TEST Valley Packaging has revealed it is working in partnership with envoPAP to introduce a new material made from agricultural waste to its packaging portfolio.
RAW (Reused Agricultural Waste) Packaging is made from the agricultural waste from sugar cane farms across India. The card and paper will be available in a number of different formats for a range of products including cartons, printing paper, and mailing bags, with ‘room for innovation’ to expand to the likes of void-fill and paper bubble wrap.
Andover-based Test Valley said the bi-product of this commonly grown crop is a sustainable solution to packaging demand. India’s climate mix of sunshine, warm temperatures and precipitation are said to provide perfect growing conditions for sugar cane. Previously, sugar cane waste generated was discarded by farmers.
The manufacturing process is described as exactly the same as that of wood pulp, which is used for paper and cardboard production, and doesn’t consume any more energy. It also provides additional income for farmers.
Test Valley Packaging is the first supplier in the UK to manufacture the product. The company revealed it has been ‘independently tested and proven to perform to exactly the same high-quality standards as wood-pulp based card and paper’. RAW packaging is graded using GSM and can be produced in both brown and white finishes.
Ruth Lowe, sales director at Test Valley Packaging, said, “As a leading packaging provider, we wanted to do something revolutionary in our industry. We are so excited about being able to offer Reused Agricultural Waste as a replacement for paper; this product will literally change the future of packaging for our planet.”
