In a major development, a new recycling hub for beverage cartons has been established at Stora Enso's production site in Ostrołęka, Poland. This initiative is expected to triple the country's annual recycling capacity for beverage cartons, increasing it from 25,000 to 75,000 tonnes, according to a recent announcement.

Stora Enso and Tetra Pak have jointly invested approximately €29 million in the installation of a state-of-the-art recycling line dedicated to post-consumer beverage cartons. This advanced facility is capable of recycling the entire volume of beverage cartons sold in Poland, as well as additional volumes from Central and Eastern Europe, including neighboring countries like the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. Stora Enso has contributed around €17 million towards a new repulping line, which recovers the valuable carton fibers, while Tetra Pak, in collaboration with Czech carton recycling expert Plastigram Industries, has invested €12 million to construct the new line.

Operating with an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes, the recycling line at Stora Enso's Ostrołęka site focuses on separating beverage carton materials by detaching fibers from polymers and aluminum. These fibers are then recycled into carton board materials. To address the sustainability of end-of-life components, Plastigram, in partnership with Tetra Pak, is implementing a more environmentally friendly solution for polyAl. PolyAl refers to the polyethylene and aluminum left after fiber removal, which typically serves as a barrier against oxygen and humidity in aseptic carton packages and often ends up being incinerated or sent to landfills.

Lars Holmquist, EVP Sustainability & Communications at Tetra Pak, expressed their longstanding commitment to enhancing beverage carton recycling capacity by collaborating with recyclers, technology providers, and suppliers in the development of new equipment and facilities. As part of the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE), they endorse the industry's ambition to achieve a 90% collection for recycling rate of beverage cartons and a 70% recycling rate within the EU by 2030. The collaborative efforts of Tetra Pak and Stora Enso have resulted in the establishment of one of the largest recycling hubs for beverage cartons in Europe, supporting these ambitious goals.

The installation of the new recycling line exemplifies the beverage carton industry's dedication to advancing circularity objectives outlined in the proposed EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The packaging industry has already invested approximately €200 million in expanding beverage carton recycling capacity across the EU, with plans for an additional €120 million investment by 2027.

Hannu Kasurinen, EVP Packaging Materials at Stora Enso, highlighted the significance of this modern solution in augmenting European recycling capacity and solidifying progress in the circularity of consumer packaging. Beyond complementing their current production scope in Poland, the recycling facility will play a crucial role in achieving the recycling and waste reduction targets outlined in the EU's proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.