Sustainable packaging company DS Smith has announced the appointment of John Melia, Strategy Development & Innovation Director, Recycling Division, as Chair of the Confederation of Paper Industry (CPI) Recovered Paper Council.
John, who has more than 25 years of expertise in operations and strategic planning, will head up the Committee that advocates for a legislative and regulatory system that helps to drive a more sustainable paper industry. CPI is the leading trade association working on behalf of the UK’s paper-based industries, promoting paper’s value as a uniquely renewable and recyclable resource. Its initiatives include launching the Paper and Board Recyclability Guidelines in 2019 to help retailers and brands design sustainable packaging that can be reprocessed in paper mills.
John joined DS Smith’s UK Recycling Division as Managing Director in 2019, before becoming Strategy Development & Innovation Director for European recycling activities in July 2021. His role includes delivering quality and service improvements through strategic planning, recyclability, and innovation development. John will offer his industry expertise and work with CPI with a focus on recyclability and separate collection streams for fibre-based packaging.
John Melia, Strategy Development & Innovation Director, Recycling Division at DS Smith said:
“As a leading sustainable packaging company, we need to work closely with associations and alliances such as CPI and 4evergreen, collaborating with institutional and industry stakeholders and clarifying guidelines for producers. I’m looking forward to working together with other industry experts to advise and help establish a system that ensures the circularity and high quality of fibre throughout its value chain from producers to recyclers.”
Recently, John was also elected to represent the Pulp Producers, Paper and Board Manufacturers & Recyclers Segment in 4evergreen’s steering group, which provides strategic direction to the alliance and oversight of its activities. 4evergreen is a cross-industry alliance, hosted by Cepi (the Confederation of European Paper Industries), bringing together stakeholders from across the fibre-based packaging value chain with the goal of optimising the circularity and environmental performance of packaging.
DS Smith is a leading provider of sustainable fibre-based packaging worldwide, which is supported by recycling and papermaking operations. It plays a central role in the value chain across sectors including e-commerce, fast moving consumer goods and industrials. Through its purpose of ‘Redefining Packaging for a Changing World’ and its Now and Next sustainability strategy, DS Smith is committed to leading the transition to the circular economy, while delivering more circular solutions for its customers and wider society – replacing problem plastics, taking carbon out of supply chains and providing innovative recycling solutions. Its bespoke box-to-box in 14 days model, design capabilities and innovation strategy sit at the heart of this response. Headquartered in London and a member of the FTSE 100, DS Smith operates in 34 countries employing around 30,000 people and is a Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Its history can be traced back to the box-making businesses started in the 1940s by the Smith family.