Smurfit Westrock Reduces Drying Costs and Carbon Footprint

The Company:

Smurfit Westrock (formerly, Smurfit Kappa) is a world leader in providing paper and cardboard packaging solutions. As a major force in the global recycling industry, their 35 paper mills process over 7.4 million tonnes of recycled paper each year. For a business operating at this scale, efficiency is paramount. To protect its raw materials from the elements and reduce significant operational costs, Smurfit Westrock turned to Zappshelter for a robust, effective storage solution at their Glasgow site.

The Challenge:

In the paper recycling process, one of the most significant hidden costs is water. When bales of raw paper are stored outside, they are exposed to rain and snow. This moisture absorption creates a major challenge before the paper can be processed.

Wet material must be put through an energy-intensive drying process, which costs huge amounts of time and money. These drying costs not only affect the bottom line but also increase the operation’s carbon footprint, running counter to the environmental goals of recycling. Smurfit Westrock needed a large-scale solution to keep their massive paper bales dry, whatever the weather.

The Zappshelter Solution:

Zappshelter provided the perfect, tailored solution to this challenge. Two bespoke Zappshelters were installed at the Smurfit Westrock site in Glasgow to create the required weatherproof storage.

The installation included:

• One 8m wide x 5m long Zappshelter, mounted on precast concrete blocks and partially enclosed with a rear end wall to protect against wind-driven rain.
• One 10m wide x 12.2m long Zappshelter, also mounted on precast concrete blocks. This larger structure was designed with a partial rear end wall, a steel frame opening for easy access, and integrated guttering with outlets to manage water run-off effectively.

These engineered structures, affectionately nicknamed “Lana” and “Lesley,” provide a vast, clear-span space. They ensure the raw material is kept completely dry and in optimal condition until it is required for transport to a paper mill.

The Result:

By protecting its raw materials from the elements, Smurfit Westrock has achieved significant operational and environmental benefits.

With the paper bales kept dry, the need for the costly and time-consuming drying process has been drastically reduced, leading to immediate and substantial cost savings. This reduction in energy consumption has, in turn, lowered the site’s overall carbon footprint.

Ultimately, the Zappshelters have improved efficiency across the board, ensuring a constant supply of dry, ready-to-use material for their paper mills and reinforcing Smurfit Westrock’s position at the forefront of the sustainable packaging industry.

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