Hinojosa Paper Alquería, the first paper mill in Spain with the AENOR ‘Zero Waste’ certificate

Hinojosa Paper Alquería has become the first paper mill in Spain to achieve the Zero Waste certification from AENOR. This seal recognizes the work of the plant in reusing, renewing and recycling all the raw materials used in the production of paper for the manufacture of corrugated cardboard. In this way, the factory, a benchmark in the sector in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency, has taken another step in its strategy of promoting a production model that guarantees the protection of the environment.

The ‘Zero Waste’ certificate highlights organizations in which sustainability is the strategic framework for the development of their activity and that value the different fractions of waste that they generate within the defined scope, avoiding that these have as their final destination their disposal in the landfill. Specifically, the Alquería plant has revalued 98.86% of the total, that is, it is either transformed into energy or converted into raw materials again. Therefore, less than 1.14% of the residues are not valued.

With regard to the revalued waste from Hinojosa Paper Alquería, its new destination is to be transformed into energy or, again, into raw materials, both for its paper industry and for other industries.

The process put in place to achieve this certificate has also allowed the plant to optimize other variables such as intensifying the search for recovery operations for certain waste fractions; improve traceability and control, educate employees about the importance of the correct segregation of waste at source, or strengthen communication with subcontractors that provide their services in the plant to achieve this common goal.