Sustainability - Insalkin

Introduction

Circular economy introduced in today’s society implies the idea of recycling, which means easily recyclable products, source separation, efficient collection and treatment systems, markets for secondary raw materials, etc.

But it goes beyond recycling, seeking efficiency throughout the entire cycle: renewable raw materials, local resources, eco design, efficient manufacturing processes, symbiosis between sectors, new consumption patterns, etc. circular economy is in the DNA of the paper itself.

The paper sector is a green industry based on a natural and renewable resource -the wood- grown in plantations. Its manufacturing processes are highly efficient in the use of water and energy and waste management.

The concept of circular economy is a great opportunity for innovation, looking for creative solutions to achieve greater efficiency throughout the cycle, and has enormous potential for value creation.

The pulp and paper industry, attached to its versatility, has a great capacity for innovation. New applications in the packaging or hygiene products and absorbent cellulose, nano or micro cellulose and the integration of paper with solutions in the graphic field and packaging are the result of intelligent roles that interact with the consumer and the products they protect.

Renewable and green products as recyclable paper are capable of producing the greatest added value from the initial raw materials. They are the products of the future.

Renewable raw material of national origin

Seal-Natural-product-boost

The paper cycle begins in nature with a natural and renewable resource: wood.

The wood used to make paper in Spain is grown in plantations for this purpose. These plantations for paper are pine and eucalyptus and occupy 490,000 hectares (2.7% of the total forest area).

Of the total wood used annually as raw material for the Spanish paper industry, 83% comes from plantations, while the remaining 17% comes from imports.

Spain is the fourth European country with the largest forest area, only behind Russia, Sweden and Finland, according to FAO.

The annual growth of wood is 46.3 million m3 and annual short cc limited to 15.5 million m3.

The Spanish paper industry works to promote sustainable forest management and certification. For this, the process the wood follows from the forest to the final consumer, is shown in a product with a guaranty label with its origin of a sustainable forest management.

Another important aspect in the use of wood as a raw material for the paper industry is its use to make the best possible use of natural resources.

Wood becomes paper products being recycled again and again in new paper products (cellulose fiber can be recycled up to eight times). Process waste, both from virgin fiber and recycled are valued in different industries or used as fuel in the plant itself or in other industrial facilities.

Efficient use of water and energy

The Spanish paper industry produces annually 2 million tons of pulp and 6.2 million tons of paper in its 82 factories. 97% of production is carried out under the Environmental Management System (ISO or EMAS).

Papermaking from cellulose fibers is basically the removal of water accompanying the paste formed by these fibers.

Among all the Spanish industrial sectors, the paper is the largest producer and user of renewable energy from biomass. Biomass accounts for 3% of the fuels used.

Water is used in the papermaking process essentially as transportation of the fiber. The water is reused and recycled. The Spanish paper industry has made significant reductions in water use. Note that only 5-10% of used water is consumed in the process because it evaporates or is incorporated into the product. The remaining 90-95% of the water is returned purified.

The waste management process is another particularly important aspect as regards the efficiency of the papermaking process.

The waste generated in the production of pulp and paper is not hazardous waste.

Eco-design and material substitution

The paper products are natural, renewable, recyclable and biodegradable.

For this reason, the role played by paper in various applications in recent years show a growing tendency of replacing other materials that do not have these environmental characteristics. This is the case of paper bags and cartons.

This is a trend that in the coming years will also occur in other product areas.

Improving the sustainability of paper products through eco design is an increasingly important aspect. Indeed, the Mainstream Project of the World Economic Forum, which includes three pilot programs to advance the circular economy, has chosen paper and cardboard as one of them to consolidate a set of rules of eco universal and easy to use design that they can lead the way to other materials.

Improved commitment to selective collection

The Spanish paper industry leads the recycling of paper and paperboard in Europe, surpassed only by Germany.

This great recycling capacity of our industry ensures the final recycling of all waste collected and treated in Spain.

Through selective collection by the sector of paper and paperboard recovery or waste managers, they are collected for recycling 4.3 million tons annually. Our factories use as raw material 5.1 million tons, which means that 70% of paper recycled in our paper mills is of domestic origin.

Since some papers do not enter the recycling cycle because we keep (such as books, notebooks, etc.) or because they destroy with their use (like toilet paper), it is estimated that the real potential for collecting paper for recycling is currently around 85% of consumption.

Moreover, the Spanish system blue container, located in the street for the joint collection of all types of paper and cardboard for domestic consumption, with total availability and time flexibility for the user to deposit your paper and used cardboard, da citizens the possibility of being protagonist, a key process in protecting the environment.

As a result of this environmental policy, 86% of Spaniards consider that should be used more packaging paper and cardboard for good environmental characteristics, and 83% say that if the same product you can choose between the packaging and labeling paper and cardboard or other material, prefers the role, according to a study by the European organization Paperplus.

According to a recent survey by Sigma Dos for Paper Forum, Spanish consumers show a high degree of overall satisfaction with the role (7 of 10) and positively value their quality (7.5), adaptation to different uses (7 , 4) and its environmental characteristics (6.8).