Stora Enso, Tetra Pak partner to invest in European recycling

Stora Enso Oyj, a manufacturer of pulp and paper products based in Helsinki, and Tetra Pak, a food packaging company based in Switzerland, have announced plans to partner to invest in a complete recycling solution that will improve recycling in Central and Eastern Europe. The two companies are investing approximately 29.1 million euros (about $34.3 million) in recycling in that region.

According to a news release from Stora Enso, the partnership follows a comprehensive feasibility study. The partnership will introduce a large-scale carton repulping line at Stora Enso’s Ostrołęka production unit in Poland. The company reports that the line will triple the annual recycling capacity of used beverage cartons in Poland from 25,000 to 75,000 metric tons.

Stora Enso says this new line “will allow recycling of the entire volume of beverage cartons sold” in Poland and the ones coming from neighboring countries, including Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Stora Enso is investing 17 million euros (about $20 million) into a new repulping line that will recover carton fibers. Tetra Pak, along with Plastigram, is investing 12.1 million euros (about $14.2 million) to build an additional line to recover and recycle polymers and aluminum, using a patented separation technology.

According to Stora Enso, both of these lines will be operational in 2023. The separated materials will be used as raw materials for various end applications. Recycled fibers will be integrated into Stora Enso's recycled board, and the separated polymers and aluminum will be given new life in the form of different kinds of products, such as pellets and foils.

“Today, carton packages are recyclable. They are collected and recycled at scale where waste management and recycling infrastructure is in place. But for us, that’s not enough. We are seeking opportunities across the entire recycling value chain to improve how cartons get recycled and to develop solutions that effectively recycle all packaging components, including polymers and aluminum,” says Charles Brand, president of Tetra Pak Europe & Central Asia. “Therefore, I am very proud of this investment as well as of the strong partnership with Stora Enso that made this advancement possible. Collaborative action is key to realize our ultimate ambition—a world where all carton packages are collected, recycled and never become litter.”

“Stora Enso delivers packaging materials produced from renewable sources. With this development we can advance towards a greater degree of recyclability, a critical factor in enabling a circular bioeconomy,” says Hannu Kasurinen, executive vice president of Stora Enso’s Packaging Materials division. “We are delighted to join forces with Tetra Pak in what will be another important milestone towards the fully circular future we expect to realize. Moreover, as EU collection systems continue to evolve, the project holds potential to increase capacity for future excess volumes.”