From sugar beet pulp to sustainable paper

The two companies collaborated to develop a new method to make paper and packaging materials from beet pulp as a sustainable alternative to wood fibres. “The wood-free sugar beet fibres can be used in direct contact with foodstuffs,” explains Jan Rops, product manager at Crown van Gelder. Crown van Gelder, which will also supply the new product to other customers, produces 180,000 tonnes of paper every year. “You don’t need heat and chemicals to remove wood dust from this product. This reduces the environmental impact by about 80% in comparison with traditional methods of working with wood fibre.”

In addition, sugar beet are grown throughout the Netherlands and are harvested just seven months or so after being sown. Cosun Beet Company has been an ardent advocate of packing granulated sugar in sugar beet paper for many years. “We are delighted that it is now technically and financially possible,” enthuses Richelle van Helten, Cosun Beet Company’s export manager and brand manager Consumer Products. “The paper reflects our ambition of being the greenest and most innovative sugar beet processor in the world.” 

Speckles
Cosun Beet Company will initially use the sugar beet paper to pack its 25 kg industrial bags and Van Gilse’s well known one kilo bags. The kilo bag will also have a new design. The logo will make clear that the bag is made from sugar beet. “We will then increase the applications step by step,” adds Richelle, “including our 750 gram bags.” She also explains that the speckles in the beet pulp paper “tell the wonderful story that a production circle has been closed and a residual flow has been re-used to make a valuable product.”

Watch the feature that broadcaster RTLZ made about the collaboration here.

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