The difficulties of energy and resource consumption in the forestry and textile industries are being addressed by a new initiative announced by the Finnish VTT Technical Research Centre.
The Energy First initiative aims to serve as a platform for a completely new technology that establishes the prerequisites for the production of products made of recyclable, low-carbon, and energy-efficient fibres.
With the continued growth of global e-commerce, the demand for various fibre-based packaging solutions is projected to grow 5–10 per cent annually, according to data from Statista Market Insights and eMarketer. As such, there is a need to develop scalable, high-quality packaging that is easy to recycle while simultaneously significantly reducing carbon footprint. Within non-wovens, used in napkins and wipes for example, VTT expects a strong shift from traditional products that contain plastic to cellulose-based products.
With a budget of around € 20 million over the next four years, the initiative consists of several projects and will establish a new innovative open-access pilot line in Jyväskylä, Finland. The collaborative research aims at developing and testing commercially viable, sustainable alternatives for cardboard packaging, hygiene products, and non-woven fabrics.
“This new initiative is a pivotal step towards more sustainable and competitive fibre-based products, and has the potential for great impact, thanks to more than 50 industrial partners. We are excited about the prospect of 1:1 commercial projects with companies, driving innovation in energy-efficient paper board production. VTT’s purpose is to bring together people, business, science and technology, paving the way to a sustainable future. The Energy First theme aims to do just that,” says Atte Virtanen, Vice President, Biomaterial Processing and Products at VTT.
The initiative aims to redefine the environmental impact of the forest sector and improve the competitiveness of fibre-based goods, while also reducing the use of water and energy. Resource efficiency is increased when things are made lighter so that more can be produced for consumer usage using the same quantity of wood.
