Waste recovery at Alier

For these and many other reasons in which we demonstrate our commitment to the planet, this 2022 we have received a Next Generation fund of three million euros to promote an even more advanced project that will allow us to save between 30 and 40 % more water during the recycled paper manufacturing process. However, this is not the only goal we have in mind and we are set to achieve much more in the next three years. We are working hard every day to continue making history as a company committed to the environment and the planet.
In our recycling plant we achieve great results by using cardboard from boxes, wrappers and other paper waste that is discarded in the containers. Here are some interesting facts to keep in mind. For every ton of cardboard:

✅ 900 kilograms of recycled material is achieved.
✅ 140 liters of petroleum and 50,000 liters of water are saved, which sums up to 90 % less water and 50 % less electricity than is used when manufacturing paper or cardboard from the source.
✅ The emission of 900 kilograms of CO2 is avoided.
✅ More than two cubic meters of landfill space is freed up.
✅ Thanks to the existence of recycling companies and plants, employment is generated.
Tree felling is reduced by more than 70 %.
Spain is the second largest recycler of paper and cardboard in the European Union, second only to Germany. Thanks to this data, we are certain that the recycled paper and cardboard available in our country meets the required quality standards.

Also in Alier we are able to revalue one of the most difficult waste to treat, the tetra pak, also known as tetra brik, which is formed by several layers of polyethylene, paper and aluminum. It is one of the least valued wastes by the industry due to its difficult processing. However, at Alier, we are able to recycle it, using it as raw material for our recycled paper.

In addition, since 2019 in Alier we are working on the development and optimization of a recycling line of plastics resulting from the recycling of tetra pak, in which when it is fully operational, this waste will be valued using it as raw material in other products.
The pandemic has not slowed down the sector – far from it, quite the contrary. Not only have the numbers held up, but they have increased relative to the years prior to the pandemic. Growth in this sector is up three points from 2019.

We believe that recycled paper is the secret to the reduction of plastics in shipping, department stores and many other fields. That is why we are putting all our efforts into achieving the best results. Elisabeth Alier, president of Alier and ASPAPEL (Spanish Association of Pulp, Paper and Cardboard Manufacturers) confirms the following:

“Our industry is characterized by an unusual double circularity that combines the natural circularity of a renewable raw material such as cellulose fiber, from plantation wood, with the social circularity of recycling, since paper products are recyclable and massively recycled.”

However, at Alier we do not take full credit for the success of this achievement, but we know that both the efficient collection carried out by the personnel hired by the municipalities and the massive collaboration of the citizens when recycling in their homes, have been fundamental keys for Alier to continue growing and offering new jobs. For all this and to all of them, thank you!