Sustainable packaging that has very little impact on the environment, is naturally degradable and can be customized? The innovative Dutch company PaperFoam proves it’s possible and is gradually conquering the packaging world with its eco-friendly alternative to plastic. The production plant in the Czech Republic was set up with the support of DTIF.
More and more brands and companies are looking for sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging. The innovative Dutch firm PaperFoam has the solution. Its bio-based packaging has a minimum impact on the environment and is 100 percent biologically degradable. After use, it can be thrown into the organic bin or paper bin. It falls apart within a few hours and decomposes within five weeks.
Paperfoams bio-based packaging can be thrown into the organic of paper bin.
That makes it a smart alternative to plastic:
From headphones, shower gels and champagne to eggs, all sorts of products have been provided with a PaperFoam design.
“PaperFoam packaging is 100 percent biologically degradable and can go into the organic waste bin. The material decomposes within five weeks.”
For Veuve Clicquot, PaperFoam came up with creative, sustainable design packaging that keeps the champagne cool for two hours.
The demand for eco-friendly packaging solutions continues to grow, certainly in Europe. To meet that demand, PaperFoam expanded with a factory in the Czech Republic. This second European production plant, alongside the factory in Barneveld, adds to the existing facilities in the United States and Malaysia.
PaperFoam board of directors, Mark Geerts, Willem Derkman and Zeger Beukers comment: “We had reach maximum production capacity in Barneveld. With the new plant we can raise our global production capacity by more than 30 percent. That will help us achieve a 50,000-ton reduction in CO2 emissions over the next five years and reduce the volume of plastic in the world. The use of PaperFoam packaging results in CO2 footprints that are 60 to 90 percent smaller. The packaging is also lightweight, further reducing CO2 emissions during transport.”
The factory in the Czech Republic was realized with the help of a Rabobank loan, with a financial guarantee provided by the Dutch Trade and Investment Fund (DTIF). This guarantee amounted to 1.08 million EUR. Most of the loan was used to purchase 24 production machines.
DTIF provides guarantees, loans and export financing to companies seeking to do business abroad but having difficulty securing financing. Zeger Beukers of PaperFoam: “That guarantee was very important for us. It enabled us to secure a loan from the Rabobank, which allowed us to finance the construction of the factory and broaden our business model in Europe. Now the factory is operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
“The investment supports the growth of PaperFoam, helps the environment, and provides jobs in the Netherlands and Czech Republic.”
The PaperFoam factory in the Czech Republic employs 40 people locally, with another 7 people working from the Netherlands to support the new production plant.
The factory in the Czech Republic gives PaperFoam an opportunity to scale up and expand its operations, thereby contributing to the environment and the local economy. Over 40 people, 27 of them women, are currently employed in the Czech Republic, with support from 7 research and development staff based in the Netherlands. The expansion of PaperFoam also boosts imports from the Czech Republic and exports to that country from the Netherlands. Finally, the financing stimulates a more responsible production of packaging materials. Since the start of the financing, PaperFoam has acquired the ISO 9001 certificate.
Miriam Valstar
Investment Manager
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