Materia Viva: this beautiful paper collection combines luxury with sustainability

We should all be supporting companies that are really making a difference in the way they source and create their products. Take specialist paper company Fedrigoni, the leading global producer of luxury speciality papers for packaging, publishing and graphics, as well as self-adhesive materials. It's making huge strides for sustainability and deserves our backing as creatives.

Happily, that's no hardship as its premium-quality paper is so luxurious! We're particularly excited by Fedrigoni's launch of Materia Viva, a new collection of fine sustainable papers inspired by nature and made using recycled materials.

Read on as we explain just what makes Fedrigoni and its new Materia Viva collection so special.

How Fedrigoni is making a difference

Based in Italy and operating paper mills in Verona, Arco di Trento, Riva del Garda, Fabriano and Pioraco, Fedrigoni is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its products. It avoids using plastics wherever possible and favours the recycling and reuse of materials while maintaining the high product quality this 134-year old manufacturer is renowned for.

Fedrigoni has always believed in forest sustainability, making a formal commitment not to use pulp from sources, including illegal logging. It's also set itself the 'Plastic to Paper' challenge to develop solutions similar to that of plastic but using renewable raw materials that are fully recyclable.

The company has also committed to reducing the environmental impact of its processes in general. Its pulp comes entirely from FSC certified sources and sustainability initiatives have reduced its use of water in manufacturing significantly. Fedrigoni is also committed to zero waste to landfill and is putting in place measures and agreements with the entire supply chain to reach this goal.

Having invested strongly in its mills to reduce its carbon footprint, Fedrigoni plans to cut CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030.

No surprise, then, that it was recently awarded the Gold Medal from EcoVadis, an international sustainability rating agency. And the release of Fedrigoni's new Materia Viva collection fits right into its forward-thinking, sustainability-focused strategy.

What makes Materia Viva papers special

If you're looking for luxurious papers made from natural materials that are elegant, high-performing, and robust, then look no further than Materia Viva. This new collection of high recycled-content papers from Fedrigoni is produced using natural cellulose-alternative fibres, such as cotton and hemp, sourced exclusively from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified forests.

The name Materia Viva means 'living matter' in Italian, and the collection – which is suitable for any packaging or printing need – is directly inspired by nature. Following the release of its iconic Paper Box in 2020, the Materia Viva collection was a natural progression. As brands seek sustainable solutions, Fedrigoni collated all its recycled-material papers into one standalone collection – easing access to its speciality papers for any kind of project. Presented in a sleek black box, individually encasing nine product ranges with their own unique landscape covers, offers all shades and weights.

Materia Viva itself comprises nine high-quality product lines, presented in a sleek black box with special card packs showing a photo of a landscape matching the paper. And on the inside, the entire range includes all the shades and weights available.

And these are high-quality products indeed. Fedrigoni's master papermakers are trained for five years to learn the art of making hand-made papers, and it is the only company in the world that still produces paper in this way.

Among the collection are new paper variants and some old favourites that have been available in Fedrigoni's portfolio since 1996 but have been updated and improved. The nine product lines are Arena ECO, Freelife, Freelife Cento, Life, Old Mill ECO, Materica, Woodstock, Symbol Card ECO, and Symbol Freelife.

As Micaela Di Trana, Marketing & R&D VP at Fedrigoni Paper, says: "We've been pushing ourselves beyond the limits of technology for over 20 years to realise new sustainable, creative possibilities. Being sustainable for us means being creative and daring to try alternative solutions to generate change. Our mission is Elevating Creativity."

To view the full collection, visit the Fedrigoni website. Materia Viva papers are available through Fedrigoni's Paper Consultants or by emailing [email protected].