Quebec paper mill now accepts cartons

Sustana Fiber, which makes paper, tissue and food packaging products from 100-percent-recycled fiber, has announced that its paper mill in Lévis, Quebec, is now accepting recovered food and beverage cartons. The company’s mill in De Pere, Wisconsin, has been recycling cartons for more than 10 years, says Michele Bartolini, Sustana senior marketing director.

For the company’s Quebec mill to use this infeed material, she says the mill has modified its operations to shred the cartons before they enter the pulper, which facilitates processing and optimizes pulping time.

The decision to accept recovered cartons at the company's Lévis facility reflects Sustana’s strategic commitment to innovation and sustainability, as well as the need for alternative sources of high-quality fiber because of high demand for household paper products, including toilet paper and paper towels, according to a news release from the Carton Council, Denton, Texas.

“At Sustana, we are enthusiastic champions of responsible manufacturing, environmental stewardship and positive community impact,” Bartolini says. “By recycling alternative fibers, such as cartons, we are proud to enhance our support for a thriving circular economy and help conserve precious resources. We are also keen to do our part, supporting the supply chain working to make the products people need right now.”

“Each new end market added means cartons have additional opportunities to be recycled into new products and stay out of landfills,” says Jason Pelz, vice president of recycling projects for the Carton Council of North America. “While located in Canada, this new mill can provide an additional option for cartons collected in the northeastern part of the U.S.”

Bartolini says Sustana anticipates incorporating 3,000 to 4,000 tons of cartons annually in Quebec, with plans to increase the volume of cartons it uses over time.

The Carton Council is composed of four leading carton manufacturers, Elopak, SIG Combibloc, Evergreen Packaging and Tetra Pak.