Smurfit Kappa invests in sustainable new water treatment facility in Colombia

Barranquilla Paper Mill is latest Smurfit Kappa facility in the region to feature state-of-the-art anaerobic technology

Smurfit Kappa, a leading company in the production of paper-based packaging, has completed a two-phase upgrade of its facilities at the Barranquilla Paper Mill in Colombia. The 7.5 million USD investment saw the implementation of a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) with state-of-the-art anaerobic technology, which reduces water intake from the nearby Magdalena River and improves the quality of water returned to it.

The investment is a further example of Smurfit Kappa’s ongoing commitment to good water stewardship through using water sustainably and supporting natural water ecosystems.

The upgraded facilities allow the Barranquilla site, which produces containerboard from 100% recycled materials, to contribute towards Smurfit Kappa’s ambitious sustainability targets that were expanded in January 2021. These include water quality targets to further reduce water intake and improve water intensity and usage. Specifically, this includes targets to reduce the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of the water by 60% by 2025 and to reduce water intensity by 1% annually. It is estimated that the COD at the plant will reduce by 80% as a direct result of this investment.