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Tag: Filtrona

  • Filtrona Report Touts ESG Progress

    Filtrona Report Touts ESG Progress

    Filtrona announced the release of its 2025 Sustainability Report, highlighting a shift from environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments to measurable performance across its global operations. The company reported a 51% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions in line with its Science Based Targets, alongside achieving zero waste to landfill across its sites and increasing the share of sustainable or plastic-free products to 24% of its portfolio. Filtrona also strengthened responsible sourcing, with 88% of wood-based materials certified or controlled, and continued investment in workforce development and governance practices.

    The company said its progress reflects a broader transition toward embedding sustainability into day-to-day operations, supported by external recognition, including EcoVadis Gold status and CDP “B” ratings across climate, forests, and water. Filtrona reported no substantiated incidents related to corruption, discrimination, or human rights violations during the period, and emphasized that ESG is now being operationalized as a core component of long-term business performance and value creation.

  • Filtrona Offers White Paper on Regulation’s Impact on Filtration Sector

    Filtrona Offers White Paper on Regulation’s Impact on Filtration Sector

    Filtrona released a white paper, The Future of Filtration: Navigating the Post-COP11 Landscape, examining how environmental regulation and shifting consumer trends are reshaping the filtration sector. The report points to mounting policy pressure from COP11 discussions, UN plastics treaty talks, proposed revisions to the EU Tobacco Excise Directive, and expanding Extended Producer Responsibility programs, arguing the focus is moving from outright bans toward producer liability and material accountability.

    Filtrona highlights rising cost implications tied to plastics legislation and lifecycle emissions, noting that suppliers able to validate low-impact, compliant materials may gain a competitive edge. The paper also explores demand trends across reduced-risk products and value combustibles, continued interest in capsule and specialty filters, and the potential for renewed innovation as key capsule patents expire, concluding that scientific validation and environmental performance will be central to future competitiveness.

  • Filtrona Certified as ‘Top Employer’ in Singapore and Indonesia

    Filtrona Certified as ‘Top Employer’ in Singapore and Indonesia

    Filtrona has been named a Top Employer in Singapore and Indonesia by the Top Employers Institute, recognizing the company’s human resources practices and employee-focused culture. Singapore serves as Filtrona’s global headquarters, while Indonesia hosts its Innovation Centre in Surabaya, which coordinates global research and development. CEO Robert Pye said the recognition reflects the company’s commitment to fostering employee engagement, collaboration across regions, and talent development. Filtrona noted that the certification supports its broader strategy of investing in its workforce to drive innovation, operational excellence, and customer service as it expands globally.

  • Filtrona Acknowledged for Environmental Practices

    Filtrona Acknowledged for Environmental Practices

    Filtrona was awarded an EcoVadis Gold Medal for sustainability performance, placing the specialty filter manufacturer “in the top 5% of companies globally for environmental, social, and governance standards,” while also securing validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its greenhouse gas reduction goals. The company’s targets include cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 58% by 2030 and 95% by 2040, alongside reducing Scope 3 emissions by 63% by 2035 and 90% by 2050. Filtrona said the externally verified targets, developed using data from its nine global manufacturing sites, build on a previously reported 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and form part of broader ESG objectives, including expanded renewable energy use, supplier decarbonization initiatives, and increasing sustainable product development.

  • Filtrona Names Sand-Kristensen New CFO

    Filtrona Names Sand-Kristensen New CFO

    Filtrona announced the appointment of Tom Sand-Kristensen as Chief Financial Officer, where he will oversee the company’s global finance, legal, corporate governance, IT, and enterprise resource planning functions, with Filtrona streamlining internal responsibilities to strengthen accountability, financial discipline, and digital integration. He brings extensive international leadership experience from senior roles at Faerch Group, ROCKWOOL, and Carlsberg, spanning packaging, construction, healthcare, and food and beverage sectors. Filtrona says the appointment supports its long-term growth strategy and ongoing transformation of its specialty filters business, as Sand-Kristensen succeeds Tue Saabye.

  • Filtrona Expands Boreas Range

    Filtrona Expands Boreas Range

    Image: Filtrona

    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.”

  • Kicking Butt

    Kicking Butt

    Photo: Filtrona

    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 Launches Plastic-Free RYO Filter

    Filtrona Launches Plastic-Free RYO Filter

    Photo: Filtrona

    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.

  • Filtrona Opens Upgraded Innovation Center

    Filtrona Opens Upgraded Innovation Center

    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 expansion of the facility follows Filtrona’s recent launch of its new Boreas range of HTP filters.

    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.

  • Okman Joins Filtrona as Commercial Director

    Okman Joins Filtrona as Commercial Director

    Lutfu Okman (Photo courtesy of Filtrona)

    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.”