Director Bernd Scholbrock of the German paper manufacturer Schoellershammer, Milgro's new collaboration partner, is not short on hard numbers. He knows exactly how his company near Aachen is performing. The company's CO2 footprint is now only 25% of what it was in 1993. And the factory can recycle paper at least 25 times. Through this new collaboration, Milgro's clients also benefit from these advancements.
Even more figures from Scholbrock: "We have a CO₂ footprint in scopes 1, 2, and 3 that is 55% of the industry average in the paper sector. We're satisfied with that, although we naturally want more." For several years now, Scholbrock has been producing more sustainably with his company. And not without reason.
Sustainable philosophy
"We need to move towards a more sustainable energy system. We could wait until the legislator forces us to do so, but I think it's better to take the lead now. This is also good for our competitive position." The director notes that the paper market is broad and competitive. The degree of success depends on how well a company can differentiate itself.
Unique selling proposition
That's exactly what the German family business has done. Schoellershammer has specialized in producing one type of paper: corrugated cardboard packaging material. They've deliberately left out all extra functionalities from the new installations that produce this. As a result, the machine operates more energy-efficiently than is typical in the market. The energy consumption per ton of paper is 1.2 megawatts, which is significantly less than the industry average of 1.6 MW. "We require a quarter less energy," calculates Scholbrock.
Sustainable production of paper
Additionally, over the past five years, Schoellershammer has invested in making the energy required for paper production more sustainable. For instance, coal—which is still widely used in Germany—has been largely replaced by gas and biogas. Moreover, the residual materials sorted during the production process are used locally in a new waste-to-energy plant.
At least 25 times over
But the most interesting aspect, from a circular perspective: "We are able to recycle our paper at least 25 times while maintaining quality. After that, we stopped counting in the laboratory, so probably much more. We'd rather be cautious in our estimation." For comparison, it's generally assumed that paper can be recycled about seven times.
The operation of the installation
How does the installation work? In a nutshell: the collected paper of all kinds and sizes (600,000 tons, equivalent to the annual paper usage of 3 million people) is mixed with water. The installation filters out impurities, cleans the paper pulp, and sorts the short and long fibers. These fibers are then diluted and fed into the paper machine, resulting in super-strong raw paper for the production of corrugated cardboard.
Milgro and Schoellershammer
Due to his distinctive method of paper production, Scholbrock came into contact with Milgro. "Milgro has sustainability in its genes, and so do Milgro's clients. Now that these companies need to report more transparently on their sustainability performance, they are also seeking sustainable ways to process their paper."
The missing link
Until his contact with Milgro, Scholbrock was unaware of Milgro's existence or the way Milgro operates: completely relieving clients of concerns in the area of resource management. Scholbrock is enthusiastic: “It is the missing link between companies that want their paper processed sustainably and companies like ours that produce paper. Milgro's business model would work well not only in the Netherlands but also in other European countries. This accelerates the circular economy, of that I am convinced.”
New perspective
The collaboration gives Schoellershammer a new perspective on sustainability. Until now, the focus of the German company was on offering packaging materials with a low footprint. "We have reached a high level that we are satisfied with, and every year we do just a bit better for our customers. But at a certain point, you reach an optimum."
Into the other side of the chain
Through the partnership with Milgro, Schoellershammer is now also taking a sustainable step in the other direction of the chain, towards suppliers. "Sustainability plays a much bigger role—not only with our customers but also with our suppliers. From our partnership, I've learned that we can be of sustainable value not only to our customers but also to suppliers. And Milgro offers those suppliers a proven and sustainable method for resource management."
Business philosophy matches
Since the end of 2023, Milgro and Schoellershammer have been working together, and with great satisfaction. Together, they have already helped several large clients achieve sustainable paper processing. Through Milgro's clients, between 10,000 and 20,000 tons of paper has already been sent to Germany. "The way we do business aligns closely with Milgro's philosophy, which makes for a great partnership. We and Milgro intend to grow further together, helping more suppliers and Milgro's clients with sustainable resource management."
