Sonoco (NYSE: SON), one of the most sustainable, global diversified packaging companies, today announced it is expanding recovery and recycling of scrap materials from the production of its iconic EnviroCan™ paper containers in the U.S. to be used as raw material at three of its uncoated recycled paperboard mills to produce new paperboard.
According to Elizabeth Rhue, Sonoco’s staff vice president of Sustainability, Sonoco expects to divert from landfills approximately 3,300 tons of scrap materials annually from four of its U.S. paper container operations in West Chicago, Ill., Greenville, Wisc., Jackson, Tenn., and Norwalk, Calif. This material, which is projected to equal approximately 165 truckloads, will be sent to Sonoco paper mills in Menasha, Wisc., Newport, Tenn., and City of Industry, Calif., where it will be used as raw material to produce 100 percent recycled paperboard, with up to 85 percent post-consumer fiber.
“Sonoco is uniquely positioned as a leading recycler, paper mill operator and packaging converter to help deliver end of life solutions across our consumer and industrial packaging platforms. We are taking the lead to further demonstrate our ability to recycle our paper containers with metal ends not only through the steel stream, as they are largely done today, but also through the paper stream. And, we look forward to growing consumer access to increase recycling of our paper cans through post-consumer recycling streams,” said Rhue.
According to Tim Davis, division vice president and general manager of Sonoco’s U.S./Canada paper operations, this collaboration across Sonoco’s U.S. vertically integrated manufacturing network further demonstrates the flexibility the Company has to recycle and process fiber-based packaging through conventional paper mill pulping systems. Sonoco currently is working with the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) to recycle its paper containers in the U.K. at its Stainland, paper mill, in West Yorkshire, U.K., to produce 100 percent recycled coreboard.
Rhue concluded, “This is one of many steps Sonoco is taking to further our commitment to responsible material sourcing at our manufacturing operations, while reducing wastes out of our operations and delivering on our 2025 commitment to increase the volume of packaging by weight that is recycled or caused to be recycled through Sonoco’s recycling facilities and paper mills.”
https://investor.sonoco.com/news-releases/news-release-details/sonoco-expanding-recycling-iconic-paper-containers-us