The project Ibema Circular Economy Initiatives It encompasses two ongoing strategic actions — Good Cycle e Catalogs — which translate the commitment of Ibema Paperboard with sustainable innovation and the circular economy. Both initiatives focus on reuse of complex waste, previously discarded, for the recycled paperboard production high added value.

Good Cycle

Released in November 2021, The project was born from a provocation: How can we give a sustainable destination to the paper cups used in fast food restaurants?
These cups, made of paper and a layer of polyethylene (LDPE), are traditionally rejected by cooperatives due to their difficult recycling. Ibema has developed a... pioneering technology capable of:

• Reuse cellulosic fiber of cups in the manufacture of new paperboard;

• Separate and allocate the LDPE plastic film for co-processing in cement plants, generating thermal energy.

The process is 100% circular, involving the entire production chain:

1. Ibema provides the cardboard for making the cups;

2. BO Packaging produces and distributes them to McDonald's;

3. The consumer uses and disposes of it correctly;

4. The project's Green Mining He collects the cups and sends them for recycling;

5. Ibema transforms the material back into Ibema Ritagli cardboard, with 55% recycled fibers (35% post-consumer);

6. The cycle begins again.

To date, the following has been collected: 746,056 cups (9.2 tons), previously considered unsuitable for recycling.

So far, they have been reused. 221.6 tons from post-consumer catalogs.