Project Facts
Location
Germany
Hennef
Project Dates
Start: 2011
In operation since/from: 2024
The Story
Creapaper provides the paper industry with a new, patented raw material, grassfiber. Grassfiber is converted into grasspaper and further into ecological consumer products or packaging. Grassfiber is processed in an IP protected, specialized, purely mechanical way without any chemicals. This procedure is highly energy- and resource-efficient. Only 2 liters of water and 0.2 MWh energy are needed for the production of one ton of grassfiber which is over 90% less than what is needed to produce traditional wood pulp. Grassfiber is free of harmful substances and certified for food contact. Creapaper introduced own grasspaper products with the goal to substitute single-use plastics, especially drinking straws, coffee-to-go-cups and bags.
For high performance packaging and bags, they are developing a 100% wood free material based on a combination of textile waste and grass which will be suitable for multi-use thus adding to circular economy goals. With more than 50 pilot projects with ecofriendly grasspaper products Creapaper has already realized a presence with brand owners, supermarket chains and retailers, among them DUNI, REWE, ALDI, EDEKA and IKEA.
Today they can meaningfully supplement almost anything made from pulp with grass fiber and thus save trees. Their paper products are excellent for finishing and printing, have an impact on active climate protection and show sustainability at first glance. CO2 emissions are reduced by 75% compared to the production of wood pulp.
Success Factor | Hero Moment
The defining moment was when they held the first sheet of paper made of grass fiber and fresh fiber - self-drawn - in their hands. The first products strengthened their self-confidence and showed that they were – and still are - on the right track to replace virgin fiber pulp to a large extent, thus achieving greater sustainability in paper production. The next step was the first machine testing at Renker, which showed the possibility of industrial scale use.
Surely one of the most outstanding “hero moments” was the presentation of the IKU-prize (Innovation Prize for Climate and Environment) in 2018. The German Federal Ministry of the Environment honors industrially usable innovations that protect the environment and climate every two years. Testing in the top discipline, the tissue segment, was another highlight.
Submitter
creapaper GmbH, Germany,
Contact Mail
pr@creapaper.de
Website
www.creapaper.de/
