Filtrona has expanded its Boreas range of filters for heated-tobacco products (HTP) with six new products. The new innovations will make their debut at the InterSupply trade show in Dortmund, Germany, Sept. 19–21, 2024.
The new HTP filters include the Boreas Echo, which incorporates a heat protection design to deliver a pleasant user experience at an optimal temperature, and the Boreas Echo II, which enables a fuller experience in every puff with enhanced aerosol volume control.
The Boreas Echo III features a proprietary triple Corinthian structure, designed to deliver a stable and steady temperature profile that ensures consistent performance comparable to leading products in the market. The Boreas Echo IV is made with a low-density paper bridge segment that is designed to optimize the balance between temperature and aerosol delivery.
The new filters to be launched at InterSupply also include the Nimbus, which features a triple tube structure that delivers a balanced and consistent experience, and the Nimbus+, designed to enhance the generation of visible aerosol for a more intense user experience.
“We are delighted to launch six new filters for the fast-growing HTP market at InterSupply. The Boreas range was well received by the industry when it was introduced in May this year,” said Filtrona CEO Robert Pye in a statement.
“We have enhanced the Boreas range with new filter solutions that are innovatively designed to meet the unique requirements of almost any HTP application.”
With its plastic-free products goal at the forefront, Filtrona’s new filter technology allows for a sustainable RYO option.
By Marissa Dean
When thinking about filters, most people immediately picture pre-rolled cigarettes. They think of discarded butts and microplastics. But those images are changing as the industry evolves and consumers demand more sustainable options. Filtrona is working to fill those needs with its recently debuted trademarked Rip-a-Tip plastic-free filter for the roll-your-own (RYO) market.
“Made entirely from cellulose, the Rip-a-Tip is designed with convenience and configurability in mind,” says Filtrona CEO Robert Pye. Cellulose is a naturally occurring molecule made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and it is found in plant cell walls as part of the main structure. Being made completely of cellulose means that the filters will break down entirely upon disposal—removing the potential of microplastics leaching into the environment.
The product is also highly customizable. “It also gives RYO tobacco companies the freedom and options to customize the filter to a preferred diameter, pressure drop and choice of substrate—such as white or unbleached sustainable materials,” says Pye.
“In practical terms, each Rip-a-Tip stick is expertly crafted to hold six individual filter tips measuring 14 mm in tip length. Rip-a-Tip features the EasyRip System, which allows users to rip off the filter tips easily and quickly along the perforated line. This not only delivers an easy and enjoyable user experience but also importantly ensures there is no wastage after the filter tips are ripped off from the outer wrap,” Pye says.
According to Pye, the outer wrap of the product can also be customized with color or print, and the design of the packaging boxes for the filters, which come in flip top, cigarette, push and slide, and side push and slide formats, can be customized.
The Boreas CoolBridge combines Filtrona’s sustainable cooling segment, ECO Bridge, with monoacetate and the company’s patented Fine Wall Acetate Tube.
A Sustainable Future
Like most companies, Filtrona has environmental, social and governance goals that it aims to reach every year. By 2050, Filtrona’s goal is to offer a complete portfolio of plastic-free products.
The Rip-a-Tip supports that goal as “a biodegradable RYO filter solution that meets growing consumer regulatory demand for tobacco products grounded in sustainability,” according to Pye. It “marks an exciting material advancement in the RYO market,” which is expected to reach $45 billion in global value by 2033.
Along with the Rip-a-Tip filters, Filtrona has also launched its trademarked Boreas range of heated-tobacco product (HTP) filters, filling a market need as more consumers switch from traditional combustible cigarettes to HTPs and other reduced-risk products.
The new range includes Boreas SideFlow, a patent-pending filter with a simplified design, and Boreas CoolBridge, a filter that combines Filtrona’s sustainable cooling segment, ECO Bridge, with monoacetate and the company’s patented Fine Wall Acetate Tube to create a balanced retention and cooling mechanism.
“With this new Boreas range,” says Pye, “we are giving customers the option to create a customized, multi-segment filter by combining various types of base rods that are available in Filtrona’s comprehensive collection. As more of our customers move into the rapidly growing HTP market, we are thrilled to be able to support our customers with a dedicated range of HTP filters that bear the hallmark of our innovative and unique designs.
“As consumer demand for HTPs continues to grow, our new Boreas range will enable HTP manufacturers to deliver the next generation of products that deliver the expected level of quality and user experience compared to conventional cigarettes while also meeting regulatory requirements.”
What’s Next?
The industry is constantly changing and evolving as regulations, requirements, health concerns, environmental concerns and consumer desires morph. According to Pye, Filtrona is well positioned to cater to the rapidly changing business environment.
“We have a century of filtration experience and chemistry delivery expertise at Filtrona, coupled with an unparalleled drive for innovation and R&D and world-class global manufacturing capabilities,” Pye says. “In addition, our Scientific Services laboratories in Indonesia offer independent and accredited testing facilities for all our products.
“Our industry knowledge helps companies to catch emerging trends, adapt to changes and build strong brands. We see an exciting future ahead in the industry where Filtrona will play a significant role in driving change and enabling business growth through product innovations, advanced technology and sustainable solutions.”
Marissa Dean joined Tobacco Reporter in the summer of 2018 as a copy editor.Since that time, she has taken on additional responsibilities, including feature writing.Her skills span the publishing industry from layout and design to copy editing to content creation.
Filtrona has launched a plastic-free filter for the roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco market.
According to Filtrona, the Rip-a-Tip filter marks an exciting material advancement in the RYO market, a category expected to reach a global value of $45 billion by 2033.
“The launch of Rip-a-Tip supports our ESG goal to offer a complete portfolio of plastic-free products by 2050. It is a biodegradable RYO filter solution that meets growing consumer and regulatory demand for tobacco products grounded in sustainability,” said Filtrona CEO Robert Pye in a statement.
“As the tobacco industry moves toward plastic reduction or elimination, accelerated by complex regulations on sustainability, the Rip-a-Tip ticks all the boxes while enhancing the consumer experience with our century-long filtration expertise,” said Pye.
The Rip-a-Tip is designed with convenience and configurability in mind, with the option for RYO tobacco companies to customize the filter to the preferred diameter, pressure drop and choice of substrate, such as white or unbleached sustainable materials.
Each Rip-a-Tip stick holds six individual filter tips measuring 14 mm in tip length. To provide more “real estate” for branding and product differentiation, the outer wrap of Rip-a-Tip can be customized to a preferred color or print.
Filtrona also supplies the packaging box for the Rip-a-Tip filters in popular pack formats, including the flip top, cigarette, push and slide, and side push and slide. The design of the packaging box can also be customized.
From left to right: Joyce Ng, global HR director; Hugo Azinheira, global director, innovation and ESG; Robert Pye, CEO, and Kow Lay Moi, global operations director. (Photo: Filtrona)
Filtrona inaugured its expanded Filtrona Innovation Centre (FIC) in Surabaya, Indonesia, on May 29.
The 2,242 square meter FIC houses an R&D facility and accredited scientific services labs that provide independent tobacco analytical testing services. The upgraded facility features a new exhibition area, co-working space and a heated tobacco product (HTP) testing lab that has tripled its capacity to meet growing demand. Filtrona also invested in a new HTP testing machine and a puff-by-puff aerosol analysis machine.
The R&D facility includes a production area for manufacturing filter samples, a smoke test room, and a filter library with more than 11,000 filter designs produced from the 1950s to the present day.
“With innovation at the heart of Filtrona, the FIC is a key node in our global operations and is instrumental in the design, testing and manufacture of specialty filter solutions for our customers,” said Filtrona CEP Robert Pye in a statement.
“We will continue to invest in innovation and R&D to better serve our customers in product development and diversification, supported by our advanced knowledge on filtration, innovative designs, cutting-edge solutions for next-generation products, and alternative sustainable materials”.
The FIC is part of Filtrona’s global network of innovation centers in Asia and Europe. Filtrona’s presence in Indonesia dates to 1976, when it established a site in Medan, North Sumatra. It moved to its current site in Surabaya in 1987.
Filtrona has appointed Lutfu Okman as its new global commercial director.
Okman brings with him over 25 years of commercial leadership experience, including senior management roles with multinational companies in the textiles, chemical and manufacturing industries.
He succeeds Hywel Thomas, who has announced his retirement after 10 years with the company.
“We are really pleased to welcome Lutfu to the Filtrona family,” said Filtrona CEO Robert Pye in a statement. “His proven track record of strategic commercial growth and wealth of experience make him an ideal fit for the role, and he is primed to drive our ambitious growth strategy. Lutfu plays a pivotal role in shaping Filtrona’s commercial endeavors and fostering sustainable long-term growth.”
“I am thrilled to join Filtrona at such an exciting time in its journey, particularly during the 100-year anniversary of the company’s first patented filter,” said Okman. “I look forward to collaborating with the talented and passionate Filtrona team to drive our commercial strategy, deliver exceptional value to our customers, and contribute to the company’s continued growth.”
Pye also expressed his gratitude for Thomas’ dedication and contributions to Filtrona. “Hywel’s leadership, strategic vision, and sharp business acumen have been invaluable to Filtrona, helping to make us the successful and dynamic global business that we are today. We sincerely thank Hywel and wish him the very best in his well-earned retirement.”
Greenbutts’ product is sold in bulk or as ready-made rods of filters and filter tips.
Photo: Greenbutts
Filtrona partners with Greenbutts to expand its range of sustainable filter offerings.
By Stefanie Rossel
Discarded cigarette butts are a major source of plastic pollution. Of the more than 5 trillion cigarettes produced globally per year, an estimated 4.5 trillion end up in the environment, with 40 percent making their way into our oceans and waterways. Smokers often are unaware that the products will not decompose. While most of a cigarette’s components disintegrate quickly when disposed of, the filter will not. Around 98 percent of cigarette filters consist of cellulose acetate (CA), a polymer that is very slow to degrade in the environment. Depending on the environmental conditions, a CA cigarette filter can take up to 14 years to degrade.
While littering is illegal in many jurisdictions, the potential penalties, which can include fines, cleanup, community service or imprisonment, are insufficient to deter many consumers.
By banning single-use plastics, such as disposable plastic cutlery, fast food packaging or cups, from July 2021, the European Union became a forerunner in the fight against marine litter and plastic pollution with its Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). While the legislation does not prohibit CA cigarette filters, it has established extended producer responsibility schemes (EPR) requiring tobacco companies to tackle the single-use plastic pollution generated by the filters they put on the market.
Although a February 2023 report by Rethink Plastic Alliance and other NGOs noted significant delays in implementation, the SUPD definitely helped trigger a rethink within the tobacco industry on the sustainability of its products. Experts believe that environmentally friendly filter solutions will be the next big thing in the industry, and they may be right.
In February 2022, the United Nations Environment Programme partnered with the Secretariat of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to raise awareness and drive action on the environmental and human health impacts of microplastics in cigarette filters, which it designated as a form of single-use plastic. One month later, the U.N. Environmental Assembly adopted a resolution to draft a legally binding U.N. treaty on plastic pollution, which addresses the full life cycle of plastic, from production to product design to waste management. Public health organizations around the world argue that the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the plastics treaty, the fourth session of which will be held this April, must consider a ban or strict regulation of all single-use plastics as a necessary measure to reduce pollution.
Joining Forces
Robert Pye
To meet the growing demand for biodegradable filters, Singapore-based specialty filter manufacturer Filtrona in October 2023 announced a partnership with Greenbutts of California. Greenbutts has developed a patented substrate and filters that are made of all-natural, food-grade fibers, such as abaca fiber, cotton flock and industrial hemp as well as a starch-based binder, which debuted on the market in 2019. The product is sold in bulk or as ready-made rods of filters and filter tips.
“Filtrona’s collaboration with Greenbutts strengthens our support for our customers in helping them shift away from CA to more sustainable materials,” says Filtrona CEO Robert Pye. “As a major supplier to this industry, we are committed to help companies move into more sustainable solutions while ensuring they get the supply. Filtrona will continue to invest in our equipment and technology as we continue our research in alternative materials. Together with our partners and suppliers, we are ready to help our customers make the transition to plastic-free filter solutions. We have expanded our portfolio by adding Greenbutts filters to our ECO Range portfolio, thus providing a wider array of tailor-made solutions to address specific customer requirements in certain territories/markets.”
According to Pye, Filtrona alone can currently not meet the volumes required for sustainable filter conversion. “Filtrona currently works with various suppliers to select the most appropriate materials to create sustainable filter solutions that meet the unique requirements of our customers. We are constantly scouting the market for new, innovative materials. To give our customers wider options, we will offer Greenbutts filters that can be customized according to various product specifications.”
Under the joint development agreement, Filtrona will lease a machine from Greenbutts to produce biodegradable filters using proprietary technology. The company aimed to have the machine at its site in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, by the end of February and begin production shortly thereafter.
The U.S. has been chosen as a location because the state of New York recently reintroduced the Tobacco Product Waste Reduction Act to the State Senate. The act would prohibit the sale of cigarettes using single-use filters as well as ban the sale of single-use electronic cigarettes. “With New York having proposed a law that would ban the sale of single-use filtered cigarettes and single-use e-cigarettes, we believe North America will eventually follow the EU in implementing the SUPD and EPR in the future,” Pye says. “We want to be ahead of the curve while expanding our capabilities to make our ECO Range available globally.”
Greenbutts has developed a patented substrate made of all-natural, food grade fibers.
Photo: Greenbutts
Significant Market Potential
For the time being, biodegradable filters remain more expensive than CA varieties, but this may change as output increases. “Globally, consumers and regulators are pushing for more environmentally sustainable solutions and biodegradable products,” says Pye.
“Consumers are increasingly seeking sustainable products while tobacco companies want to be compliant to regulations by reducing the use of single-use plastics and be the first to market sustainable, plastic-free products. But having said that, pricing is still an important factor and will be affected by the scale of production. As the production of biodegradable products grows, we expect prices to become more competitive.”
Beyond the U.S. and Europe, Pye sees potential for environmentally friendly filter solutions in Indonesia, where Filtrona is already supporting the kretek cigarette market with its ECO Range of filter solutions. He also anticipates increasing demand for sustainable filters for heated-tobacco products (HTPs). “We offer a range of patented sustainable HTP filter solutions that has a carbon footprint that is four times lower when compared with a similar offering made with CA, in line with our commitment to develop more renewable, degradable and sustainable products,” says Pye. “We see it as a logical next step for the HTP category to evolve as the market continues to grow rapidly. Filtrona is also at the forefront of revolutionizing the botanicals sector with our sustainable and compliant ECO Range.”
Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.
Filtrona has launched Cannatrona, a dedicated division serving the cannabis and hemp market.
The Cannatrona business supplies filter tips, mouthpieces and pre-roll solutions for cannabis and hemp products, alongside scientific services.
“The cannabis and hemp industry is seeing rapid expansion, but the regulatory landscape is also shifting at speed,” said Filtrona CEO Robert Pye in a statement. “What businesses in this field need is a partner with a proven track record of quality, innovation, brand development and compliance, and that’s exactly what Cannatrona offers. With the company’s launch, we’re looking to propel the sector to even greater heights in a transformative and meaningful way.”
“In any growing market, new businesses can be found all along the supply chain,” said Jeni Sperry, head of new business development at Cannatrona. “However, Cannatrona has something that the rest don’t, and that’s the century-long experience of Filtrona, one of the world’s leading special filter brands. For cannabis and hemp product innovators, we’re not just introducing filter tip and mouthpiece products to the market, we’re bringing expertise, innovation and a very bright future.”
Greenbutts and Filtrona have established a partnership to manufacture biodegradable filters for tobacco companies in the U.S.
Under the joint development agreement Filtrona will lease a manufacturing machine from Greenbutts to produce biodegradable filters using proprietary technology. The partnership supports the strategy of both companies to drive the industry’s transformation by providing alternative sustainable filter solutions to traditional cellulose acetate filters.
“In response to the detrimental impact of plastic pollution on our planet, there is an urgent need to address the No. 1 most littered item globally. Greenbutts has pioneered proprietary technology and advanced material science to bring a novel, performance-driven plastic alternative to the tobacco industry,” said Greenbutts CEO Tadas Lisauskas in a statement.
By partnering with Filtrona, this joint endeavor is set to transform the way cigarettes are manufactured, with post-consumer waste and our planet front of mind.
“Our certified biodegradable technology offers a new alternative to single-use plastic filters, providing a pathway for the industry to embrace environmental sustainability without compromising performance or consumer experience. By partnering with Filtrona, a company committed to driving positive change within the industry, this joint endeavor is set to transform the way cigarettes are manufactured, with post-consumer waste and our planet front of mind.”
We believe that by collaborating with other suppliers who share our environmental goals, we can meet the growing demand for sustainable products more rapidly.
“We recognize that our customers are increasingly seeking sustainable products, and we are on a journey with them to support this transformation alongside Greenbutts with our advanced filter technology and portfolio of renewable, degradable and sustainable filters that can meet their product and regulatory needs,” said Filtrona CEO Robert Pye.
“Today, Filtrona alone cannot meet the volume requirements in terms of sustainable filter conversion. We believe that by collaborating with other suppliers who share our environmental goals, we can meet the growing demand for sustainable products more rapidly. This joint development with Greenbutts is the first of many such collaborations which we will embark on to help drive the industry forward,” said Pye.
“We believe that true impact can be achieved through strategic collaboration, and that’s why we are partnering with Filtrona,” said Lisauskas. “Our dedicated innovation hub is committed to fostering new technology, collaboration and knowledge exchange, propelling the industry towards a more sustainable future.”
Filter manufacturers face higher prices and tow shortages, though not everybody has been equally affected.
By Stefanie Rossel
Of the roughly 5.2 trillion cigarettes consumed globally each year, 98 percent feature a filter made from cellulose acetate (CA) tow, a thermoplastic cellulose fiber with excellent absorption characteristics manufactured from dissolved wood pulp. Over the past years, suppliers of this base material faced many challenges, among them the continuous decline in global cigarette consumption since 2013, which also meant decreasing demand for tow and cigarette filters.
Since last year, however, the situation has reversed: The market for acetate tow has tightened. In May 2022, Celanese Corp., one of the world’s leading suppliers of acetate tow products, declared force majeure on western hemisphere acetyl chain and acetate tow products because of unanticipated interruptions in raw material supply in the Texas Gulf Coast. The condition was lifted again in December. Celanese Corp. was unavailable for comment.
In the meantime, other tow manufacturers announced price hikes. Cerdia, for example, announced a cost surcharge of $0.46 per kilogram on all acetate tow grade shipments as of March 2022.
Christian Chavassieu
“Last year, prices for acetate pulp went through the roof because of rising costs for wood, chemicals, labor, energy and shipping,” says Christian Chavassieu, managing partner at CelCo Cellulose Consulting in Geneva. “Manufacturers could either accept the price increase or risk a shortage.” Acetate tow suppliers also suffered from other issues, such as a lack of essential chemicals. Acetate tow is made by dissolving wood pulp in a mixture of acetic anhydride and sulfuric acid. The resulting solution is then extruded through small holes to form thin fibers, which are cut into small lengths after cooling.
To create high-purity cellulose pulp as used in acetate tow, 95 percent to 97 percent of the cellulose content has to be extracted. Only a handful of specialized companies are capable of this process. The cellulose “bank” is the world’s biggest source of organic raw material with 700 billion tons, according to CelCo Cellulose Consulting. The overwhelming part of cellulose products manufactured every year is used to manufacture paper, packaging and tissue.
The specialty cellulose industry, of which acetate tow manufacturers are a part, accounts for only 2.5 percent of the entire processed cellulose spectrum. “Hit with higher pulp prices, suppliers of acetate tow have been forced to pass the increase on to their customers. In its recently published second quarter results, Eastman Chemical said that prices for acetate tow went up 33 percent, leading to 32 percent higher selling prices,” says Chavassieu.
Higher selling prices were also due to more efficient use of production facilities. “Some players, such as Eastman, have diversified their mills to produce textile fibers to improve their capacity utilization,” explains Chavassieu.
HTPs Drive Demand
Hyunyoung Park
Hyunyoung Park, sales and business development manager at Taeyoung Industry Corp., a South Korea-based supplier of mono, dual and triple filters, says the scarcity of acetate tow occurred in part to an unplanned production stoppage at a leading supplier. “This trend has not ended and will continue until the balance shows stable figures,” he says.
The increasing popularity of heated-tobacco products (HTPs), too, has contributed to the tight market, according to Robert Pye, CEO of specialty filter manufacturer Filtrona. “We see rapid double-digit growth in HTPs, which basically use different grades of tow but actually increase the amount of tow that is used in comparison with combustible cigarettes because of the filter design. It eats up the decline in demand we have seen from traditional cigarettes.”
Pye also attributes the current challenges in the acetate tow market to the Covid-19 pandemic, which decoupled supply chains. “Before, we were all in a just-in-time sort of mode, developing strategies for our supply chains,” he says. “This has changed—we have seen people wanting to have more inventory in their supply chain. Basically, manufacturers have reduced the risk of shortage and developed a different way of managing supply chains.”
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has left its mark too, with some supply from those locations affected. “This has definitely made the supply chain more complex,” says Pye. Like Chavassieu, he expects these developments to continue. “We’re seeing an inflationary market in acetate tow,” Pye says. “Supply is somewhat tight. It won’t continue up, but how much it comes back would be something the market would have to see. I don’t see too much change for next year.”
Their views are reflected by another major acetate tow manufacturer, Japan-based Daicel, whose management recently forecast that the worldwide demand for cigarettes would gradually start increasing after 2026. Daicel’s management said it anticipated demand for acetate tow to remain stable or increase, driven by the proportion of demand for HTPs, which currently account for 3 percent of the global tobacco market and are expected to increase by 0.5 percent to 1 percent annually in the future.
An increase in the length of cigarette filters to cater to consumers’ growing health awareness and an increase in filter use in countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and India were named as further contributing factors. Daicel expected the recent increases in raw material and fuel prices to level off soon but the demand for acetate tow to consistently exceed supply.
Sustainable Solutions
Robert Pye
As a long-time global player with long-term supplier contracts, Filtrona has been unaffected by the shortages, according to Pye. “The way we had our supply chains organized allowed us to grow in double digits that year. We also supply a sustainable range of products, which helped customers in some markets.”
Park adds that his company has noticed new requirements for a secure supply chain and sourcing stability. “Customers are benefiting from the stable supply chain network we have built up and continued during the pandemic,” he says.
Pye notes that the shortage of cellulose acetate has been driving interest in Filtrona’s biodegradable filters, such as the Eco range of products, in more regions, predominantly around western Europe but also elsewhere. “Also, products like BiTech, a mono-segment filter produced in a single pass and offered in various ratios of tow and either paper or other nonwoven materials, thus using less acetate tow than a normal filter, were more sought after,” he says.
While paper-based solutions have traditionally been more expensive than CA filters, the price gap has narrowed recently. “These days, the cost and capability of the nonwoven products are more interesting,” says Pye. “There are certain characteristics to the product line that make them more interesting to compete with acetate tow.”
Excluding China, special filters account for 5 percent of the global market. Of these, Filtrona has a market share of nearly 50 percent. The remaining share is divided between smaller local players. “We see the market growing, mainly in areas where tobacco companies may want to differentiate themselves from other brands, for example, when they operate in regions with plain packaging,” says Pye. “Special filters are also becoming increasingly popular with manufacturers with a maturing customer base, i.e., when consumers are moving up from their gross domestic product, more specialty products come into these markets. India is an example of this: A few years ago, the country had very limited flavor-based products. Today, it has lots of flavors, tubes and other complex filters. The market has more specialty filters in the last two years than in the last 10 years combined.”
Pye thinks this trend will continue. “Filtrona’s task is to bring new filter technologies into these markets,” he says. “That’s why we have a joint venture in China. The Chinese market uses all sorts of slims, such as super slims or demi slims, but not too many combined filters, and previously, there hasn’t been a market for additives either.”
Despite the challenges, the market is quite dynamic, according to Pye, with different regions having requirements for different filters and specialty filters and even in filter supply. “We see this dynamic playing out not on a daily but on a quite regular basis, with sustainability and HTPs becoming more important,” he says. “The challenges in supply chains haven’t quite left us, so I think it’s an interesting time. As a supplier and committed partner to this industry, we’re making sure that we can help the industry move into more sustainable solutions but also ensure they get the supply because their supply chains are challenged as well.”
Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.
Filtrona has opened a new Centre of Excellence (COE) in Budapest, Hungary. Combining multiple advanced filter manufacturing machines, the COE will increase the company’s production capacity and speed-to-market of sustainable filter solutions. The COE enables tobacco companies to develop and manufacture a portfolio of sustainable tobacco products by leveraging Filtrona’s expertise in innovative filter designs, processing methods and knowledge of materials.
The COE combines Filtrona’s extensive experience in manufacturing non-woven filters with advanced, high-speed production technology and the latest testing methods to produce sustainable filters for various tobacco product applications. These include cigarettes, heated tobacco products, cigarillos, cigars, and RYO and MYO cigarettes.
Globally, consumers and regulators are pushing for more environmentally sustainable solutions for consumer goods, according to Filtrona. Likewise, the tobacco industry is seeking plastic-free alternatives by focusing on the use of wood pulp based non-woven materials, such as papers. The EU Single-Use Plastic Directive provides a roadmap for the phasing-out of single-use plastics, which includes cellulose acetate tow. Using the EU Directive as a blueprint, tobacco companies in territories outside the EU are expected to follow a similar path in reducing single-use plastics over time.
“As the world’s leading producer of sustainable filter solutions, Filtrona is advancing our sustainability journey by launching our Centre of Excellence to expand our portfolio of sustainable products at a faster pace,” said Filtrona’s Global Director of Innovation and ESG Hugo Azinheira. “With the EU SUPD driving a wider adoption of plastic-free tobacco products, our new production line has the capability to meet the evolving needs of customers, consumers, and regulators rapidly.”
