While recyclability is the new buzzword in the luxury packaging industry, the Public Prize of the Édition Spéciale by Luxe Pack trade show was awarded to quite an old technology: recycled cardboard. Organized in partnership with Infinity Global, the prize went to ESKA, a company which has been specialising in recycled board for 130 years.
The prize rewarded the ESKA Jeans box, made from 50% recycled cardboard fibres and 50% textile fibres obtained from recycled jeans [1]. The prints are made from water-based ink.
The origins of ESKA start back in two mills founded during the 19th century in The Netherlands, in the cities of Hoogezand and Sappemeer, by entrepreneurs who saw a future in strawboard production. However, the history of the straw board sector was characterised by good times following bad times, depending on the availability of straw. This was reason to start experimenting with recycled paper as a raw material in 1934. In 1970 and 1971 the factories moved over completely to using recycled paper as a raw material.
Today, ESKA produces its new solid board based in its historical factory located in the north of the Netherlands. The recycled jeans fibres are collected from a network of recyclers. The manufacturing site uses natural gas to lower its carbon footprint. Eska aims to further reduce its environmental impact in 2020 by reducing its waste by 75% and its gas consumption by 30%. The company that produces 250,000 tonnes of cardboard per year offers different qualities for luxury packaging that are all FSC and PEFC certified.
Given the success of this first event in Paris, Édition Spéciale by Luxe Pack will be held again next year (May 26th and 27th, 2020) in the same venue but in a slightly larger space.
