The Finnish-Swedish paper manufacturer Stora Enso and the Swiss manufacturer of food processing and packaging solutions Tetra Pak are investigating the possibility of jointly building a recycling line for used beverage cartons (or UBCs for Used Beverage Cartons).
This line would be installed at the Ostro??ka plant of Stora Enso in Poland. " Our process at the Ostro??ka mill already uses recycled cardboard (OCC old corrugated container). We want to expand the already successful recycling system and use high quality UBC fibres" says Markku Luoto, Vice President and Head of Business Line Aseptic LPB & CKB of Stora Enso, in a release.
With this line, Stora Enso would separate and recover cardboard fibres from used beverage cartons at its Ostro??ka plant. It would then use these fibres as raw material, while Tetra Pak would ensure the re-use of the polymers and aluminium which would be processed by a partner (these elements are usually transformed into oil cans, plastic crates or flower pots).
The new recycling line could recycle 50?000 tonnes of UBC. "This would represent a significant increase in the recycling capacity of beverage cartons across Europe, boosting the recycling rate from the current 51% says Tetra Pak. According to our calculations, this would increase the recycling capacity in Europe by about 11%. And through upgrading and expansion, integrated pulp capacity would increase from the current 370?000 tonnes to 780?000 tonnes per year and board production capacity would increase by 120?000 tonnes to 1.005 million.
The investment required would amount to approximately EUR 800 to 850 million. The feasibility study should be completed by the end of 2021. Production would start at the earliest in the fourth quarter of 2023.
