Materials engineering company Releaf has partnered with Eska, part of RDM Group, to introduce Eska Leaf—a recycled solid board made with leaves collected from urban streets.
The new packaging material brings together sustainable material innovation and large-scale board production, converting organic city waste into a premium solution for luxury applications. It also reflects wider food and beverage industry trends, including growing demand for food and drink sustainability, responsible sourcing, and distinctive food and drink packaging.
Eska Leaf will be presented to the international market at Luxe Pack Monaco, taking place at the Grimaldi Forum from September 28–30, 2026, at Booth RC02.
Giving fallen city leaves a new purpose
Eska Leaf combines Eska’s high-quality recycled solid board with a leaf-based paper laminate developed by Releaf. The leaves are collected after being swept from urban streets in major cities, including Paris, providing a locally sourced alternative raw material.
Each autumn, millions of tonnes of leaves are typically incinerated or sent for disposal. Through this collaboration, the material is recovered and converted into packaging. The finished board preserves the organic texture and visual character of foliage, enabling brands to create packs that establish a tangible connection with nature, place, and urban origin.
Supporting forest protection and brand credibility
The launch responds to increasing expectations around environmental performance, premium design, and transparent brand practices. These priorities are also shaping food manufacturing trends, food processing technology, food distribution trends, and food and drink industry innovation.
By incorporating upcycled urban bio-waste into the fibre mix, Eska Leaf can reduce dependence on virgin wood pulp and help limit demand on forest resources. The approach supports broader circularity goals while offering manufacturers a distinctive packaging substrate.
Its natural grain and tactile surface also give luxury brands new creative opportunities. Packaging can communicate seasonal campaigns, product provenance, and environmental commitments through the material itself rather than relying solely on printed messaging. This is increasingly relevant as food and drink marketing places greater emphasis on authenticity and visible sustainability.
Research underlines the importance of these attributes. A 2026 European study conducted by Perspectus Global and jointly commissioned by RDM Group found that more than half of Europeans connect packaging and recycling with a brand’s overall sustainability performance. In addition, 80% of respondents said that visibly recycled cartonboard improves their perception of a company’s environmental responsibility.
Custom development backed by industrial capability
Eska Leaf combines environmental credentials with the flexibility required for high-end packaging development. Through Eska’s internal lamination capabilities and specialist laboratory, brand owners and converters can work with the company to develop customised boards suited to individual products, formats, and brand identities.
The material may also support businesses responding to evolving food and drink regulations, changing food and drink consumer trends, and increased scrutiny of packaging claims. As food and drink sustainability becomes more central to purchasing decisions, solutions that combine traceable inputs, strong visual appeal, and scalable manufacturing can help brands meet market expectations.
“Sustainability and circularity are built into our mission,” said Krzysztof Krajewski, chief sustainability and innovation officer at RDM Group. “Eska Leaf shows what’s possible when we combine our fibre expertise with a partner like Releaf: a material that reduces pressure on forests, tells a story about where it comes from and still meets the standards our customers expect from solid board.”
“Every autumn, cities collect and discard millions of tonnes of leaves as waste,” added Valentyn Frechka, co-founder of Releaf. “Our work is about showing that this waste can become a valuable material resource. Partnering with RDM Group and Eska allows us to combine Releaf’s material technology with Eska’s industrial expertise and bring a new class of leaf-based materials into premium packaging.”