Mill group Smurfit Kappa has invested €27 million (£23.7 million) in technology that will allow it to recover calcium carbonate from the paper making process and then use it for lime in new production.
At its Nervión mill in Lurreta, Spain, it will have a new lime kiln and gas treatment system that will have a production capacity of 120 tonnes per day.
The new circular system will allow the calcium carbonate waste produced during the manufacturing process to be transformed into lime for use as a raw material in production.
This will avoid 75,000 tonnes of waste entering landfill each year.
Smurfit Kappa Paper & Board Europe chief operating officer Javier Rivas said: “We are delighted about the installation of this industry-leading system which will help our mill to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. At Smurfit Kappa, we care deeply about new ways in which we can embed circularity into our business, particularly when we are talking about the production process.
“With this new lime kiln and gas treatment system, we will be able to recover and reuse more of our materials. We look forward to seeing the new system up and running later this year.”
