost or infrastructure level as paper and board.
Working across print, packaging and display, we also know that every material has a role and needs to be fit for purpose.
You wouldn’t use paper for a long-term outdoor installation. Equally, you wouldn’t default to plastic for something short-lived and easily recyclable.
The goal isn’t to find one material that does everything.
It’s to make better decisions about the materials we already have.
And this is where paper and board continue to stand out.
Across printed media, packaging, FSDUs and shelf-ready display, they consistently deliver. They protect products, carry print well, move efficiently through supply chains and are widely collected and recycled after use.
They work within systems that already exist.
“Sustainability doesn’t always mean something new. Quite often, it means making better use of the materials we already know work.”
That doesn’t mean we stop looking forward.
But for the majority of what we produce today, paper and board remain among the most practical, scalable and sustainable choices available.
And right now, they continue to do exactly what’s needed.
At scale.
By Scott, head of sustainability at Linney