Blue Circle: We close the circuit Blue Paper is our new “powerhouse of paper” at the heart of Europe. The paper mill was established in 2013 as a joint project between the Klingele Group and VPK Packaging. With a width of 8.5 metres, the paper machine boasts an impressive format; every year, 400,000 tonnes of paper are produced here for the corrugated cardboard sector using waste paper. Blue Paper employs 150 staff members and in 2016, the paper mill generated a turnover of € 135 million. Environmental protection and energy effi ciency have always set the pace at Blue Paper. For example, in 2015, the mill was equipped with a gas engine that uses bio-natural gas to produce clean electricity, alongside a steam turbine that is connected to a biomass boiler. With the Blue Circle project, we now have a new operating lever that enables us to make our energy supply more effi cient whilst improving our environmental footprint and relieving the pressure off our wallet. For this, we use a resource that up until now, we have had to pay for – the waste paper that is used to produce paper in the mill contains six to seven percent foreign matter, such as paper, wood and plastic, which makes up a volume of some 25,000 tonnes per year. To date, such waste has been disposed of through external partners in France and Germany. In France, it goes to landfi lls, and in Germany, it is incinerated. With a new plant, however, we want to transform the potential energy from the waste into steam, which can then be used to support the paper drying process in the mill. The project is run under the title “Blue Circle”, and the name says it all – after all, it not only promotes the use of clean energy, but is also a kind of blueprint for successful closed loop recycling management. Less CO2 emissions, less gas consumption, less waste With Blue Circle, Klingele and VPK Packaging are pursuing ambitious goals. A total of 12,000 tonnes of waste per year, which were previously disposed of in landfi lls, can now be purposefully reused. The waste contains around 50% biomass (wood, paper fi bres) – in other words, renewable fuel – thus reducing CO2 emissions. Gas consumption is also expected to fall by about 80%. In addition, the 500 lorries that have been used to collect BLUE BOX PARTNERS SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2017 Since the start-up of BLUE PAPER, we had to use external service providers to eliminate the impurities found in the recycled paper bales, such as plastic, wood and textiles. As these process residues can be incinerated to generate green electricity, steam and heat, there was a clear opportunity to improve our environmental processes. A working group was set up to analyse the project in detail. The BLUE CIRCLE project was born.” François Bru General Manager, Blue Paper the paper waste from Blue Paper and transport it to our partners, are no longer needed. Last but not least, the plant also aims to offer other manufacturers the opportunity to dispose of their waste materials there for a fee. This will not only enable Blue Paper to make savings on disposal costs, but will also generate new revenue. During the plant construction, it quickly became clear that good preparation is everything. “We prepared an initial study back in 2015; then we looked at different technological options for the plant,” reports Johan Dhaese, who, as project manager, is now responsible for the implementation. Construction work began in April 2017, and we expect the plant to be in operation from around the end of May 2018. “Blue Circle is the perfect example of how closed loop recycling management works. The raw materials used are not disposed of expensively, but are instead effi ciently integrated back into the manufacturing process. It’s a viable project that benefi ts everyone – especially the environment.” 33