Solidus

YOUR CIRCULAR PACKAGING PARTNER

Solidus is a leading producer of fibre-based circular packaging. With nearly 150 years of experience, the company’s focus on sustainability and circularity remains central to its goals and in supporting clients’ transitions to more sustainable packaging materials. Head of Sustainability Jesse Rep explained more, in an exclusive interview with Inside Sustainability. Report by Andy Probert.

ASSolidus goes from strength to strength in the packaging industry, its commitment to sustainability is accelerating even faster. The Dutch-based company has been transforming recycled paper-based products into an extensive range of circular packaging made almost 99% from recovered paper.

Owned by New York private equity firm Centerbridge Partners, the company

has five board mills in the Netherlands and Spain, 11 product processing plants and 1,400 employees. Since early 2023, it has appointed a new CEO, rebranded, appointed Jesse Rep as Head of Sustainability and developed its circularity strategy.

“Our purpose is to transform recycled natural resources into circular value propositions which contribute to a cleaner world with less waste,” Mr Rep said.

Promoting a circular economy

The foundations of Solidus can be traced back to the north of the Netherlands in the mid-19th century. At the time, the area’s primary industry was agriculture, specifically grain farming. Straw was a waste product of the industry and used to make cardboard.

This all changed by the late 20th century, when the raw material for producing cardboard switched to recovered paper. Solidus has continued to spread its wings with future-focused production technology and market development. Supported by a targeted acquisition strategy, together

with long-term customers and partners, the company has established clear value propositions on maximising its sustainable ambitions.

Raw materials, predominantly recycled fibres, are sourced from local municipalities and partners. Products, including solid board packaging, tubes, cores, edge protectors and partitions, are utilised across industries in for example from farm to fork applications. The range includes boxes for agricultural produce, innovative packaging for microwavable ready meals, punnets for soft fruit and mushrooms and packaging for meat and fish.

Future proof packaging materials

“We are supporting our customers’ needs for carbon neutral packaging, Solidus Coevorden board mill in the Netherlands has switched from fossil fuel to bio-mass energy, it is a unique proposition in the industry to have a carbon-neutral solid board material,” Mr Rep said. “Packaging plays a crucial role in reducing food loss and food loss waste. A third of the food globally is lost annually, and our packaging can preserve, prolong and improve shelf-life. Solidus is continually looking at solutions to address that issue and bring these innovations to the market.”

A key part of its business plans for growth is an €11M investment in a new line of retail and food service packaging under the name Futurline®. This includes Modified Atmosphere Packaging trays, punnets and skin packaging. All products are made from fibre-based materials, use over 90% recycled material and significantly reduce at least 80% of the plastic content versus other packaging products. They also have a substantially lower carbon footprint (LCA) and are fully recyclable at scale at end-of-life (PTS tests).

“We see a lot of interest in our Futurline®, we are scaling these innovations, such as

SOLIDUS

punnets for mushrooms and soft fruits in the UK, as leading retailers look to switch away from plastics. We are in a prime position to fulfil that potential.”

Futurline® products are being rolled out across Europe, with Solidus eyeing new opportunities in the Middle East and Africa as food companies regionally seek more sustainable packaging solutions. These innovations will also ensure Solidus can support the growing demand for these products while being closer to its customers.

New era

“As a leader in converting recycled paperbased products into a full range of circular packaging and solid board applications,

Solidus has an important role to support customers’ transitions to more sustainable packaging solutions,” said Mr Rep. “Solutions that are demanded by both EU regulatory targets and brand owners and consumer desire for more circular packaging materials.

“The renewable fibres we use can be recycled multiple times. In Europe, that tends to be five to seven times, this is much more than when using non-renewable packaging materials.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, Solidus has planted trees in collaboration with Trees for All by supporting a project in Overijssel, the Netherlands, near its Solidus location in Coevorden. It planted 2,000 trees in 2024

to help contribute to a better climate, increased biodiversity and improved living standards for local communities. Similar campaigns have been completed in Central Vietnam and Portugal.

“We have great support from suppliers, and we continue to find solutions up and down the value chain, with collaborations and great partnerships to increase packaging circularity,” Mr Rep said, in conclusion. “We are fully committed to giving fibres a

new life, whilst creating product innovations and solutions that address pressing issues on climate change and waste and improve food shelf-life.

“In line with our new slogan, ‘Your circular packaging partner’, we are talking with retailers, developing our products and their positioning on circularity. We want to add value to our clients and their endusers. It is a very exciting chapter we are embarking on.”