Stora Enso has announced the opening of a new corrugated packaging factory at De Lier, in the Netherlands.
The site is part of the recently-acquired De Jong Packaging Group, now the Business Unit Western Europe in Stora Enso's Packaging Solutions division.
The expansion adds an additional factory to the De Lier site, equipping the facility with two new corrugators to augment the existing two.
Largest In Europe
As a result of the expansion, the site is now the largest and most modern corrugated packaging facility in Europe. The De Lier site’s products currently include boxes and trays for fresh produce, horticultural and industrial applications, e-commerce and transport.
The new factory at De Lier boasts a fully automated paper reel warehouse, two corrugators and conversion machines utilising a multi-level conveyor, along with an advanced waste management system.
Moreover, it features an improved internal transport system that facilitates safer movement through the production process while reducing the need for forklift trucks, Stora Enso said.
Sustainability
The newly-opened factory utilises a variety of sustainable solutions, such as 3.8 MWp of solar panels installed on the roof, which provide electricity to an equivalent of 1,000 households.
The residual heat generated by the corrugators will be used to heat the site’s office buildings, further reducing their carbon footprint.
'Incorporating Renewable Energy'
“Expanding the facility with a new factory significantly optimises the flexibility and efficiency of our processes, making it possible for us to better support our customers in achieving their sustainability targets," commented Ad Smit, senior vice president, Business Unit Western Europe, Packaging Solutions division, Stora Enso.
"By reducing our carbon footprint and incorporating renewable energy, we are taking major steps towards more sustainable operations, while also improving our manufacturing processes and workplace safety.”
Read More: Stora Enso Sees Profit More Than Half On Weak Demand, High Costs
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest packaging news. Article by Robert McHugh. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
