Sustana

The global paper industry is crumbling. Waning demand and rising operating costs have fueled a decade-long industry contraction and a pandemic of bankruptcies. Rolland, a Canadian paper mill, struggled to find a way forward.

Despite the doom and gloom, we saw a bright future for Rolland. Why? Because we knew something it didn’t: It wasn’t a paper mill.

Parallel to the energy transition is the material transition — a movement replacing “dirty materials” with “clean materials”. Dirty materials account for over 50% of carbon emissions but also drive biodiversity loss, contamination, deforestation, eutrophication, and more. Paper is among the dirtiest of dirty materials. Among all North American industries, it is the third biggest polluter of air, water, and land.

Coalitions of government and scientific bodies have defined a “clean material” as one that:

• Optimizes recycling
• Comes from clean production
• Prevents waste at all stages, from creation to disposal
• Extends the life and uses of products

Seen through this framework, Rolland wasn’t a paper mill. It was a clean materials mill.

Rolland:

• Recycles 100% of its water
• Sources 93% of its energy from Biogas, reducing its annual carbon emissions by 70,000 tons
• Uses 9x less water than benchmarks
• Sources 2.2M pounds of paper trash each day as 100% of its product’s feedstock
• Recycles paper so cleanly that the FDA has certified it “food-grade” quality

At 140-years-old, Rolland represented the future of materials. We recentered it on that value creation strategy by:

• Relaunching the company as “Sustana”
• Defining its mission: “Adding sustainability to everyday products”
• Defining a "clean material" acquisition strategy for horizontal and vertical integration

The transformation repositioned Sustana as an ingredient brand—shifting its commercialization strategy from product supplier to strategic partner. This new clarity established meaningful differentiation in the marketplace, driving new deals with major global brands. It also expanded Sustana’s total addressable market, moving from the limited paper category into the broader clean materials sector—an opportunity 4.5 times larger. The company further strengthened its position through horizontal integration, acquiring Hanna, one of North America’s largest paper recycling companies.