Reused Agricultural Waste (RAW) is made from sugar cane waste from farms across India and will be available in a number of different formats for a wide range of packaging products. These will include corrugated cartons, printing paper, mailing bags and void-fill paper bubble-wrap. Until now the huge amount of sugar cane waste generated in India was simply discarded by farmers who had no use for it.

The manufacturing process is exactly the same as that of wood pulp, which is used for paper and cardboard production, and does not consume any more energy.  It also provides a vital additional income for farmers, without the need to resort to deforestation. Each year 15 billion trees are harvested around the world, 60% of which are used to manufacture paper and card. Although replanting targets remain high, only five billion trees are planted globally per year, nowhere near enough to replenish what is taken.

Test Valley Packaging claims to be the first supplier in the UK to manufacture this revolutionary product. The company says it has been independently tested and proven to perform to exactly the same high-quality standards as wood-pulp based card and paper.

Few consumers are aware that it takes between 15 and 24 trees and around 54,000 litres of water to create one tonne of paper. The impact of changing to RAW packaging could mean a saving up to 28% of carbon emissions compared with producing paper and card from wood pulp.

Test Valley Packaging’s Sales Director, Ruth Lowe said, “As a leading packaging provider, we wanted to do something revolutionary in our industry. We are so excited about being able to offer Reused Agricultural Waste as a replacement for paper. This product will literally change the future of packaging for our planet.”

To learn more about this innovative new product, watch the video clip here.

Photo: RAW logo; YouTube screenshot of Test Valley Packaging’s Sales Director, Ruth Lowe.