The French company Schweitzer-Mauduit International (SWM International) launched the LeafLab business division in 2013, which is all about the processing of vegetable fibres for the industrial ­production segment. The job of the new business division is to deploy new technologies in fibre recycling in order to discover new concepts for plant products such as husks extracted from coffee, cocoa or coconut shells, all mostly vegetable side or waste products. Core areas of the company include: Papers made of plant material with natural organoleptic characteristics were conceived for the packaging sector. Another core area are vegetable fibres for use as pulp by manufacturers of special papers and cardboard. Other products have been created for the beverage and cosmetics industries.

By the end of 2015, LeafLab started marketing its first set of products: Cocoa Paper™ and cocoa fibre. Made of cocoa husks, which is the thin pellicle enwrapping the cocoa bean, Cocoa Paper™ has been certified food-safe. According to company information, it represents the first all-natural paper specifically catering to chocolate and comfits manufacturers and specialized fabricators. As the paper is made from ­cocoa husks that are usually seen as waste product, it can be looked at as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional packaging materials. 

"The job we‘re doing with LeafLab is really revolutionary. Drawing on our patented technologies and know-how, we're capable of extracting ­fibres from a host of different plants and convert them into products with a high vegetable proportion,” explains Fabrice Werner, Vice President SWM, Advanced Fibers & Materials.