The Paper and Packaging Board is shutting down after more than a decade promoting the sector.
P+PB is one of more than 20 research and promotion programs for commodities organized through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the only one dedicated to packaging. The federally established and industry-backed paper marketing program was set up in January 2014 with some prior technical assistance from the American Forest & Paper Association.
The goal was to expand and develop paper-based packaging markets. Sustainability became a key part of its messaging around 2021, P+PB President Mary Anne Hansan told Packaging Dive in 2023. There’s been a noticeable trend of “paperization” in recent years, in part motivated by companies trying to reduce overall plastic consumption.
According to USDA, the program was funded by a 35 cents-per-ton fee paid by large domestic manufacturers and importers of paper and paper-based packaging, exempting those with less than 100,000 tons annually. For 2025, P+PB reported having a budget of $20 million, with $14 million in media spending.
The board featured seven paper manufacturers and one importer; that representation features leaders from Domtar, Georgia-Pacific, Graphic Packaging International, International Paper, Sappi, Smurfit Westrock, Suzano and Sylvamo.
Last month, USDA held a referendum on continuing the program, requiring a majority vote in favor. The agency disclosed this week that only about 26% of eligible domestic manufacturers and importers, representing less than 10% of the volume represented in the referendum, supported continuing the order.
“While I am very disappointed by the results, I am proud of all the progress we have made as an industry speaking with one voice and the positive improvements in industry reputation and preference for its products,” said Hansan, who has been with the group since 2014, in a statement. “We are grateful to the companies and their employees who supported the program with their talent and time for more than 11 years.”
Now, the national marketing campaigns and organization itself are in the process of ceasing operations in the coming months. Ads through the “Papertarian” campaign will run on streaming TV through the end of September, according to P+PB’s website. Websites will go dark at the end of October.
P+PB touted return-on-investment from its programs. An economic evaluation of P+PB’s advertising work from 2019 to 2023 out of Cornell University found that it stimulated 1.1 million short tons per year of packaging consumption. The researcher found that the $114.3 million spent over the five year period returned $1.71 billion in impact, a nearly 14:1 net ROI.
The board was chaired by Steve Henry, president of paper and packaging at Domtar. “The paper and packaging industry collaborated together to increase preference for and demand for its products through this consumer advertising campaign,” Henry said in a statement. “The P+PB Board is very proud of what the organization accomplished and the powerful legacy it leaves for the future.”
