Paper Sludge from Essity’s Porcari Mill in Italy to Be Reused as Raw Material

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Essity has launched a new circular economy project at its Porcari mill in Italy aimed at recycling paper sludge. 

The mill will supply another, as yet undisclosed, neighboring paper mill with 50 percent of the paper sludge it generates. These production residues will then be used as raw material for the production of paper and board products.

The project is the result of a lengthy collaboration between Essity and Assocarta, the Italian association of paper producers, which allowed for the classification of paper sludge as a raw material that can be used in other production processes.

As of today, Essity has provided 52 tonnes of paper sludge and it aims to supply 70 mtpy.

“Paper sludge recycling brings many advantages such as lower disposal costs and gives a boost to the overburdened industrial residues collection sector,” Essity operations director Italia Ivan Ferrini commented. He added: “At the moment we are able to give new life to 50 percent of our paper sludge, but we are working on improving the internal process with the aim of extending the recycling to 100 percent of our paper residues. Plus, we are studying new technologies to allow us, in the future, to use paper sludge in our own production cycles.”

Essity’s Porcari mill produces 140,000 mtpy of tissue paper on four paper machines.

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