SPAIN – Irish corrugated packaging company Smurfit Kappa has announced an investment of $58.32 million (€54m) to double the capacity of its Ibi Bag-in-Box plant in Alicante, Spain.
This latest investment is aimed at strengthening the sustainability of both the plant’s operations and its product portfolio, with enhanced waste management systems and significant savings in energy consumption.
Bag-in-Box Ibi has a strong track record in recycling with several state-of-the-art systems to identify and separate by-products.
Saverio Mayer, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Europe, said: “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to the Bag-in-Box division and forms part of our multi-country expansion plan. We have invested $97.21 million (€90m) in the Ibi plant throughout the last decade, significantly enhancing our offering.
“Our customers know that when they choose us, they will get everything they need for their product, invariably resulting in a beautifully designed bag-in-box with a reduced carbon footprint.”
Bag-in-box is a sustainable packaging option for many industries such as wine, juice, liquid eggs, dairy, and also non-food applications, such as motor oil and chemicals.
“We are proud to be taking Ibi to the next level through this investment and creating a further 200 jobs for the local economy,” added Pascual Martínez, general manager of the Smurfit Kappa Ibi plant.
“We have a talented and very skilled team here that can solve even the most complex challenge. I am excited about embarking on the next chapter for Ibi.”
Last year, Smurfit Kappa announced it is on target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and has reduced CO2 emissions by 43.9% since the baseline year 2005, according to its 16th annual Sustainable Development Report.
The report covers the company’s progress from January to December 2022 in efforts related to sustainability via capital investment, operational improvement, and collaboration with customers and other stakeholders.
In 2022, Smurfit Kappa reduced emissions by 4% and water consumption by 2.1%, while its waste-to-landfill intensity decreased by 24% compared with 2013.
Other achievements by the company include a hydrogen-power trial in its Saillat paper mill in France, the redesign of a multi-fuel boiler in the Zülpich paper mill in Germany, and an investment of US$108.14 million (€100m) in a decarbonization project in Cali, Colombia.
It also commenced a district heating project in Austria, which it says will benefit 20,000 homes across three communities.
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