Statement re European Paper Bag Day

Smurfit Kappa Group PLC

Smurfit Kappa SangÃ¼esa Paper Mill and Navarra Government distribute 130,000 paper bags to celebrate European Paper Bag Day

Paper-based packaging provider Smurfit Kappa is celebrating the first annual European Paper Bag day at its SangÃ¼esa Paper Mill in Spain, to promote the use of paper carrier bags as an alternative to plastic bags.

The milestone day was created by â€œThe Paper Bagâ€ platform, Europeâ€™s leading association for kraft paper manufacturers and paper bag producers, to educate consumers about the benefits of opting for paper carrier bags. Less than 1 per cent of the plastic bags used every year are recycled.¹

Smurfit Kappa drew on its high quality paper portfolio to produce an efficient alternative for paper bag producers which is strong, performs well in wet conditions and is safe for food contact. To mark European Paper Bag day, the SangÃ¼esa mill cooperated with the Navarra Government by supplying the paper to produce 130,000 paper bags for distribution through local shops, supermarkets and consumers across the Navarra region.

Isabel Elizalde, Navarraâ€™s Regional Minister for the Environment, supported the occasion and was given a tour of the mill. She also delivered the paper bags to local shops in SangÃ¼esa and encouraged customers to test them as a sustainable alternative for transporting their groceries.

Talking about the event, Isabel Elizalde said: â€œItâ€™s great to see companies like Smurfit Kappa making a real environmental difference at such a local level. Working together, knowing that the future is better if we make it sustainable, results in paper-based products from our certified forest. Today and tomorrow will be sustainable.â€

Laurent Sellier, COO Smurfit Kappa Paper Europe, said: â€œWeâ€™re delighted to have collaborated with the Navarra Government to support European Paper Bag day as part of our wider initiative, Better Planet Packaging.

â€œAt Smurfit Kappa, we have committed to exploring ways in which paper packaging can be used as a sustainable alternative. Paper is 100% recyclable and has the least impact on the environment so it is a viable option for many products.â€

ENDS

Contact for media:

Sinead Gill
Smurfit Kappa
T: +353 1 2027157
E:sinead.gill@smurfitkappa.com

About European Paper Bag Day

The first ever European Paper Bag Day, which takes place on 18^th October, has been launched to raise awareness among consumers about the environmental benefits of paper carrier bags. The brainchild of a group of European kraft paper manufacturers and paper bag producers, it is set to be an annual event. To find out more, click here.

About Smurfit Kappa

Smurfit Kappa, a FTSE 100 company, is one of the leading providers of paper-based packaging solutions in the world, with around 46,000 employees in approximately 370 production sites across 35 countries and with revenue of â‚¬8.6 billion in 2017. We are located in 22 countries in Europe, and 13 in the Americas. We are the only large-scale pan-regional player in Latin America.

With our proactive team we relentlessly use our extensive experience and expertise, supported by our scale, to open up opportunities for our customers. We collaborate with forward-thinking customers by sharing superior product knowledge, market understanding and insights in packaging trends to ensure business success in their markets. We have an unrivalled portfolio of paper-packaging solutions, which is constantly updated with our market-leading innovations. This is enhanced through the benefits of our integration, with optimal paper design, logistics, timeliness of service, and our packaging plants sourcing most of their raw materials from our own paper mills.

Our products, which are 100% renewable and produced sustainably, improve the environmental footprint of our customers.

www.smurfitkappa.com

¹ Source: Center for Biological Diversity