Circularity and after-use

Essity’s ambition is to develop products and services for a circular society. This calls for creative thinking, new business models and partnerships. 

Constant improvement 

Access to hygiene and health products is essential for people across the world. We aim to take responsibility for the whole life cycle, even after the products are used. We already have good examples, like using recycled fibers for a high share of tissue products. Making products thinner, using less materials is one way to reduce waste. Optimizing products and care is another way of reducing waste, such as TENA Solutions where we have up to 30% less waste. 

An ambitious waste target

With regards to our manufacturing, our goal is clear: All solid production waste is to be recovered and nothing should be sent to landfill after 2030. The target inspires and drives a series of measures and local adaption to find suitable ways to recover Essity’s various types of waste. We achieved a recovery rate of 60% in 2018. For more information about our work with waste see our non-financial note H9 in our Annual and Sustainability Report

Creating new resources

Tissue products are made of renewable fresh or recycled fibers, and this is an advantage that creates value. After use, tissue products can be incinerated, creating renewable energy, or composted, going back to nature. We are currently working to improve composting, and together with selected customers we have several pilots to recycle paper hand towels. 

Essity's ambition is to develop products and solutions for a circular society. This calls for creative thinking, new business models and partnerships. In the long term, we want to be part of a new system where nothing goes to waste.

Together with external partners, we are working to solve the challenges in front of us to establish business models for collecting and recycling used personal care products. Today incineration with energy recovery is the best option, but we aim to find new recycling solutions.