Renewable, Recyclable, Responsible – Aligning with Consumer Values

The FTSE100 sustainable packaging leader has today announced the appointment of Wouter van Tol as Head of Sustainability and Government Affairs. Reporting to Greg Dawson, Director of Corporate Affairs, van Tol will spearhead sustainability and public affairs across the DS Smith Group including its packaging, paper and recycling divisions. Wouter van Tol joins DS Smith after three years as Global Head of Corporate Responsibility at food packaging company Huhtamaki, where he was responsible for developing and delivering its Packaging for Good sustainability strategy. An industry heavyweight with over two decades of experience, van Tol previously held senior positions in Procter & Gamble, Nestlé and Samsung.

University of Virginia Printing and Copying Services has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print and paper. “We are proud to have UVA Printing and Copying Services join us as a member organization. Our Two Sides coalition of university members is now at 14 and includes many schools with in-house printing facilities, and those that offer graphic communications as well as Paper Science & Engineering programs. They are a key part of our network to ensure the facts about print and paper reach the students, teachers and parents,” said Phil Riebel, Two Sides North America President. Click Read More below for additional information.

A growing number of actual and proposed bans on single-use plastic products, such as grocery bags, straws and water bottles, are feeding a worldwide appetite for bioalternatives, such as reusable, refillable and/or recyclable products and packaging. As a result, we’re seeing renewed markets for existing paper-based products and new opportunities for innovation in plant-based biomaterials. Take a look at some of the latest global efforts to reduce our dependency on plastic: •Canada announced in June that it plans to ban single-use plastics starting in 2021. •Mexico City’s ban on plastic bags, utensils and other disposable plastics will go into effect next year. •New York, California and Hawaii, as well as several major U.S. cities, have banned plastic bags, joining 127 countries that have similar bans or regulations already in place. •Schools in the United Kingdom will eliminate all single-use plastics, including cling film, by 2022. •India, one of the world’s most populated countries, will ban all single-use plastics by 2022. •The European Parliament voted to ban single-use plastic cutlery, straws, stirrers, cotton buds, cups and more in a sweeping initiative that will include all European Union member states. Click Read More below for additional information.