First Commercial Deployment for Innovative Minerals Recycling Technology
Technology Provides Environmental and Cost-Reduction Solutions for Customers
Minerals Technologies Inc. (NYSE: MTX) (“MTI” or “the Company”) have just announced that it has completed the installation and deployment of ENVIROFIL® PCC at UPM-Kymmene Corporation’s (“UPM”) paper mill in Schongau, Germany. This is the first commercial deployment of ENVIROFIL® PCC and follows extensive collaboration with UPM. 50,000 dry metric tons of recovered pigments are scheduled for paper production annually at UPM’s satellite plant.
ENVIROFIL® PCC is a new, innovative recycling technology that allows papermakers to recover mineral pigments from deinking residue by converting these raw materials to ENVIROFIL® PCC. This process has proven to substantially improve waste paper yield, mitigating solid waste disposal costs and reducing the environmental impact of the deinking process.
“We are very pleased to work with UPM to deploy our newest recycling technology, which helps to address important sustainability challenges that our customers are facing at the paper mill,” said Douglas T. Dietrich, Chief Executive Officer of Minerals Technologies. “This collaboration with UPM demonstrates the value ENVIROFIL® PCC can provide our customers who are seeking ways to recover waste from the production process. We continue to develop innovative new solutions across our portfolio to meet evolving demands from customers, who require products geared towards environmental and recycling issues in addition to cost reduction solutions.”
Wolfgang Ohnesorg, General Manager of UPM Schongau, added, “The circular economy and resource efficiency offer solutions to the scarcity of natural resources, climate change and many other environmental challenges. Many of the challenges we face could be solved if materials and products were recycled and used more efficiently. In the value chain of forest industry products, UPM is involved in creating circular economy solutions.”
“UPM’s research into paper mill side streams aims to find more efficient ways to utilize by-products. In line with UPM’s Biofore approach, we continuously develop innovative ways to reduce our own waste and residues and to recycle waste into new products. The collaboration with MTI is an excellent example of our efforts to promote a circular economy. The project is part of UPM’s Zero Solid Waste target, which aims to develop solutions for recycling surplus materials to ensure that they produce added value. We already recycle or recover 90% of the process waste at UPM with our goal to further reduce the emissions and waste related to our production,” Mr. Ohnesorg concluded.
D.J. Monagle III, MTI Group President, Specialty Minerals and Refractories, commented, “We have a longstanding relationship with UPM, and we are excited to further strengthen our partnership. Through this new solution, we are providing an enhanced process for our customers to convert waste material that would normally be deposited to a landfill into a valuable pigment for producing paper. We see additional opportunities to commercialize ENVIROFIL® PCC to support our customers’ efforts to reduce process waste as well as to deploy our other high-value paper technologies.”
About Minerals Technologies Inc.
New York-based Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTI) is a resource- and technology-based growth company that develops, produces and markets worldwide a broad range of specialty mineral, mineral-based and synthetic mineral products and related systems and services. MTI serves the paper, foundry, steel, construction, environmental, energy, polymer and consumer products industries. The company reported sales of $1.808 billion in 2018. For further information, please visit our website at www.mineralstech.com. (MTI-G)
About UPM Communication Papers
UPM Communication Papers is the world's leading producer of graphic papers, offering an extensive product range for advertising and publishing as well as home and office uses. The high performing papers and service concepts of UPM add value to our customers' businesses, while actively fulfilling demanding environmental and social responsibility criteria. With headquarters in Germany, UPM Communication Papers employs approximately 8,000 people. More about UPM Communication Papers and its products at www.upmpaper.com
About UPM
We deliver renewable and responsible solutions and innovate for a future beyond fossils across six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Plywood. We employ around 19,000 people worldwide and our annual sales are approximately EUR 10.5 billion. Our shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. UPM Biofore - Beyond fossils. www.upm.com