Waste

To reduce waste arising from Essity’s production and waste after use, we are developing products and packaging containing less primary fossil-based plastic and more circular solutions.

We can create less waste after use through the principles Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Our services are constantly improving, and new designs are utilized to reduce waste, and thereby cut greenhouse gas emissions. Our work to reduce waste is directly related to the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 Clean water and sanitation, SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production and SDG 13 Climate action.

Waste after use

We can create less waste after use through the principles Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Essity strives to be more resource efficient, develop smarter designs and reduce materials in our products and packaging.

Our services are constantly improving, and new designs are utilized to reduce waste, and thereby cut greenhouse gas emissions. Most of our packaging is recyclable and we are working to optimize other packaging. We are reducing and replacing primary fossil-based plastic in our packaging and products with renewable or recycled materials. Essity is also working to develop smarter designs and innovative plastic materials to reduce environmental impact. We are cooperating with customers, consumers, suppliers, and other partners to identify more sustainable and circular solutions. A challenge in many markets is the lack of infrastructure for collecting used packaging or products. Essity therefore supports national initiatives for large-scale recycling of packaging.

Recycling

Essity has integrated circularity in our business model, from responsible raw material sourcing, more resource efficient production with a smaller climate footprint, to circular solutions that enable customers and consumers to minimize waste.

Most of our packaging is recyclable and we are working to optimize other packaging. Essity is reducing and replacing primary fossil-based plastic in our packaging and products with renewable or recycled materials.

Essity cooperates with customers, consumers, suppliers, and other partners to identify more sustainable and circular solutions. A challenge in many markets is the lack of infrastructure for collecting used packaging or products. Essity therefore supports national initiatives for large-scale recycling of packaging.

Production waste

Resource efficiency and the reduction of waste are important in Essity’s production facilities, and the target is that all production waste will be subject to material and energy recovery by 2030. Recycling or extracting energy from the waste instead of sending waste to landfill reduces greenhouse gas emissions. For example, recovered material from tissue manufacturing can be used as raw material for other industries, such as in the construction industry.

Partnering to reduce waste

We take part in discussions throughout the value chain to promote the implementation of circular economy solutions designed to tackle, including the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), Edana, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and RecyClass. Through CGF’s Coalition of Action on Plastic Waste, Essity works together with customers, other companies, as well as other organizations to jointly reduce plastic waste and strive to improve social systems, so that no plastic waste is disposed of in nature.

Circular innovations

During our innovation process, we carry out circularity assessments to obtain a better understanding of how waste can be avoided during and after use. Examples of our circular innovations include TENA SmartCare, where product use is optimized and waste reduced, and Tork PaperCircle, where used paper hand towels are collected and recycled to become new tissue products. Through Tork PaperCircle, we reduce the climate impact of paper hand towels up to 40%.

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Waste

Waste after use