Mondi helps establish alliance to improve circularity in construction industry

Global paper and packaging company Mondi, based in Weybridge, England, has joined a group of companies in establishing a new alliance to address the circularity of paper bags used in the construction industry.

The Spain-based alliance, Paper Sacks Go Circular Spain, is comprised of 12 European companies across the value chain, while industry associations Eurosac, a Paris-based group rallying the European multiwall paper sack industry, and the Brussels-based Confederation of European Paper Industries, or CEPI, host the alliance.

“This initiative demonstrates Mondi’s commitment to collaborating with industry partners across the value chain to increase recycling rates for used paper bags,” says Carlos Martinez Ezquerra, circular economy manager at Mondi Flexible Packaging. “It creates a scalable approach for the rest of Europe and other industries, leading to a reduction in waste management costs, a significant increase in the valorization rate and supports transparency and traceability of the circular economy.

“We are proud to be one of the founding initiators.”

According to a news release from Mondi, construction waste accounts for more than 30 percent of the total waste generated in Spain, with a recovery rate of only 48 percent based on the latest data from the Spanish National Statistics Institute.

Paper Sacks Go Circular Spain is an alliance of companies with a common goal of closing the loop and building a circular economy for paper bags in Spain.

Starting with paper bags for construction materials, Mondi says, the group will look for synergies with other construction and demolition waste streams to increase volumes and achieve economies of scale. The alliance aims to improve the recycling of paper bags used for construction materials, such as cement, plaster and insulation, balancing sustainability and economic aspects.

Mondi cites Spain’s Arpada Group as “a good example of the alliance in action.” The company reportedly is separating construction waste for efficient paper bag recycling and is working on more optimized waste management systems.

According to Mondi, next steps for the alliance include working groups on process optimization, traceability and certification, training, best practices, communication and synergies with other construction materials.

Construction industry partners interested in joining the alliance are asked to contact CoCircular for more information.