The hygiene and health company Essity has inaugurated the world’s first production line for professional hygiene tissue products where the raw material consists of used food and milk packaging. The facility recycles 25,000 tons per year, equivalent to 60% of all collected, sorted and recycled food and beverage cartons in France.

Since 2008, Essity’s plant in Hondouville has been the leader in recycling paper fiber from food and beverage packaging in France. The latest expansion has increased the recycling capacity by 40%. In addition to increased recycling capacity, the process also enables the recycling of almost all the materials in the packaging, including plastic and aluminum. Essity uses the fiber raw material to manufacture tissue products under the Tork brand.

Essity is constantly developing new methods to reuse materials and optimize resources, with the aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The company has similar recycling initiatives in Germany, the Netherlands and most recently in Ecuador, where Essity is collaborating with McDonald’s and the company ReciVeci to recycle paper cups from fast-food restaurants.

“A truly circular society can only be achieved if there is integrated collaboration between all members of the value chain, and our production plant in Hondouville is a role model in end to-end circular economy. The production facility provides cost-efficient and sustainable production while we take important steps toward a world with zero landfill,” says Donato Giorgio, President, Global Supply Chain at Essity.

France is Essity’s second largest market in Europe with approximately 2,300 employees and annual sales of SEK 11.7bn. Essity manufactures and sells hygiene and health products under leading brands, such as Actimove, Cutimed, Delta-Cast, Demak’Up, JOBST, Leukoplast, Lotus, Nana, Okay, TENA and Tork.