ABB has launched a series of industry papers as part of its global Real Progress sustainability program for the process industries, highlighting innovation in pulp and paper. Each report in the three-part series will have a dedicated focus on how the industry is evolving for a more sustainable future. Recognizing the significant progress that has already been made, the papers shine a light on customers’ impacts in the value chain and how they are enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future with technology leadership in electrification and automation.
The first paper, titled “Innovating for tomorrow: How the pulp and paper industry will be turning the page for a sustainable future”, examines the industry’s crucial role in building a more sustainable world. The next two papers will be released in early 2025.
The inaugural paper features in-depth interviews and contributions from industry leaders in businesses including Metsä Group, Metsäteollisuus, Modellfabrik Papier, Sappi, Smurfit Westrock, Södra and UPM China. These organizations have shared their specific initiatives that are reshaping the industry’s approach to sustainability, such as Smurfit Westrock’s development of paper-based packaging alternatives to plastic, and Södra’s production of renewable textile fibers from recycled clothing and materials.
As the world grapples with the issues of climate change, resource scarcity and the overproduction and overconsumption of plastic, the pulp and paper industry is increasingly recognized as a key player in the global transition to a circular economy and net-zero future. Innovations across the pulp and paper value chain are proving instrumental as alternatives to fossil-fuel-based products and solutions for industrial decarbonization.
“The pulp and paper industry is uniquely positioned to lead the way in sustainable industrial transformation,” said Stefano Cinquina, Global Business Line Manager for Pulp and Paper, ABB Process Industries. “With this series of industry papers, we’re not only celebrating the significant strides of our customers and partners but also aiming to inspire others by showcasing the progress and real-world solutions driving us toward a sustainable future.”
Tracy Wessels, Group Head of Sustainability and Investor Relations at Sappi, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainable practices: “We have integrated sustainability into all parts of our business – it’s part of our value proposition. Sustainable packaging is not only a huge opportunity for us as a business – as consumers are becoming more conscious of the environmental concerns of using plastic – but we know we can create products that will benefit the world. Plastic is extensively used as the primary barrier in food packaging. We are innovating through our value chains, and with our customers and research institutes as to how we can develop paper-based solutions that offer the same barrier technology or protection.”
Jurgita Girzadiene, Sustainability and Better Planet Packaging Director at Smurfit Westrock, shared her perspective on why collaboration is so important for the industry at large: “In paper-based packaging we must keep finding innovative ways to reuse our resources. Sometimes, you need to go outside your own mill, your own company, and your own community to find synergies. At Smurfit Westrock we are a largely decentralized organization, with an approach of ‘think global, act local’ – so we believe in empowering our people at the local level to harness opportunities in innovation where they can.”
For more than 70 years, ABB has supported the pulp and paper industry with solutions that drive operational excellence. By deploying advanced automation, digitalization, and electrification solutions, ABB helps its customers to enhance productivity, optimize energy use, and significantly reduce waste. From streamlined process control to predictive maintenance and resource-efficient operations, ABB’s technologies enable pulp and paper companies to make measurable progress toward a more sustainable and productive future.
The first paper in the series is now available at: https://new.abb.com/pulp-paper/campaigns/innovating-for-tomorrow-how-the-pulp-paper-industry-is-turning-the-page-for-a-sustainable-future
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