"China poses a major competitive threat to the European market for the manufacture of products for packaging. Moulded Paper Products (MPP) from China are up 20% cheaper than the equivalent EU products. Due to continued increase in prices there is a need for the EU industry to reduce cost affiliated with low energy efficiencies. A major portion of recovered fibre is sourced from local SMEs such as waste paper merchants, waste management companies and corrugated case manufacturers. The recovered paper market will be directly impacted through potentially higher demand. Demand from China for recovered fibre has pushed prices high. Exports globally estimated at over 13 million tonnes per annum (expected to increase by around 18 million by 2009) are used mainly for MPP manufacturing, which are subsequently exported back to Europe. Estimated growth volumes for existing and new markets, show that increasing usage of recovered fibre will be restrained, unless the industry can move forward on the following key issues: • Improvement in the ability to produce cost competitive products • Step change in the aesthetic characteristics of products, at competitive prices • Migration towards utilisation of post- consumer recovered fibre The Solution. The proposed project aims to develop a novel process for producing moulded paper products more energy efficiently with better complexity in design. This developed technology will open the way for more applications of MPP across further industries, such as to replace plastic packaging used for consumables, ‘non critical’ parts in automotive and plastic bottles."