Greenbutts and Filtrona announce joint development agreement to produce biodegradable filters

SAN DIEGO, Calif., Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Greenbutts and Filtrona today announce a partnership to manufacture biodegradable filters for tobacco companies in the U.S., demonstrating a shared commitment to meet growing demand for sustainable plastic-free filters.

Under the joint development agreement (JDA), 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 (CA) filters.

Greenbutts, with its consumer-centric and breakthrough innovation hub, joins Filtrona with its 90-year expertise in delivering innovative filter solutions. The collaboration provides a strategic platform to effectively, and quickly, address the environmental impact of single-use plastic filters with quality solutions on a global scale. Working together, Greenbutts and Filtrona can meet consumer demand, support industry ESG commitments, and meet rigorous regulatory compliance requirements.

Tadas Lisauskas, CEO of Greenbutts, said, "In response to the detrimental impact of plastic pollution on our planet, there is an urgent need to address the number one 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.

"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 endeavour is set to transform the way cigarettes are manufactured, with post-consumer waste and our planet front of mind."

Filtrona is the world's largest designer and manufacturer of plastic-free and bio-degradable filters, and pioneered market-leading sustainable filter solutions to support the transition of tobacco companies to green products. Today, the company has a global footprint with 11 manufacturing facilities across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, together with three innovation centres supplying more than 120 countries.

Robert Pye, CEO of Filtrona, said, "We recognise 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."

"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.

Since 2010, Greenbutts has worked with R&D institutions, multinational tobacco companies, and industry experts to develop a natural filter technology, capable of replacing the most littered plastic in the world, cigarette filters. Driven by the new single-use plastic (SUP) legislation enforced by governments, the Company is actively engaged in the global commercialisation of its proprietary, plastic-free and trademarked material technology, Greenbutts™, fulfilling the global industry demand for biodegradable filters.

The technology utilises fully patented material science and is biodegradable, plastic-free, and water dispersing; designed to reduce the significant environmental impact caused by plastic cigarette filter pollution. The sustainable design of the Company's filter technology includes a natural, rapidly degrading cigarette filter using a proprietary blend of food grade fibre materials. The unique blend of materials is designed to allow for a similar customer sensory experience and filter manufacturing process as acetate filters and provides a seamless transition away from plastic filters for the global tobacco industry. Greenbutts filters are certified biodegradable, disperse in water within a few minutes and will degrade in compost within days, as opposed to 10-15 years as is the case with traditional cellulose acetate filters. Greenbutts' natural filter technology is fully patented in the U.S., U.K., Canada and is patent pending in additional countries, covering key geographies in the cigarette industry. Greenbutts' fully patented biodegradable filter is one of a kind and solves the major pain-point that multinational producers suffer from: a need for an alternative filter without compromising sensory, taste, or customer experience. The Company's trademarked Greenbutts™ delivers a similar sensorial experience of traditional cigarette filters without the use of plastics, synthetic materials or plasticizers, offering a viable alternative to cellulose acetate filters while meeting the new SUP legislation initiatives.

For more information, visit www.greenbutts.com

Filtrona is the only global independent market leader in the design, testing and manufacturing of special filter solutions, tear tapes and related scientific services. Headquartered in Singapore, Filtrona has 11 manufacturing facilities across Asia, Europe, and America, together with three innovation centres, an accredited laboratory and a Centre of Excellence focused on sustainability. The Company has over 2,000 employees serving customers across 120 countries.

Our vision is to support our partners to transform and grow; we succeed when they succeed. Our mission is to be a responsible, customer-focused innovation leader that creates excellence in sustainable solutions for today and tomorrow.

Our history
Our filter business has a rich heritage as an innovation leader. Following the development of the first patented filter in 1924 by Boris Aivaz, Moritz Bunzl began to manufacture filters commercially in the late 1920s. The first dedicated facility was established in Jarrow, UK in 1948. Bunzl grew internationally by establishing a presence in the US in the 1905s and expanding into Asia in the 1970s and 1980s. The name Filtrona was adopted in 1979 and was also adopted by the Group of manufacturing companies that were demerged from Bunzl in 2005. In 2013, the Company changed its name to Essentra plc to reflect its diversification into industrial components. In November 2022, the successful filters and tapes divisions were sold to new owner Centaury Management Limited. The business is now rebranded as Filtrona again, a compelling name with a rich legacy of innovation and supported by strong industry partnerships.

For more information, visit www.filtrona.com

SOURCE GreenButts