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DUNI GROUP
“We should be the
industry’s sustainability
leader by 2030”
The Duni Group has a presence anywhere where people meet and enjoy life,
and selling products for that purpose has presented a challenge over the
past couple of years. The pandemic has gone on for longer and been more
widespread than either Duni or anyone else imagined at the start of 2021.
“The restrictions in 2021 came and went, and it’s been a double- “We’re already doing lots of positive things within the Group. Our
edged sword for us. The BioPak business area with its eco- Skåpafors production plant became the world’s first paper mill to
friendly takeaway packaging has benefited from the pandemic start using biogas as fuel during the year, and Skåpafors will have
as the market chose other ways to offer and consume food and drink. zero emissions from 2027 onwards. We’ve also worked intensively on
But the Duni business area has been affected badly and directly by the developing our important Airlaid and Dunicel materials for premium
restrictions, which generally targeted what’s known as the HoReCa napkins and tablecloths. These are now being produced using wholly
segment (hotels, restaurants, cafés). We have seen an immediate link fossil-free binding agents, made from food waste and plant-based raw
between restrictions and our sales.” materials – without compromising on quality.
FINDING NEW WAYS TO ADOPT CIRCULARITY “In fact, two employees at our production facility in Bramsche in
The longer-term question for the Duni Group is how the market as a Germany developed the binding agent for the Dunicel range. They
whole views the Group’s products; disposable items. Discussions on started off testing in the kitchen at home, and when that turned out to
regulations are ongoing in a number of countries, and within the EU. work, they carried on with development at the production facility. All in
In France, for example, the amount of waste, including food waste all, this has been an exciting and successful innovation process.”
permissible at restaurants will be capped as early as 2024.
OTHER CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS
“Our business faces challenges, and we need to find new ways to Other circular business models have emerged in the industry lateley,
adopt a circular approach with regard to our products, something and there’s a lot of talk about reuse. New companies in this market
we have been and are working hard on. Our aim is to be able to offer have been formed in Europe – and the Duni Group has become
all our customers the most sustainable solutions based on their own committed to the cause.
circumstances – disposable products, reusable products, or something
else entirely.” “We’ve invested in two companies and also entered into a partnership
with a third in line with our strategy to be fully circular by 2030. That’s
Inspired by the UN Decade of Action and the 17 Sustainable because we want to be part of the rapid evolution and lead the way for
Development Goals, the Duni Group updated its strategy during the the industry towards more sustainable and functional solutions.
year under the slogan “Our Decade of Action”, its overall goal being to
be the industry leader in sustainability by 2030. “The companies we’ve invested in are working on innovative digital
solutions for the creation of circular, reusable systems for takeaway
“This is going to be a tough challenge, but we believe setting ourselves products. Different applications require either disposable or multiple-
this kind of ambitious goal is what we need for our long-term success. use options or a combination of both, so that’s why it’s important to
This is something I’m very passionate about on a personal level, and it’s offer a varied range that meets the future needs of our customers.
very important for our employees to know what the Group stands for,
what we want to achieve and where we’re heading.” “All in all, we’re looking forward to next year with restrictions lifted,
so we’re planning for normalised demand. We’re expecting to see our
DUNI TO ACHIEVE FULL CIRCULARITY BY 2030 takeaway packaging, napkins, tablecloths and candles become an
“We’ve updated our purpose to say we should ‘Inspire the world obvious and natural part of things.”
to give more than we take so that everyone can enjoy good food, CEO Robert Dackeskog
well-being and a sense of community, both now and in the future’. We
should have achieved full circularity by 2030, leading our industry
towards a world in which we give more than we take and where we
create safe, easy-to-use solutions for everyone while caring for our
planet and nurturing our well-being.
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