As demand for fibre-based packaging continues to grow, Ramona Shellard, sales director at WEPA Professional UK, explores why the industry must rethink its dependence on virgin pulp and how alternative and recycled fibres could help reshape the future of packaging.
Demand for paper-based packaging is rising as businesses move away from plastic and strengthen sustainability commitments. The UK paper packaging market alone is projected to grow by 6.5% by 2030. But as fibre packaging demand increases, so does pressure on the raw materials behind it.
At the same time, the industry’s long-standing reliance on virgin pulp, wood fibre sourced directly from forests, is coming under greater scrutiny as businesses look to reduce environmental impact and improve resource efficiency.
This shift is also being accelerated by wider circular economy targets. Europe, for example, is aiming to double its circularity rate to 24% by 2030, increasing pressure on manufacturers to recover more value from existing materials and reduce dependence on virgin resources.
The environmental cost of virgin pulp
The environmental impact of virgin pulp production is becoming harder for businesses to ignore. Paper and packaging products account for around 13–15% of total wood consumption and 33–40% of globally traded industrial wood, placing significant pressure on forestry resources while also contributing to deforestation and biodiversity loss.
Processing virgin pulp into packaging materials is also highly resource intensive. Large volumes of water and energy are required throughout pulping and bleaching, which contributes to carbon emissions and places additional strain on vulnerable ecosystems in producing regions.
As scrutiny around material sourcing grows, businesses are starting to look beyond traditional fibre models. The conversation is no longer centred solely around recyclability, but around how to reduce dependence on virgin materials altogether.
Lessons from hygiene paper innovation
Many of the innovations already seen in hygiene paper could offer useful lessons for fibre-based packaging. Recycled inputs such as Old Corrugated Containers (OCC) and alternative non-wood virgin fibres demonstrate how alternative raw materials can support lower-impact production models.
Recovery and reuse of OCC demonstrate how existing packaging materials can remain in circulation for longer through closed-loop systems, extending fibre value across multiple uses before disposal. Recycled packaging materials also require less intensive processing than traditional bleached paper products, helping to reduce water, energy and chemical use during production.
Meanwhile, alternative non-wood virgin fibres such as Miscanthus grass, can be cultivated on marginal land with minimal inputs, requiring no irrigation or annual replanting. It regenerates annually, reducing pressure on forests while offering a renewable alternative to traditional wood pulp. Its ability to be cultivated closer to end markets could also shorten packaging supply chains and reduce transport emissions.
Where white packaging is still preferred, alternative non-wood virgin fibres offer a lower-impact option that avoids the same level of bleaching associated with virgin pulp production. Together, these approaches support circular economy principles by keeping materials in use for longer and reducing waste.
Commercial reality and adoption challenges
Despite strong progress in innovation, large-scale adoption remains complex. Much of the packaging industry still relies on systems designed around virgin pulp, from long-established sourcing networks to large-scale production processes. Alternative fibres are not yet available at the same scale in every market, while collection and recovery infrastructure continues to evolve. This can make it more difficult for businesses to introduce newer fibre solutions while maintaining the consistency and reliability expected across existing packaging supply chains.
Even so, the growing demand for more sustainable packaging is continuing to drive change across the sector. Unbleached brown packaging is now widely used across retail and e-commerce environments, with many consumers increasingly viewing these materials as a visible sign of sustainability rather than a compromise on quality.
Rethinking fibre for a circular packaging future
Alternative and recycled fibres are becoming an increasingly practical way for the packaging industry to reduce its dependence on virgin pulp. Although adoption will take time, regenerative non-wood virgin fibres from crops and recycled inputs like OCC demonstrate how lower-impact materials can support a more circular approach to fibre sourcing.
Greater use of these materials, alongside closed-loop recovery systems, helps keep packaging materials in circulation for longer while reducing pressure on forest resources. The challenge is no longer whether alternative fibres have a role to play, but how quickly supply chains can adapt to support them at scale.