In Era, cardboard food boxes are turned into toilet paper!

In France, Tetra Pak’s Dijon plant produces 3.8 billion food cartons annually. But only 45% of these bricks are recycled. Six in ten today end up at Essity in Gondouville, the factory of the Swedish group, founded in 1902, whose 360 ​​employees make household hygiene products (Demakup, Lotus, Lotus baby) and professional hygiene products (Tork). a new production line entirely dedicated to food carton packaging. The world first opened on October 17, 2023.

25,000 tons per year

The Euroise mill already works with 100% recycled materials, “and never with virgin paper pulp. Through our service providers, we collect old paper and fabric, food cartons, and soon we will be launching a Tork paper circle to collect used hand towels from manufacturers for recycling, because our job here is to recover as much fiber as possible from cellulose cotton wool. in these materials. We started fifteen years ago. It’s in the site’s DNA,” says director Valerie Danjou.

It must be said that the setting of the Eton Valley encourages a desire for greenery. So, after research and work for five years and an investment of 16 million euros, “we have installed a line unique in the world for the recycling of food cardboard boxes that contain 75% cardboard, 14% plastic layers, 5% aluminum.” and 6% plastic cap. Supplied in bales of 200 kg. They are then soaked, shredded and filtered to recover 80% of the cellulose wadding fibers, 100% of which will then be converted into toilet paper and hand towels for our industrial range. Other elements, polyal, will soon also be appreciated. What is unique is that this plant is 100% dedicated to brick production, that we have increased the processing volume from 18,000 tons per year to 25,000 tons, or +40%, and that 100% of the fibers are recycled. This investment also helps to preserve the factory and therefore jobs,” explains Valerie Danjou.