Why I bet on paper in 2018

People ask me why a plastics company started making paper packaging.

The honest answer: I am hungry for business, and I like solving problems. In 2018 I could see a paper wave coming.

Europe had always pushed hard on the environment. That year the European Commission proposed its directive on single-use plastics. In India the signals were smaller, but they were there. Maharashtra banned a long list of plastic items that same year. In 2022, India banned identified single-use plastic items across the country.

Rules come later. Signals come first. The market follows the rules, and the rules follow the signals.

Business is not about predicting the future perfectly. It is about noticing signals before they become headlines, and having the nerve to move while others wait for certainty.

We did not stop making plastic. We added paper. Today our paper range (honeycomb paper, paper bubble wrap, kraft paper tape and void fill) is sold under PackSmith. And at our 25th anniversary, we renewed our pledge not to manufacture single-use plastics.