We’re excited to share that our Operations Director recently had the privilege of attending the Navigator Company Sustainability Event in Portugal, an informative event hosted by one of Europe’s leading paper manufacturers, Navigator. Cubiquity was pleased to be among a select group of around 100 delegates from across the European printing and paper industries, including representatives from stationery companies, paper merchants, and supply chain leaders.
A Deep Dive into Sustainable Forestry
The event offered a behind-the-scenes look at how Navigator is redefining sustainable forestry, particularly through its strategic focus on the Eucalyptus Globulus species.
Why Eucalyptus Globulus? It’s a powerhouse for paper production due to its:
- High pulp yield, enabling more paper from less raw material
- Exceptional print quality and durability
- Smooth texture for trouble-free printing
- Strong environmental credentials
These trees are certified by both FSC and PEFC, ensuring responsible forest management. But what truly stood out was the method of propagation: Navigator uses cuttings, not seedlings, which guarantees consistency in quality by producing exact genetic copies of the “mother” plant.
This precision-based approach significantly shortens the growth cycle. In southern Europe, these trees mature in just 12 years, compared to 40–100 years for seed-grown trees in Northern Europe.
Our Operations Director even planted a tree, due to be ready for pulp in 12 years. Mark your calendars: 2037! (He’ll be 62 years old and hopefully attending a reunion event.)
A Tour of the Setúbal Paper Mill
The visit to Navigator’s Setúbal Mill was equally impressive. It’s home to one of the largest and most advanced paper machines in the world, with a second one like it existing only in China.
- Cost to build: €600M
- Paper width: 10.4 metres, with a machine length of 200 metres
- Speed: 67 mph, producing 80 tonnes an hour
- Operating: 24/7
Despite its size, this incredible machine is operated by just 5 to 6 people from a high-tech control centre. From pulp input to paper reels output, the process is a testament to modern engineering, especially considering that the early stages of papermaking involve a mixture of 99% water and only 1% fibre.
Leading the Industry in Transparency
In line with broader sustainability goals, the Navigator event also highlighted regulatory shifts and environmental transparency. With new EU deforestation regulations (EUDR) taking effect from December 2025, all paper and related commodities entering the EU must now include geolocation data to ensure they don’t originate from deforested land post-2020.
also launched its carbon footprint, based on the industry-standard CEPI Ten Toes metric, at the event. Navigator has embraced the standard, reinforcing its commitment to transparency by publishing its carbon data publicly for the first time at the event.
Sustainability That Scales
This trip wasn’t just about trees and tech, it was about witnessing meaningful, scalable sustainability. From propagation to regulation, carbon metrics to machinery, the event showcased how far the industry has come, and how much further it can go.
As our Operations Director, Nick Burden, summed up:
“The Navigator event offered a valuable look at how sustainable practices are being implemented at scale in the paper industry. It was great to see the level of innovation and long-term thinking going into both forestry management and production. A really worthwhile experience.”
We look forward to applying this knowledge to our work, sources, and support of sustainability at Cubiquity. Here are some photos from the event…
