Smurfit Kappa leads industry with purification and water treatment plant

October 2, 2023 Editor

Smurfit Kappa has inaugurated a pioneering purification and wastewater treatment plant in Belgrade, Serbia, the first of its kind in the country. The state-of-the-art plant is located on the site of Smurfit Kappa’s Belgrade paper mill, which was acquired in 2019.

The Group’s €5 million investment in the plant enables it to purify water to the highest standards before it can be returned to the environment. Purified water can also be partially reused in the process, further reducing water consumption by up to 90%. This innovative treatment also reduces electricity usage and CO₂ emissions by up to 80%.

Smurfit Kappa notes this latest investment underscores its ongoing commitment to water stewardship and follows recent similar initiatives across its plants in Europe and the Americas.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, said: “Today is an important day for environmental protection in Belgrade and throughout Serbia. This is a day that represents a turning point for the sustainable development of our country. By 2025, all companies have a deadline for introducing wastewater treatment plants. Smurfit Kappa did this two years ahead of schedule by building
the first industrial biological plant. This is an example of how all business people in Serbia should join the policy of sustainable development.”

Saverio Mayer, CEO Smurfit Kappa Europe, said: “The opening of this state-of-the-art facility demonstrates our ongoing commitment to sustainable water management. We are proud to be the first company to bring this innovative purification and water treatment system to Serbia as part of our continued investment to ensure the process is as sustainable as the product. Smurfit Kappa continues to
lead our industry towards more innovative and sustainable methods of water treatment.”

Since 2018, Smurfit Kappa is a signatory to the UN Global CEO Water Mandate and is also a member of the Cepi Water Issue Group that looks into water-specific industry issues.