By producing the paper with regional, natural, unpulped fibers, the material for the product line consumes 50% less carbon, energy, chemicals, and saves approximately 6000 liters of water per ton over alternative processes, said the company.

Scheufelen GmbH specializes in developing high-quality coated premium papers and boards that are exported to more than 40 countries.

Compared to chemical cellulose from wood, grass fiber comes at a significantly lower cost. The fresh-fiber based grass paper can be used for typical graphical applications but also for all corrugated and folding box food packaging applications. Because of its bio-based water and fat barriers, it is also capable of replacing food bags, trays, cups, foils, and cards made of plastics.

Fresh-fiber products offer health benefits over recycled paper, where mineral oil-based inks can migrate to food through contact and possibly even through evaporation. Switzerland has outlawed the use of food packaging from recycled paper, while China has outlawed the import of recycled paper altogether.

The recent increase in funding will be used to scale up proven grasspaper production to significant monthly volumes primarily for food and retail applications, according to Scheufelen’s management.

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