GROW INTERNATIONAL ASBL
GROW
GROW is the European organisation of wooden lightweight packaging manufacturers.
ID: 399911193865-87
Lobbying Activity
Response to Circular Economy Act
6 Nov 2025
GROW INTERNATIONAL welcomes the European Union's continued ambition to advance the circular economy. The principles of designing out waste, keeping materials in use, and regenerating natural systems are fundamental to a sustainable future. Wooden packaging is a valuable material stream to be optimised. Its characteristics align perfectly with the EUs Circular Economy Action Plan: 1) Derived from Europes sustainably managed and growing forests, wood is a renewable resource. Europes forest area has increased by 9% over the past 30 years, demonstrating that sourcing wood for packaging can coexist with and even enhance ecosystem health. 2) Wooden packaging can be reusable and repairable, and is fully recyclable, and biodegradable. It avoids the complex and costly recycling processes of multi-material products. 3) Wooden packaging exemplifies the "cascading use" of wood. At its end-of-life, it is primarily recycled into high-value applications such as particleboard for furniture and construction, effectively creating new carbon stocks and maximising resource efficiency. 4) Each cubic meter of wood used in packaging stores approximately one tonne of CO. By transforming wood into wooden packaging and then into long-life panels, this carbon storage is extended for decades, a unique benefit not offered by other packaging materials. EPR schemes focused solely on waste management fail to account for this critical climate mitigation service.
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