Smurfit Westrock: Blazing a Trail in Sustainable Packaging

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Smurfit Westrock's sustainable paper pallet wrap
Smurfit Westrock's all-paper stretch wrap designed for pallet transportation aligns with the company’s focus on reducing environmental impact

Global packaging company Smurfit Westrock has launched its latest innovation in sustainable packaging: an all-paper stretch wrap designed for pallet transportation.

The product aligns with the company’s focus on reducing environmental impact while supporting brands striving for sustainability throughout their supply chains.

Sharing the announcement on LinkedIn, the company said: “Companies that have built a brand around sustainability want to carry that same ethos throughout their supply chain.

Smurfit Westrock was formed through the recent merger of Smurfit Kappa and Westrock

“Smurfit Westrock partnered with British glass manufacturer Encirc to replace its plastic stretch wrap for pallets with a 100% paper-based alternative – Better Planet Packaging that reduces carbon emissions and simplifies the recycling process.”

Reducing emissions across supply chains

Formed through the recent merger of Smurfit Kappa and Westrock, Smurfit Westrock has quickly established itself as a leader in sustainable packaging solutions. Its new paper pallet wrap addresses the growing demand for greener supply chains by targeting Scope 3 emissions – indirect emissions associated with a company’s operations, such as those from purchased goods and transport.

The wrap offers a fully recyclable, paper-based alternative to traditional polyethylene stretch wrap, which is commonly used to stabilise pallet loads during transport. This shift to a paper solution aligns with increasing global and regional legislation aimed at reducing carbon footprints and improving sustainability across industries.

The global stretch wrap market, valued at US$4.27bn in 2023, is projected to grow significantly, and innovative solutions like Smurfit Westrock’s paper wrap signal an important shift toward more sustainable practices.

Jemma Jones, National Account Manager at Smurfit Westrock

Jemma Jones, National Account Manager at Smurfit Westrock, emphasised the potential impact of the new solution, saying: “Like Smurfit Westrock, Encirc is committed to the circular economy and immediately recognised the significant CO2-reducing potential of the paper wrap.

“If they switched entirely to the paper wrap, it would lead to an extremely significant reduction of emissions.”

Jones added: “Traditional stretch wrap is the go-to for many companies, but our paper-based alternative does as good a job and – vitally – is much easier to recycle at the end of use.”

Features and benefits of paper pallet wrap

The paper wrap, made from Nertop Stretch Kraft paper, is fully recyclable and designed to perform well in demanding conditions, including high humidity. Its energy-absorbing properties make it a reliable alternative to traditional plastic stretch wraps.

This product is the latest innovation in Smurfit Westrock’s Better Planet Packaging portfolio, which focuses on reducing the environmental impact of packaging across a variety of industries. The Better Planet Packaging paper wrap is manufactured at the company’s Nervión paper mill in Spain, reflecting Smurfit Westrock’s commitment to sustainable production.

Encirc, a prominent British glass manufacturer, is the first company in the UK to adopt this paper-based pallet wrap. Recognising the impact of the new solution, Encirc named Smurfit Westrock its Sustainability Champion during a partnership event in September.​​​​​​​ 

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Peter Ball, Head of Planning at Encirc, highlights the importance of sustainable supply chain solutions: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Encirc. It's heartening that 85% of our beverage customers say that our sustainability credentials made them choose Encirc.

“We recognise how important supply chain solutions are to all our business partners. To this end, Encirc has been working with Smurfit Westrock to replace single-use plastic with a paper alternative, which is a first for the UK glass-making and bottle-filling industry.”

A collaboration for circular economy

Encirc, part of the Vidrala Group, is a major supplier of glass containers in the UK and Ireland. The company operates from two purpose-built sites in Derrylin, Northern Ireland, and Elton, Cheshire, and employs 1,200 people. It produces more than 2.5 billion glass containers annually and has the capacity to fill up to 250 million litres of beverages per year.

By adopting Smurfit Westrock’s paper pallet wrap, Encirc takes a significant step toward aligning its operations with a circular economy model. This collaboration highlights the growing demand for sustainable innovations that can address carbon emissions and improve recyclability.

As the industry shifts towards greener alternatives, Smurfit Westrock’s partnership with Encirc exemplifies how companies can work together to drive meaningful environmental change.

Peter Ball concluded: “We are proud to be working alongside Smurfit Westrock to set a new standard in sustainability for the glass-making and bottle-filling industry.”


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