FRANCE – Hygiene and health company Essity has inaugurated the world’s first production line for professional hygiene tissue products where the raw material consists of used food and milk packaging.
The newly expanded facility in Hondouville, France, has boosted its recycling capacity by 40%, now recycling an impressive 25,000t annually.
This amount is equivalent to 60% of all collected, sorted and recycled food and beverage cartons in France.
Since 2008, Essity’s Hondouville plant has been at the forefront of recycling paper fiber from food and beverage packaging in France.
The latest expansion underscores Essity’s commitment to sustainable practices and increased recycling capacity, contributing to a more environmentally conscious future.
The enhanced recycling process at Essity’s facility in Hondouville is not limited to paper fiber alone. It also enables the recycling of nearly all materials within the packaging, including plastic and aluminium.
The recycled fiber raw material is then utilized in the production of tissue products under the Tork brand, reflecting Essity’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Essity’s dedication to resource optimization and material reuse is evident in its overarching goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
This endeavour aligns with the company’s worldwide recycling initiatives, which extend beyond France. Essity has similar projects in Germany, the Netherlands, and, most recently, Ecuador, where it collaborates with fast food giant McDonald’s and ReciVeci to recycle paper cups.
Essity president global supply chain Donato Giorgio emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving a circular society, stating: “A truly circular society can only be achieved if there is integrated collaboration between all members of the value chain and our production plant in Hondouville is a role model in end-to-end circular economy.
“The production facility provides cost-efficient and sustainable production while we take important steps toward a world with zero landfill.”
Essity describes France as its second largest market in Europe, with approximately 2,300 employees and annual sales of more than US$1 billion.
Globally, Essity makes and sells hygiene and health products under brand names that include Tork, Actimove, Cutimed, Delta-Cast, Demak’Up, Jobst, Leukoplast, Lotus, Nana, Okay and TENA.
