DS Smith Zarnesti paper mill inaugurates new Waste Water Treatment Plant as part of its existing 11-million-Euro investment plan

DS Smith Zarnesti paper mill has inaugurated yesterday its new Waste Water Treatment Plant, an essential component of an 11 million Euros worth investment plan, launched in 2021, reconfirming its commitment to sustainable paper making in the region. On this occasion, Zarnesti mill also marked 170 years of tradition in papermaking, a remarkable moment for the company and the paper industry alike.

The new Waste Water Treatment Plant, which began construction in 2021, will contribute to increasing the paper production capacity of the mill while reducing it’s operational impact on the environment, including reducing fresh water consumption by up to 20%, and technical waste quantity by 60%. The investments package will also contribute to decreasing both gas consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, with projected CO2 savings of up to 4,500 tons per year.

“We are proud to have completed this major investment, which will significantly contribute to the efficiency of the production process and protecting the environment. The paper mill in Zarnesti is more than a symbol of the city – it is the largest production unit of its kind in Romania, a respected employer, and a trusted partner of the local community. Since DS Smith took over the factory 5 years ago, we set these ambitious goals, which have now become a reality. We are proud of the results and motivated to continue realising our ambitions,” says Marius Juncanariu, General Manager of DS Smith Zarnesti.

The inauguration was attended by Lucian Patrascu, Subprefect of Brasov County, Zoltan Szenner, Vice-President of the Brasov County Council and Alexandru Lucian Igrișan, Mayor of Zarnesti. DS Smith Group was represented by Niels Flierman, Head of Paper and Recycling; Greg Dawson, Director of Corporate Affairs; Rogier Gerritsen, MD Paper Europe, and James Walker, Cluster Director Paper East. Representatives of the environmental authorities and the local community were also present.

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“Romania is an important market for DS Smith and the mill in Zarnesti is at the very heart of our operations in the region. Here you can see the papers being made that provide our customers with the packaging solutions to some of the biggest environmental challenges of our time, such as single use plastic replacement,” added Niels Flierman, Head of paper and Recycling at DS Smith.

The paper mill was taken over by the DS Smith group in 2018 and has benefited, throughout these 5 years, through an extensive modernisation programme undertaken by the company.

“Since acquiring the mill it has been a key priorityof ours to invest into developing a sustainable infrastructure at the mill. An infrastructure that enables us to continue to meet the ever-changing demands of our customers, but one that also ensures that we can reduce our environmental impact, while at the same time make a positive contribution to the local economy and community,” continued Niels Flierman.

Using exclusively recycled paper, the DS Smith paper mill in Zărnești is the largest production unit of its kind in Romania, serving almost half of the local demand for packaging paper.

In Romania, DS Smith owns a coordination centre for recycling operations in Bucharest, two recycling depots in Stefanesti and Cluj-Napoca, a paper mill in Zărnești, two packaging production units in Ghimbav and Timisoara and three service centers, in Pitesti, Timișoara and Otopeni, Ilfov county, where a total of 650 employees work.