President of the Portuguese Paper Industry Association argues that cellulose is a super material of the future

“Cellulose is recognized as a super material of the future, as the sector has been working for years to develop new bio-based products,” said Antonio Redondo, president of the Paper Industry Association (CELPA), during the 3rd edition of the Forest and Sustainability Award.

“The pine, cork and eucalyptus industries are clusters of great strategic relevance for the future of the country, not only for their economic impact on the trade balance, GVA and job creation, but also as a decisive contribution to wealth, territorial cohesion and for the development of short and resilient supply chains”, declared Antônio.

These industrial clusters do not have a mining or extractive vision of the raw material and were innovative in introducing the concepts of sustainable forest management. They plan and produce their own raw material years in advance, ensuring the sustainability of the resource in harmony with the space.

“Portugal will not have another economic sector in which there are natural conditions to create a renewable, unique and differentiated raw material, where it dominates know-how and technology, in which it controls all the relevant phases of the value chain, from the forest to the production of several products such as paper, cardboard and tissue, where it has a world scale, in which it presents R&D and branding of international reputation”, defended Redondo.

Portugal has a forest area covering about 3.4 million hectares, being the main land use and enhancing the continental territory, and where there is a clear predominance of native species, which exceeds 70%.