Sustainability in Loenen: how did our plant perform in 2024?

We believe strongly in the care of people and the environment. This conviction plays a major role in our company. The manufacture of solid board consumes energy. We are always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact and work more sustainably. Last year saw us take many steps towards further reducing our products’ burden on the environment. Curious about what we achieved in our plant in Loenen in 2024? Read all about it in our Environmental Monitor.

• In 2024, we manufactured higher volumes and did so more efficiently than in 2023, consuming less energy per ton of product. This is partly due to improvements to the solid board machine, one of the biggest energy consumers. We insulated pipes and, in doing so, gained an even better yield from the available heat that is necessary for drying solid board. An extra benefit: this raised safety levels too.
• Manufacturing solid board requires a lot of water. For our manufacturing process we draw water from the Apeldoorn Canal. After use, our own waste water purification plant filters the water before it is discharged. Thanks to various improvements to the waste water purification plant we were able to purify the water even better in 2024 and so discharge cleaner water.
• At our plant in Loenen we make new solid board packaging from old paper. Using paper that is collected in the region as much as possible.
• Our company waste is also used to generate energy or it gets another useful application.

Of course, we continue to focus on reducing our impact on the environment, relates environmental coordinator Eline Verheijden. “Through implementing technical improvements, we plan to up our use of heat from the solid board machine, for example through the installation of extra drying sieves, which will allow us to improve the transfer of heat to the board conveyor.”

“We also look at how we can save on water consumption, through for example the smart use or reuse of water. We look at which water quality we require for which process and how we can use the same water intelligently for the various processes. Water that is used to dissolve old paper does not need to be clean. Water that has been employed elsewhere in the manufacturing process for a different purpose and might contain some fibre is more than suitable for this.”