TECNALIA promotes circularity in the paper industry

TECNALIA takes part in REPAPEL, a project that promotes circularity in the paper industry

REPAPEL seeks to reduce the generation of waste and transform it into quality raw materials with high added value in order to increase circularity in the paper industry. The new solutions tested and verified in the REPAPEL project have successfully recovered waste from the paper industry for use in sectors such as construction, water treatment and the chemical industry.

REPAPEL activities

This initiative has focused on industrial research activities and experimental development to recover five waste streams from the paper industry in three main areas.

• The performance of technologies for extracting raw materials and treating waste generated in pulp and paper production processes has been evaluated in the laboratory.
• The feasibility of new industrial products has also been assessed, based on the raw materials obtained in the extraction and treatment processes.
• Work has been carried out on designing a decision-making support tool to manage paper by-products.

One of the main results of these actions has been obtaining products with a lower carbon footprint by replacing virgin or non-renewable raw materials or by absorbing CO2 in the product itself.

Lines of research on which TECNALIA has worked

TECNALIA has worked on several lines of research:

• Extraction of lignin from black liquor, from which several types of flocculants have been synthesised and tested for wastewater treatment.
• Development of “low-cost” bituminous mixtures and waterproofing solutions based on lignin bio-binders.
• Formulating and testing precast concrete from soda ash and lime sludge.

These actions have been of great help in increasing recycling and the use of renewable raw materials: they have made it possible to use virgin raw materials in the paper industry in a more efficient and restrictive way, contributing with REPAPEL to increase circularity in the paper industry.

These activities have been carried out thanks to the project consortium led by ONDOAN S. Coop with the collaboration of SMURFIT KAPPA NERVIÓN, FERALCO, GRUPO TSK, ETXEBERRIA HORMOR, CAMPEZO, ASFALTIA, ZUBIALDE, EKOTEK, BIOSYNCAUCHO, CEIT, BASQUE PAPER CLUSTER and ACLIMA, BASQUE ENVIRONMENT CLUSTER.

Funding

This sustainable initiative is backed by the Basque Government through the HAZITEK programme of the SPRI Group and the support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Investment of 4.5 million euros was required to carry out this project.