4evergreen, Europe’s value chain alliance of over 110 members building a toolbox to propel fibre-based packaging towards a 90% recycling rate by 2030, appoints a new Chair and Co-Chair to lead the alliance. Chair Sarah Price, Director of Sustainability at Sappi and Co-Chair Andreas Walser, Managing Director at Hamburger Recycling , Member of Prinzhorn Group, will help drive the alliance’s strategy towards perfecting fibre-based packaging circularity from the design and manufacture phase to the collection, sorting and recycling of packaging materials.
The coming years will focus on maximising uptake of 4evergreen’s industry toolbox and continuing to provide a unique forum where all value chain stakeholders - from forest owners to producers, designers, brand owners and recyclers – can share good practices and innovate together to address circularity challenges in the best way possible.
Sarah Price has been actively involved in 4evergreen’s mission since the early days of the alliance and has been leading the Strategic Work of the alliance in 2023 as Co-Chair. She was unanimously supported to take over the reins from Hans Wortman, who will retire following an illustrious three-decade career in fibre-based packaging.
Andreas Walser comes from Prinzhorn Group, bringing unique and valuable experience of innovations in recycling and expressing that all fibre-based packaging, when properly collected and sorted, can be recycled.
Commenting on her appointment, Sarah Price said: “After an exciting year as Co-Chair, it is a great honour to continue the adventure with the 4evergreen alliance as Chair. We have made great progress in finalising our toolbox for fibre packaging circularity. In 2024, we want to ensure that we continue to perfect these tools and make them known and available to as many packaging stakeholders as possible.”
On taking up his new role, Andreas Walser said: “I am eager to start as Co-Chair of the 4evergreen alliance. These will be pivotal years for the European fibre packaging sector, with major new European policy making its way into national law. With our value chain approach, the 4evergreen alliance can ensure that the fibre-based industry remains the sustainable choice as these changes come into effect.”
Ensuring 2024's key priorities through a newly elected Steering Group
In addition to the new Chairs, 4evergreen has also elected a new Steering Group for 2024 to ensure that the alliance’s overall strategy is diligently followed. The new and re-elected members of this group reflect the expertise of the different segments within the value chain:
4evergreen: continuing the journey to fibre-based circularity
During the annual members’ meeting in Brussels, all members agreed to extend the lifetime of the alliance until the end of 2026.
The new appointments ensure 4evergreen maintains a strong position for the coming months and years, which will focus on four key missions:
The 4evergreen toolbox: the story so far
The alliance is developing a toolbox of guidelines and protocols to equip industry to meet the 90% recycling target:
The alliance is working to extend these tools over all the categories of fibre-based packaging to ensure that these valuable raw materials will be kept in the production loop as long as possible.