Plastic production could significantly contribute to climate change, perhaps representing as much as 31% of the world’s carbon budget by 2050, a new U.S. government study has found. Worse still, plastics are currently responsible for emissions that are four times greater than those in the airline industry, and never has the necessity to take action on this environmental issue been greater. The reality is alarming: nearly all plastics are made from fossil fuel feedstocks that give off greenhouse gases throughout their life cycle, from extraction to disposal.
Olha Nikitenko is leading the way in fighting this issue in Ukraine, applying innovative thinking to sustainable packaging. Olha is the development director of Alfa Paper Cup, working all her life to develop eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics. Her entrepreneurial journey began when she decided to explore entrepreneurship as a way to find freedom and creativity and develop paper packaging solutions for the food industry. Since establishing her company about 20 years ago, she has been integral to the company’s product expansion away from plastic to its sustainability focus.
“When I began working on eco-friendly packaging, it was obvious we had to do more than just cut back on plastic,” she recalls. “It meant rethinking the entire manufacturing process from the beginning—how we source the materials, how much energy we use, and the waste we leave behind.” Such a vision inspired her to start thinking about getting models for her business from scratch, adopting sustainable practices that permeate every aspect of her company, from production lines to corporate values.
As a result, Alfa Paper Cup adopted advanced automation technologies, which have enhanced production efficiency with minimal environmental impact. These technologies optimize operations, reduce material waste, and cut down on energy consumption, which is a top priority for Olha. The integration of automated systems has enabled her company to reduce its carbon footprint and increase output. “Sustainability is not just about the end product,” she stresses. “It’s about everything that goes into making it. At every step—from the materials we use to the energy that powers our factories—we’ve got to make sure that we’re making the most eco-friendly choices.”
This holistic approach to sustainability has yielded a lot of positive results. As a leader in the sustainable packaging market, Alfa Paper Cup has been positioned to fill the gap for eco-friendly alternatives to plastic. The company is promoting the use of renewable and recyclable material as an antidote to the damage caused by single-use plastic, which is the main culprit in ocean and landfill pollution over the years. More importantly, Olha’s production processes are highly efficient, allowing for enormous savings, which she has been able to pass on to her customers and push sustainable packaging solutions into the marketplace at competitive prices.
“We’ve proven you don’t have to sacrifice profitability to be sustainable,” she explains. “In fact, the more you reduce waste and optimize your resources, the less it costs you. It’s good for the environment and for business.” While her approach to sustainability has not just enhanced her company’s reputations, it has also demonstrated that sustainability can be both financially rewarding and essential to the future of the packaging industry.
However, Olha’s commitment to sustainability doesn’t stop with the environmental benefits. It extends to the social realm. Her company employs over 200 individuals, including people with disabilities, reflecting her commitment to making her business socially responsible and an inclusive employer. By fostering a culture of sustainability and social responsibility, she has built a team that shares her vision of a greener future, embedding eco-consciousness into the fabric of her company.
“We’re not just producing packaging; we’re building a legacy of sustainability and inclusivity,” she says. “What makes it so special for us at Alfa Paper Cup is that everyone knows that they are part of something big, something that will change the world for the better for years to come.”
Olha’s influence doesn’t stop with her own business. She often works with major industry players, such as Metro Cash & Carry, to share her knowledge and spread the word on sustainable practices across the wider supply chain. She has also helped her company to take on socially beneficial projects, including giving eco-friendly packaging to humanitarian food distribution in Ukraine, showing how sustainability and corporate social responsibility can intersect.
Looking to the future, Olha has ambitious plans to set up branches in Europe and the United States to expand her sustainable practices across the globe. Her vision is clear: “We want to prove that sustainable manufacturing is not just a European trend but a global necessity. We have to make sure the whole packaging industry moves in this direction. Otherwise, we’ll all get left behind.”
Olha’s innovative methods and successful business model highlight a need to rethink packaging as global conversations about plastic pollution continue to become louder. This is a wake-up call to other manufacturers—to embrace sustainability and understand that environmental responsibility is now a key driver of business success. If you can’t keep up, you’ll get left behind in a market that is slowly becoming increasingly eco-conscious.