> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.packagingeurope.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Looking at the next generation of fibre-based packaging materials - URL: https://www.packagingeurope.com/looking-at-the-next-generation-of-fibre-based-packaging-materials/ - Published: 2026-11-09T13:50:01.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-09T13:51:24.000Z - Author: Packaging Europe staff writers - Tags: Comment, #homepage-comments, #homepage-featured, Renewables **In this article, Cait Green, Pack4Good Brand Engagement Manager at Canopy (an NGO that tackles deforestation) takes a look at how alternative materials made from agricultural waste could become the future of fibre-based packaging.** --- These are complex times in which to do business, and the paper packaging industry is not immune from complexities. Currently, wood fibre-dependent supply chains are in a difficult spot. Due to issues around climate events like fires, and geopolitical situations, wood fibre supply is tightening, price volatility is rising, disruptions are more likely, and evolving regulations are raising the cost of compliant fibre. The widespread shift away from single-use plastics to paper packaging, called “paperization”, is also a driver of increased demand for wood fibre. All of this adds up to possible materials shortages or increased expenses in procurement. This is a major stressor — if a company can’t procure its feedstock at the right price, quality and volume, they can’t make products, and risk not being able to meet commitments further up the supply chain. In scanning the policies of some of the largest paper packaging producers globally, it’s easy enough to glean that the industry does not currently have measures in place to address increasing constraints on responsibly sourced virgin wood fibre or to protect Ancient and Endangered Forests. Any company working with these large producers should understand that there is risk of non-certified, ecologically important forest fibre ending up in your supply chain. There is a great deal of virgin wood fibre in the paper packaging supply chain, and not enough transparency in the sourcing of said fibre. At the same time, policies like the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) are increasing requirements for due diligence on complex wood fibre supply chains and potentially driving up costs. The supply of credibly certified, low risk forest fibre does not meet current or projected future demand. Even quality recycled fibre supplies, which remain an essential and low-impact option to virgin wood, are becoming constrained in some regions. The industry cannot thrive and meet future demand without diversifying feedstocks. Next-gen fibres for paper packaging are a viable solution to these problems. These alternative fibres are most often made from agricultural residues, like wheatstraw leftover after harvest that would normally be burned (\~195 million tonnes of agricultural residues are burned in fields every year). Uptake of next-gen can help a company avoid sourcing risk as it is often local and not subject to geopolitical shifts. Next-gen fibre has the triple benefit of being good for business by diversifying supply, good for the planet by taking sourcing pressure off forests and reducing pollution, and good for local economies by creating revenue streams for farmers and sorters. Next-gen fibre is also a strong option in the face of new policies. It can take the guesswork out of how to meet regulations, like EUDR, as it avoids forests altogether. The environmental benefits are compelling. LCA studies show that, compared to virgin tree fibre, each tonne of next-gen fibre avoids an estimated four tonnes of GHG emissions on average and carries significantly lower impacts on land use and biodiversity. Canopy has just published [*Seeing the Forest and the Field,* ](https://canopyplanet.org/news/seeing-the-field-and-the-forest) an economic modeling report that takes an illustrative sourcing scenario and asks the question: At what all-in cost is next-gen pulp competitive with conventional, virgin wood pulp on a risk-adjusted basis for consumer paper­ board? The report contains a great deal of technical information (for example, I now know the difference between an air-dried tonne and a bone-dry tonne of fibre) and economic methodology, but the key findings show that replacing 5-10% of conventional wood inputs with next-gen pulp offers a practical, near-term option to reduce exposure to wood pulp price volatility and prepare for emerging policy requirements. This level of uptake will also unlock scaling opportunities, particularly where qualified feedstock, paper and packaging production and demand intersect. Improved performance and increased uses of next-gen could add up to cost savings for companies, especially if the cost of wood pulp continues to increase as it has in the past. Right now, additional performance advantages are being discovered, tested, and proven including the use of next-gen fibres to lightweight packaging, which reduces transport costs and climate impacts, and using next-gen fibre to increase the strength of recycled fibre packaging. Global supply chain issues like forest fires, regulations, and costs increases from a constrained supply aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The need to diversify, as well as the economic possibilities of next-gen, can get decision-makers in paper packing production thinking about the possible uses and price thresholds of these alternative fibres. And scaling these solutions will have an uplifting bonus, in that they can help keep forests standing and doing what they do best — playing their vital role in keeping the planet liveable. **If you liked this story, you might also enjoy:** [*The ultimate guide to global packaging sustainability regulation in 2026*](https://packagingeurope.com/features/report-the-ultimate-guide-to-global-packaging-sustainability-regulation-in-2026/14625.article/) [*PPWR timeline: the key dates to know*](https://packagingeurope.com/features/ppwr-timeline-the-key-dates-to-know/14377.article) [*A closer look at the most innovative packaging solutions*](https://packagingeurope.com/features/the-ultimate-guide-to-packaging-innovation-in-2026/13821.article) [*Strategic learnings from the Sustainable Packaging Summit*](https://packagingeurope.com/features/strategic-learnings-from-the-2025-sustainable-packaging-summit/13750.article)