European Paper Packaging Alliance formed

Friday, I got a press release from a new organization called EPPA. First of all, we rarely work with press releases, since everybody can use INKISH.NEWS to deliver content to our readers - for free. This press release, however, got my attention since my colleague Henrik Klem Lassen, asked me if I considered this "greenwashing?"

EEPA is a "new food and foodservice packaging association founded to promote food safety, circular solutions and lower carbon emissions, and calls for evidence-based policymaking."

This is, obviously, a bold statement for a new organization and you can ask yourself whether the encouraging words could be "borrowed feathers" or genuine interest.

I called the Managing Director Hans van Schaik to ask him directly. "When you mention 'Evidence-based policymaking' in your press release, is that because you don't believe current policymaking is evidence-based?"

Hans van Schaik, of course, doesn't claim that all policymaking is not evidence-based, but states that some are clearly based on emotions. I agree, and if you have seen some of my previous articles on environmental subjects, it's clear that our industry has a vast communication task ahead of us convincing the general public that paper is a sustainable product.

I was, of course, also curious whether the alliance is a commercial alliance "just" trying to strengthen the profile of a few members. Hans van Schaik underscores that the organization has a genuine interest to be attractive for as many members as possible.

The promises of working with 'circular solutions and lower carbon emissions' are obviously some of the hottest topics today. One thing is, of course, what EPPA says. More important is how it can both produce value for its members, and how to make themselves heard in a market where many organizations and federations are working on similar subjects.

We wish EPPA all the best, and will for sure follow their work to see how they implement their words from one of their first press releases.