J&J Green Paper, Inc. has partnered with South African specialty wax maker Cerax PTY Ltd. to produce a mass supply of alternative green paper.
“While this isn’t Cerax’s first foray into alternate eco-friendly waxes, it is special given timing and opportunity,” said Stuart Prior, managing director of Cerax, in a March 16 press release. “We feel a license to produce J&J’s proprietary paper coating not only enhances Cerax’s product line, but as a breakthrough product it meshes perfectly with global trends demanding a new global era of products.”
The agreement will enable the production of J&J’s patented JANUS moisture-proof coating at Cerax’s Jet Park, in Johannesburg, the release stated. The factory can produce 24,000 metric tons annually and has the potential to expand further.
The collaboration was secured as new European laws arise to regulate the production of single-use plastic items to make way for environmentally friendly options, according to the release.
The moisture proof coating, developed by J&J, is designed to minimize global plastic waste, while offering an all-natural and moisture-proof alternative used to produce and package paper, the release stated.
“Having greater access to this material to make and coat paper for food, beverage, and other consumer products directly helps the environment by reducing plastic waste and greenhouse gasses,” J&J CEO, Scott Segal, said in the release.
The production method used to create JANUS removes harmful petroleum-based moisture-proofing, which is often responsible for creating toxic greenhouse gasses, in favor of an organic, recyclable, eco-friendly paper, according to the release.
“For almost 35 years, Cerax has been producing high-quality industrial waxes on the African continent,” Prior said. “We consider ourselves a market leader and welcome the opportunity to partner with J&J Green Paper to usher in a new era of paper products to be delivered globally that will ‘do well by doing good.’”
The coating produced by the company is more cost-effective than polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated papers while and meets the requirements of European Union Directive 2019/904, which calls for the elimination of single-use plastics.”