Sabert Corporation Europe has become a founding member of the newly formed Alliance for Fibre-Based Packaging, which has been created to provide an expert voice for the fiber-based packaging industry in the development and implementation of waste and recycling policy the UK.

Other members of the new organization include McDonald’s, Costa Coffee, M&S, Huhtamaki, Seda, Benders, Colpac, Sonoco, ProAmpac, Coveris, Graphic Packaging, and the European Carton Makers Association (ECMA).

“We are proud to be working with other businesses across the fiber-based packaging value chain,” says Alex Noake, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Sabert Corporation Europe. “The Alliance will focus on the benefits of fiber-based and fiber-based composite (FBC) packaging, which perform critical packaging functions to protect food and other consumer goods, provide consumer safety and hygiene, and enable convenience and efficiency.”

The Alliance has been created at a critical time for the development of waste and recycling policy in the UK, with the introduction of Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) this year and the ongoing implementation of Simpler Recycling, which will standardise business and household recycling collection across England.

The Alliance has been established to facilitate representation in the development of pEPR as the UK moves to the producer pays model, ensuring a level playing field between materials. In addition the Alliance aims to ensure the maximum acceptability of fiber-based packaging within the UK’s fiber collection and recycling system and provide representation for the fiber-based packaging sector in future recycling and waste policy development.

Setting the gold standard

“Sabert has over 40 years of experience in manufacturing innovative, value-added products with manufacturing capabilities evolving to include all substrates,” proclaims Alex Noake. “Over a decade ago, Sabert was the first to bring quality, functional Bagasse Pulp packaging solutions to the European market, setting the gold standard. In 2025, bagasse and paperboard remain at the heart of our R&D efforts as we aim to push the boundaries of what’s possible with fiber-based packaging. We will have some exciting announcements during the year.

“We put particular emphasis on ensuring that all our foodservice packaging is renewably sourced and fully recyclable – and that wherever possible it contains a high proportion of recycled material. To close the loop, it is essential that as much fiber-based packaging material as possible is collected, sorted and recycled, so we are fully committed to working closely with the Alliance, the UK Government and stakeholders to ensure that the detailed implementation of waste and recycling policies supports this outcome.”