Stora Enso and Tetra Pak join forces to boost European beverage carton recycling
13 Nov 2020 --- Leading pulp and paper manufacturer Stora Enso is teaming up with food packaging heavy weight Tetra Pak to explore the possibility of constructing a new recycling line that could significantly increase the recycling rates of used beverage cartons (UBC) in Central and Eastern Europe.
The two companies are initiating a feasibility study to assess the viability of building a large-scale recycling line for UBC at Stora Enso’s Ostrołęka Mill in Poland.
50,000 tons of UBC recycling each year
In the proposed model, Stora Enso would pulp and separate the fibers from UBC at the mill and use the recycled fibers as a raw material. Tetra Pak would then secure the recycling and reuse of polymers and aluminum, which could be processed by another partner, yet to be determined.
If realized, the capacity of the new recycling line would be 50,000 tons of UBC per year. This would represent a significant increase in recycling capacity for UBC across Europe, boosting the European recycling rate significantly from the current level of 51 percent.
The current annual recycling capacity at the Ostrołęka Mill is 725,000 tons and 400 million square meters of paper and cardboard.
Whether the project is feasible will be determined over the next six months, after which a timeline for implementation and projections on capacity and results will be established.
If implemented, the recycled UBC material would first come from countries in central and eastern Europe before expanding elsewhere. 
The new recycling line could have a capacity of more than 50,000 tons of UBC per year.
Propelling UBC’s circularity
The collaboration hopes by utilizing more resources produced in the recycling process, it can significantly improve UBC’s industry circularity.
“This new line would be the next step in the circularity of packaging materials in helping make our customers’ brands circular. Beverage cartons are widely recycled in Europe today, and we want to use our knowledge of fibers and board to promote and accelerate the recycling and collection of beverage carton materials,” says Markku Luoto, spokesperson at Stora Enso.
“Our process at Ostrołęka Mill already uses recycled (OCC) materials. We are interested in developing the already well-functioning recycling system and using high-quality UBC fibers.”
The new line would seek to involve other industry players and potentially bring a new replicable design to recycling in industry throughout Europe.
“Working with partners along the value chain is our number one priority when it comes to driving the collection and recycling of UBC. We are confident that this partnership will allow us to improve Europe’s recycling infrastructure and further increase the recycling rate of UBC in the region,” adds Luoto.
The partnership also touts the project’s potential as a carbon emission cutter. Reusing the excess material would reduce the energy needed in other forms of production.
“It is through synergies like this one that we will be able to lead the sustainability transformation and achieve a low-carbon circular economy,” says Guillaume Latourrette, managing director at Tetra Pak East Europe.
Stora Enso’s circular vision
The partnership project joins Stora Enso’s ongoing efforts to create circularity in the packaging industry.
Currently, the company’s wood supply is certified as 100 percent sustainable.
In 2018, Stora Enso made strides toward plastics reduction with its launch of wood-based biocomposites products, DuraSense.
This year, the company made investments into mills in Sweden and China, expanding production of single-use food service packaging products made from PureFibre.
PureFibre has been proven by life cycle assessments to produce 75 percent fewer carbon emissions than competing materials.
Stora Enso also recently invested €10 million (US$11.7 million) in dispersion barrier technology, facilitating a lower carbon footprint and industrial compostability.
Edited
By Louis Gore-Langton
