Photo: Roelof Kleis Waste paper will now come back to campus as toilet paper. This is possible thanks to a new partnership with the companies that collect and process the paper.
Waste paper has been collected separately on campus for a long while. Only the paper towels in the campus toilets still get dumped with the general refuse. But the system could become even more sustainable by having the collection, transport and processing of the paper in a single short chain and then using the new products in the campus loos.
Closed paper cycle
This new closed paper cycle is what the refuse collection firm Veolia, processing company WEPA and supplier Asito have agreed with WUR. Veolia already collected the waste paper (including confidential documents); it will now also collect paper cups and used paper towels. Asito buys its sanitary paper products from WEPA. The three companies will now work together in a single chain.
WEPA, based in Swalmen in Limburg, will recycle the waste paper as toilet paper and paper towels in line with the cradle to cradle principle. Only paper is recycled, using green energy and as little water as possible. This BlackSatino product line was introduced a while back in the campus toilets.
Company cars
WUR uses large quantities of paper. Every year, the coffee vending machines get through 3.8 million paper cups, while 17 million paper towels are used in the toilets. A further 277 thousand kilos in waste paper is collected. According to WEPA, WUR will achieve annual savings in CO2 emissions equivalent to the emissions from 25 company cars thanks to this new chain. The benefits are partly thanks to the cradle to cradle production process, and partly due to savings on transport.