The call to repurpose the Whakatāne Board Mill to move into sustainable packaging options has been welcomed by a local charitable trust.
Last week more than 200 staff at the mill were presented with a proposal to close, which would see them all made redundant by the end of June. The mill has been an intergenerational employer in Whakatāne for more than 80 years and produces paper and packaging products.
Sustainabile Bay of Plenty Charitable Trust said in a statement today it strongly supported the repurposing of the mill to produce more sustainable packaging types, such as value-added cardboard products, to help to remove single-use plastics from circulation.
The trust's spokesperson Glen Crowther said the board mill reportedly had unique intellectual property in this area that would result in the removal of thousands of tonnes of single-use plastics and laminated board from circulation every year.