DS Smith turbocharges sustainability efforts with €90m investment at Rouen paper mill.

Soilfood, a Nordic circular economy company, studies the utilisation of fibrous side streams from Metsä Board's mills and has identified a new use as raw material in animal bedding. Increasing the added value of secondary products made from side streams is a circular economy where raw materials are kept in use as long as possible. Metsä Board’s mills manufacture high-quality fresh fibre paperboards focusing on lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. The mills' fibrous fractions from the production of these products, can now be used as raw materials for animal bedding.

Many paper industry products are such an imbedded part of our lives that we often take them for granted, but just think about what our lives would be like without the tissue segment of our business. While paper products are inherently sustainable, the growing circular economy discourse has drawn single-use products like tissues and paper towels into the conversation—and often not in a positive way. However, a closer look at the tissue product sector reveals some interesting sustainability facts that may not be top of mind. First, consider that tissue products are highly engineered to perform multiple functions at once. Bathroom tissue, for example, must be strong, soft and absorbent enough to perform its primary purpose, yet break down in a matter of seconds to pass through wastewater systems. To make products that perform according to a wide range of functions and align with consumer needs, paper towel and tissue manufacturers must use the appropriate mix of wood fiber pulp and recovered paper, as each brings different properties to the table. Achieving ultra-softness and absorbency, for instance, requires the use of fresh fiber. U.S. manufacturers are committed to responsible and sustainable wood fiber sourcing. As part of an overall paper industry sustainability goal, paper towel and tissue producers are continually increasing the amount of fiber procured from certified forestlands and through certified fiber sourcing programs. Click Read More below for additional information.

A group of volunteers from Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers, assembled to clean up a stretch of County Highway HH on Saturday, May 22, 2021. Volunteers cleaned up 2 miles of the highway and cleared many bags of trash and debris. Worzalla recently adopted the section of County Highway HH from R to Burbank as part of the Portage County Adopt-A-Highway program. This program allows businesses and organizations to claim a section of highway in their community in an effort to reduce litter, enhance the environment and beauty of area roadsides, and educate the public to properly dispose of litter. “Since Worzalla has such deep roots in the Portage County community, we thought it fitting to lend our support in beautifying our community through the Adopt-A-Highway program,” said Brianne Petruzalek, Vice President of Human Resources. “We appreciate the associates and their family members who came together to organize and participate in this volunteer opportunity.”