Resource description:
SIG’s material strategy reflects its ambition to reduce reliance on non-renewable resources and align product development more closely with what nature can sustainably provide. Building on insights that identified aluminium foil as a disproportionate driver of carbon emissions and fossil fuel resource impacts, SIG has started to move away from aluminium to focus on polymers as an alternative barrier solution.
While conventional polymers rely on fossil fuels and are not renewable, SIG sought to address this limitation by changing the feedstock rather than the function, shifting the composition of many polymer applications towards renewable, bio-based inputs. As a result, part of the polymers used today have a certified mass-balanced feedstock link to paper industry by-products, enabling cartons that are almost entirely connected to forest-based raw materials in both fibre and polymer components. This approach reduces dependencies on fossil resources while maintaining product functionality.
SIG’s life-cycle assessments ( LCAs ) support these decisions. Its responsible sourcing strategy complements this by emphasising traceability, certification and close supplier engagement. This ensures the sourcing of renewable materials in ways that support biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
Author/Contact:
Lead authors : Christian Bauer, SIG Group Amanda Griniece, WBCSD
With thanks for the contributions : Sonja Bischoff, SIG Group Nadine McCormick and Karina Mereuta, WBCSD Marina Isasa, Tecnalia
Design & layout : Matthew Brown ( Oppla