Most of the paper used worldwide is made from wood pulp, which normally comes from sustainable forests, using trees that take up to 20 years to reach maturity, and are transported over long distances, in some cases from across the Atlantic. Although the process is now more efficient than in the past, it is hard to be truly carbon neutral. It is still necessary to wash the pulp before manufacture to remove wood fibres, to take out tannins through use of powerful chemicals, and produce carbon emissions due to long-distance transportation.
Achieving higher sustainability
Duynie Group is expert at creating innovative new market opportunities from co-products, the materials left over from food, beverage and biofuel processing. We worked with <a href="https://www.cosunbeetcompany.com/">Cosun Beet Company</a>, a fellow member of the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cosun.com/" target="_blank">Royal Cosun Group</a>, and one of the leading paper producers in the Netherlands, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cvg.nl/en" target="_blank" title="Crown van Gelder">Crown van Gelder</a>, to investigate a radically different way to produce paper- using a co-product.
The goal was to use sugar beet fibre (or press pulp), produced as a co-product of the sugar beet processing industry, and test whether this material could be used to replace wood pulp. The potential rewards are large. Beet matures in just seven months, rather than many years for forest products, and one tonne of beet leads to an 80% reduction in environmental impact, compared with the same amount of virgin wood fibre. Beet is also a local product for Dutch paper manufacturers, as the Netherlands is a leading grower of beet, so that greatly reduces emissions caused by transportation.

Paper production today

Duynie Group, through its specialist subsidiary, Novidon, acts as the link between sugar beet processors and downstream users of sugar beet co-products, while providing specialist skills in using these essential materials for industrial purposes. Novidon already has real industry knowledge in paper production and sustainable adhesives, based on co-products.
Developing the processes needed to make paper from beet pulp was not an easy task: Duynie Group deployed extensive research and scientific capabilities, investing two years’ into the project before developing the right solution.
Today, beet produced on Dutch farms continues to be processed for a wide range of uses: not just for making sugar but also for protein and other purposes, while much of the fibre co-product is now transported to the Crown van Gelder paper mill. At the paper mill, beet pulp is used on the same machines as for wood pulp-based paper, using virtually the same process. The only major difference is positive, as the process is faster, uses less energy and leads to a more sustainable product.

Working together

Use of beet pulp for paper is proving to be very successful:
<ul>
<li>Quality is excellent, with beet pulp producing paper that can be handled and printed in the same way as any other paper. Paper from beet pulp also has greater strength and water absorption characteristics than paper from wood pulp.</li>
<li>Unlike recycled paper, the product made when beet pulp is added to virgin fibre can be used directly in wrapping foodstuffs, meeting all regulations and with no danger of contamination.</li>
<li>Environmental performance is much better, with less energy used, shorter distances for transportation, and much better carbon neutrality levels.</li>
<li>In addition, a hectare of beet captures almost ten times as much carbon as a hectare of forest, and the faster growth rates of beet increases the environmental benefits.</li>
</ul>
This collaboration is another example of how Duynie Group helps develop the circular economy, while opening new business opportunities for co-product producers and food processors, alike.

Outcomes

Other cases

Maleic Hydrazide | Showing leadership for the food processing industry 

Protein-rich juice from co-products of the beer industry

1,4-Sight | Ensuring safe storage in the European food industry 

CategoriesBlockFindTitle

ContactFormBlockTitle

ContactMapTitle

ContactTileTitle

FooterTitleColumn1

FooterTitleColumn2

FooterTitleColumn3

HeroContactTitle

NewsInsightsCasesTitle

NewsInsightsEditorialTitle

NewsInsightsEventTitle

NewsInsightsEventsModalTitle

NewsInsightsNewsTitle

NewsInsightsWhitepaperTitle

NewsLatestNewsTitle

ProductFinderTitle

RequestSampleModalTitle

SearchResultsTitle

SubscribeToNewsletterTitle

compareSubtitle

compareTitle

Hero titel

Page

News

No filter

Duynie Group has teamed up with paper manufacturer Crown van Gelder and Cosun Beet Company to develop one of the most sustainable, low environmental impact paper production solutions in the world using the fibers of sugar press pulp as a sustainable source for paper.

Pulp4Paper | cooperation Crown van Gelder, Cosun Beet Company and Duynie Group

Duynie Group has teamed up with paper manufacturer Crown van Gelder and Cosun Beet Company to develop one of the most sustainable, low environmental impact paper production solutions in the world.

Pulp4Paper | Cooperation Crown van Gelder, Cosun Beet Company and Duynie Group