Paper’s roots can be traced back to Ancient Egypt and the use of papyrus as a paper-like plant-based writing sheet. The first true papermaking process was documented in China during the Eastern Han period (25–220 AD), but it wasn’t until the 11th Century that papermaking was brought to Europe.
Since then, changes in the raw materials, manufacturing, and its structure and strength bring us to today, where paper is a wholly fibre-based product that can be used for many different purposes.
Luckily, you don’t have to travel as far or wait so long to see the latest innovations in paper. Paper is an important part of the London Packaging Week 2025 experience, where there’s plenty to see and touch and be inspired to put paper at the heart of your next packaging project.
Future-forward legacy
A chief architect in the way paper is viewed and used by the packaging industry today is James Cropper (H56). With a history dating back to the mid-19th Century, the company has positioned itself at the heart of today’s papermaking industry in the UK and internationally.
This includes being the first company to develop coloured paper almost 170years ago. This heritage has been reinforced by Coloursource, a portfolio of 50 vibrant coloured colours. As Coloursource papers are available in nine weights and 36 embossings, the portfolio is suited for diverse applications, ranging from stationery to retail bags and packaging to archival materials. For projects that demand bespoke colours, James Cropper’s colour lab also offers a market-leading colour matching service that can develop custom shades.
As well as celebrating colour, James Cropper has a long-standing passion for developing and producing the finest natural and renewable materials. With a strategic goal focused on sustainable growth, lightweighting, decarbonisation, upcycling, and recycling are all important elements in the work to make paper the most creative and circular packaging material. Take its CupCycling® initiative for example, whereby coffee outlets, cafés, retailers, and other businesses can send used paper cups to be recovered and repurposed as bespoke luxury packaging papers and moulded fibre products.
Also dating back to the 1800s and with deep knowledge and vast experience of papermaking is Gmund Paper (H42). The company’s papers are manufactured at a dedicated production site in Gmund at Lake Tegernsee in the Bavarian region of Germany, with over 100,000 different types of paper available. They are supplied in a variety of textures, colours and materials, such as hemp, cotton and other fast-growing fibres. 100% recycled papers, under the Gmund Used collection, and the Cradle to Cradle® (C2C) Silver certified Gmund Colors collection, exemplify the company’s commitment to sustainability.
Favini (H40) has been producing paper from the province of Vicenza in Italy since 1736, with a particular focus since the 1990s on creating products that are in harmony with nature, using more sustainable, high-quality, and sustainable processes and raw materials.
Remake, for example, is FSC certified, recyclable and biodegradable. This paper includes by-products from the leather-making process that replace up to 25% of the tree cellulose required. A further 40% of the raw material used comes from post-consumer recycled (PCR) fibre and cellulose from managed forests. The paper has a soft and velvety tactile feel that makes it perfect for luxury packaging for high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, Benetton, and Vivienne Westwood.
Refit is made using waste from wool and cotton textile manufacturing processes, as well material from worn out jeans in the case of Refit Denim, which has a stonewashed colour and texture that replicates the look and feel of your favourite old pair of jeans.
All Refit papers include over 50% pre- and post-consumer recycled waste, of which 25% is derived from wool, cotton or denim fibres.
Manifattura del Seveso (J44) is a fellow Italian company that specialises in the production of covering materials for fine publishing and luxury packaging. Italux is a 100% cotton coated cloth product without back paper. It is coated with an acrylic resin, which makes it suited for large-sized heavy books and packaging, where offset printing, hot foil blocking, blind blocking, die-cutting, creasing, and screen printing can be used to augment the material with a luxury appearance.
Modern thinking
Continuing the innovation coming out of Italy is Fedrigoni (G90) - a global leader in the production of pressure-sensitive materials for labels for wine and the European leader in the production and sale of special papers for graphic design.
Continuous investments in R&D and a relentless drive towards innovation has resulted in Fedrigoni’s products being completely recyclable. The company exclusively uses pulp from forests managed in accordance with internationally-recognised sustainable forestry schemes.
The recent acquisition of Papkot has doubled down on this commitment and accelerated Ferigoni’s role in the transition to plastic-free packaging.
Papkot has pioneered a proprietary coating platform offering an alternative to traditional plastic coatings and biopolymer barriers. The new coating gives packaging high protective properties, such as resistance to water, grease and oils or even glycerol, while being fully recyclable and biodegradable at an industrial scale.
The technology developed by Papkot is based on a nanostructured and fully recyclable material, which is also free from harmful substances like PFAS. Papkot coatings have been extensively validated across a wide range of paper substrates, including virgin and recycled fibres. Ongoing industrial trials are further expanding compatibility to meet the diverse needs of converters and brand owners.
The goal with this technology is to meet growing demand from major food and consumer goods brands for monomaterial flexible packaging, as well as to extend its application into new areas.
Following a similar trend, Sampling Innovations Europe (E70) is addressing the global movement towards sustainable products. It offers a range of sustainable packaging and sampling solutions to the perfume, cosmetic and personal care sectors. This includes mono-material sachets, recyclable spouted and refill pouches, and ampoules featuring PCR content. It has also developed the first scent labels made entirely of paper. These mono-material labels are fully recyclable and claimed to decompose in just 154 days.
Invercote from Holmen (D66) has been a stalwart of sustainable packaging for a number of years. This paperboard is manufactured in Iggesund, Sweden from fresh wood fibres of known and traceable origin from sustainably managed forests. The Holmen mill in Iggesund holds chain-of-custody certification and has an extremely low climate impact due to its energy self-sufficiency.
Invercote is a strong, multi-layered solid bleached board (SBB) that is ideal for a range of end-use applications, including the packaging of premium cosmetics, perfumes, chocolate, pharmaceuticals, and electronics. Invercote is designed to meet the highest demands of image reproduction and is receptive to various surface treatment methods, such as foil and film applications.
Complementing the inherent capabilities of the paperboard, Invercote Touch is an uncoated version that enables brands to create premium packaging products that have a natural look and feel. With the same technical characteristics as other products in the Invercote family, Invercote Touch delivers a tactile experience without compromising on performance.
With this amount of innovation going into paper, it is no surprise that the material is in such high demand from all brands, from high-end haute couture names to high street retailers.
London Packaging Week 2025 takes place at the Excel in London on 15 & 16 October. The show is free to attend and you can register here.