Industries are increasingly adopting circularity and advanced waste treatment methods to mitigate their environmental impact. The move towards a circular economy involves systemic change and rethinking production processes to minimize waste generation, promote recycling, and extend the lifecycle of materials.

Also, for Ahlstrom, reducing the amount of waste and seeking beneficial uses for waste generated are integral parts of operations. The company has set a target of zero waste to landfill by 2030, and to achieve this, good collaboration with different stakeholders and innovative thinking are required.

Enhancing sustainability through collaboration in Finland

Ahlstrom's Karhula plant in Finland has long sought solutions to recycle its glass fiber tissue waste. The challenge of recycling glass fiber tissue is well-known in the industry. Glass fiber tissue has a complex composition that makes it hard to break down and separate.

In its search for a suitable solution, the Karhula plant decided to co-operate with Stena Recycling. Ahlstrom had already established a well-working collaboration with Stena Recycling in Sweden, so it was natural to suggest the company look at the glass fiber tissue waste in Finland. No other company had been able to offer a suitable solution, so the people at Karhula were curious to hear what Stena could offer. Stena took samples of the glass fiber tissue for further analysis, and surprisingly, just a few weeks later, the company returned with good news: they had found a solution for recycling glass fiber tissue waste.

Stena has developed an innovative process where the glass fiber tissue waste is crushed into suitable pieces and then delivered to be burned by the end customers, which are the cement industry and waste incineration plants. Part of the material that ends up in the cement industry is used for thermal energy, and the non-combustible fiberglass becomes clinker, the main raw material for cement. In the waste incineration plant, energy is obtained from the combustible part of the fiberglass, and the remaining non-combustible part is used in land construction along with slag and ash.

"Stena Recycling has extensive knowledge in circular applications for industrial waste and byproducts. It is great to find new and responsible solutions for the recycling and utilization of challenging materials. Through collaboration, we can create new value from waste materials, elevate them in the waste hierarchy, and thus help customers like Ahlstrom achieve their environmental goals," tells Mikko Keisa, Business Manager at Stena Recycling.

"Stena succeeded in finding a process for recycling the glass fiber tissue waste, which has been a huge challenge for us in the past. This new recycling solution supports our goal of zero waste and demonstrates how process innovation and close collaboration with the right partner can significantly improve environmental friendliness and cost efficiency," says Sanna Andersson, Regional Category Manager at Ahlstrom and the person in charge of the collaboration with Stena Recycling in Sweden.