Smurfit Kappa’s new Recycling Dual company helps German manufacturers navigate paper recycling rules

21 Dec 2020 --- Smurfit Kappa is launching a company called Recycling Dual to help German manufacturers and retail businesses reduce costs and improve paper recycling efforts in line with the latest legislation.

“We are happy to provide this first-to-market service to our customers in Germany. Recycling Dual provides a cost-effective solution that boosts recycling rates and meets a specific business need,” says Henri Vermeulen, vice president of Smurfit Kappa Recovered Paper. 

Tracking paper’s life cycle
Recycling Dual offers an integrated, holistic solution to track the entire life cycle of paper, cardboard and carton packaging. It highlights duplication that can be removed from the supply chain and reduce costs, the company explains.

In an industry first, Recycling Dual “guarantees” closing the full loop for paper-based packaging for its customers. The service provides them with a holistic solution to ensure packaging from their products is recycled through a nationwide collection system. 

Starting in 2021, Recycling Dual will be the only company in the market with the ability to track the life cycle of paper, cardboard and carton packaging from production through to being recycled. The new company called Recycling Dual helps German businesses improve recycling efforts, in line with the latest legislation.

Tackling recycling laws
The company was set up in response to a German federal law enacted last year. The German Packaging Act, also known as VerpackG, came into force in January 2019 and imposes stricter recycling requirements for all manufacturers and retailers who use consumer packaging as part of their supply chain. 

The law requires businesses to buy licences for the packaging they use and, with recycling costs expected to increase by up to 30 percent in 2021, lead to a greater responsibility being placed on businesses to increase their recycling rates. 

Producers are made responsible for recycling the packaging of their goods. The term “producer” includes importers and retailers, as well.

Through the legislation, the government aims to reduce packaging waste and improve recycling rates within the EU. Any party responsible for placing packaged products on the market must pay a fee for the recycling of their packaging waste.

This fee depends on the type of packaging material and is typically a few cents per kilogram.

Failure to comply with the stricter recycling requirements can result in significant fines.

Streamlining recycling
Recycling Dual organizes the collection, sorting and recycling of sales packaging for businesses across Germany, ensuring strict recycling quotas are met. 

Recycling Dual offers an integrated solution to track the entire life cycle of paper, cardboard and carton packaging.As part of the service, the company works in collaboration with numerous stakeholders, including local municipalities and waste management companies.

“The integrated system combines Smurfit Kappa’s expertise in paper, packaging and long-term experience in the recycling industry and delivers on our solution focused approach to assisting our customers,” notes Heiner Oepen, managing director at Recycling Dual. 

Through Smurfit Kappa’s integrated bundle of paper production, individual development of paper-based packaging solutions, complex logistics offering and its wider partnerships, Recycling Dual can act as a “one stop shop” in the company’s full service offering.

On the innovation conveyor belt
Smurfit Kappa is ramping up its CO2 reduction targets significantly, aiming for a 55 percent drop in carbon emissions by 2030 and at least net-zero emissions by 2050. 

In fact, Smurfit Kappa Colombia partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Colombia to enforce action on illegal logging and support forestry conservation programs across the country. 

The new alliance aims to jointly restore, expand and protect forests and ecosystems with increased surveillance systems. Smurfit Kappa’s overarching ambition is to promote responsible paper production and reduce deforestation.

Recently, it joined forces with KHS to roll out its corrugated cardboard recyclable TopClip multipack can carrier, a solution that can replace shrink wrap. In partnering with KHS, the company can start developing a high-speed automation solution to ensure it can accommodate the wider beverage market.

Moreover, Smurfit Kappa released an innovation to reduce non-sustainable materials in banana production. The BanaBag is a paper-based wrapping that covers the fruit to protect against insects and diseases while acting as an insulator against overheating.

Lastly, in June, the company launched an eco-centric packaging solution that keeps frozen and chilled foods fresh throughout the supply chain. 

Made from a 100 percent paper-based combination of Hexacomb and corrugated materials, the Thermo Box keeps frozen food including fish at temperatures similar to expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes.

Edited by Kristiana Lalou