The European Recovered Paper Council (ERPC) this past week announced winners of the fourth European Paper Recycling Awards. The LowEnergyFlotation (LEF) from Voith (Germany) was the winner of the "Technology Improvement and R&D" category. The well-attended ceremony took place at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
 

The LEF is a milestone for an energy-efficient flotation. "This is an innovation that significantly reduces the energy requirements needed to remove printing ink from paper fibers," explains Product Manager Reinhard Bluhm.

The newly developed injectors are at the heart of the LEF. Together with the modified pumps, they enable energy consumption to be reduced by up to 50% in the flotation. Subsequently, paper mills not only save energy but also achieve significant financial savings. The LEF technology has already been applied in more than 10 systems worldwide.

The winner of the second category "Information and Education" was the Alcorcon municipality in Spain. Their project improves paper and board collection by distributing paper bins in all schools in the district. The project aims to increase both the amount of paper collected as well as the environmental awareness among children.

In her speech, ERPC Chairperson Beatrice Klose stressed the role of the recycling awards."The European Paper Recycling Awards recognize innovative approaches to paper recycling, which is a daily act, familiar to all. It is our pleasure to highlight a few of those efforts that merit wider recognition and visibility," she added.

More information is available on the ERPC website and the Voith website .