Luxury paper made in Italy from waste : a way to reduce pressure on forests

Published on

10/07/2026 - 15:00 GMT+2

The walls of Venetian paper mill Favini, in northern Italy, are steeped in history, but its production has long been focused on the future. This family-owned company, which is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, was among the first in the world to industrialise the production of eco-friendly paper using alternative fibres and waste materials. This helps reduce pressure on forests and gives a second life to things that would otherwise have been thrown away – like agricultural and textile by-products.

And the search for new materials never stops.

“Right now, we are working on two types of residues: tomato skins and corn. Over the years, we have experimented with more than 500 different types of biomass, but only about 5%, ultimately, could be scaled up for industrial production,” says Giacomo Berton, Head of Research & Development at Favini.