WEPA Group targets frontrunner role in sustainability, aiming for a net-zero production until 2040, considering aspects of energy and logistics as well as using sustainable fibres from paper for recycling, recycled cardboard, coffee cups, and alternative fresh fibres such as miscanthus grass. Director Group Communications Tim Vormweg explains to TWM Senior Editor Helen Morris the unique campaign “beige is better” to convince consumers to choose sustainable products on the shelf.
The drive to the peaceful and scenic village of Arnsberg-Müschede in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, sets the scene for TWM’s meeting at WEPA Group’s impressive headquarters. Just an hour and a half east from Düsseldorf and the road is surrounded by lakes and thousands of trees towering high either side of steep slopes leading to the tissue mill. Tellingly, the roofs of most of the region’s homes are covered in solar panels, capturing the sun’s energy, and converting it into electricity for the local homes and businesses.
At the plant, TWM is warmly greeted by WEPA Group’s Director Group Communications Tim Vormweg, Communications Manager Nicole Hofmann, and latterly on a full tour of the facility, process engineer Armin Elfers. Impressive images of the company’s historic roots are dotted throughout the reception, including a headshot image of Paul Krengel, who established the company – back then “Westfälische Papierfabrik” – in 1948.
First operating as a trading company for wrapping paper, the WEPA Group started producing its own products in 1958 with its first paper machine that was assembled from used spare parts – at a time when the terms “recycling” and “sustainability” were by no means popular. In the 1980s, WEPA was one of the first manufacturers to successfully process paper for recycling to produce high-quality, absorbent tissue. Since then, WEPA has been one of the companies in the paper industry with the greatest expertise in the processing of paper for recycling and has diversified its product offering to include toilet paper, kitchen towels, tissues, cosmetic tissues, napkins, paper towels as well as centrefeed rolls, medical rolls, cleaning rolls and dispenser solutions.
At its headquarter in Müschede, WEPA’s investment in solar panels is immediately obvious as they are placed along the sides of different buildings. The site is home to two tissue machines and several converting lines, producing 65,000tpy of hygiene paper for WEPA’s Professional Business Unit. Vormweg adds that these products “are produced energy efficiently, and almost exclusively on the basis of recycled fibres.” Standing opposite PM1, Armin Elfers, who is one of the process engineers overseeing the site’s tissue machines, discusses the many challenges he and his team have had to adapt to and overcome to produce jumbo rolls using a variety of different raw materials. To enable the machine to produce jumbo rolls from 100% recycled cardboard, “we had to rethink and change a lot of our existing processes,” he says.
An ambitious sustainability strategy
Proudly family-owned, the company has also always been vocal about its vision to be “the most sustainable and agile first-class partner for personal and professional hygiene solutions.”
As an expert for sustainable hygiene solutions, WEPA is continuously researching, developing, and expanding its product portfolio towards even more innovative and sustainable solutions. Globally, at a time when tissue companies and suppliers are under pressure from rising energy prices, supply chain disruptions, wars, and other external circumstances … how is the company mitigating this, and how is it impacting the German tissue market? “We have always had a very clear strategy for the company,” Vormweg says. “Sustainability is the strategic focus of the WEPA Group, and we take responsibility for the impact of our actions on the environment, society, and the economy. This is the way that we have set ourselves apart in the market as a family business. We see ourselves as frontrunner in sustainability in our industry with a truly ambitious sustainability strategy.”
“Sustainability has been deeply rooted in the company since it was founded by Paul Krengel, as it has always been developed over the long term as a multi-generational family business”, he explains.
Alternative fresh fibres
As the focus on sustainability is central to all the company’s actions, WEPA embraces the concept of a circular economy, which involves reusing existing materials as raw materials, keeping them in the cycle for as long as possible and closing loops wherever possible. Therefore, the hygiene paper is also made from sustainable raw materials such as paper for recycling and recycled cardboard.
However, fresh fibres must also be introduced into the cycle regularly. In this regard, WEPA is seeking alternative fresh fibres to decrease environmental impact. One example of such alternative fresh fibres is Miscanthus grass. It has a lifespan of about 20 years and grows to full height every year without the need for additional watering, fertilisers, or pesticides, offering a more environmentally-friendly option.
WEPA offers its hygiene paper made from Miscanthus in the professional sector under the brand name “BlackSatino GreenGrow”. These products combine virgin fibres from Miscanthus with alternative raw materials. The result is a particularly soft, highly absorbent, and unbleached toilet paper and towel paper. “BlackSatino GreenGrow” is produced with 100% green electricity and without harmful chemicals. It is also Cradle to Cradle Silver and FSC Mix certified.
Hygiene paper made from recycled cardboard
Being a recycling expert, a cascade use of raw materials is enormously important for WEPA. Besides paper for recycling, the company also uses recycled cardboard as an innovative raw material for its hygiene paper.
“We are the first manufacturer in Europe producing hygiene paper out of recycled cardboard on a large scale”, Vormweg explains.
The hygiene paper made from recycled cardboard is produced without bleaching in the process. “That is why the end product has its characteristic beige colour. In the consumer shelf, you’ll find the standard white grades the end-consumers all know well, and now there’s our new beige product! “Some end-consumers associate the distinct colour with a lower quality because of the memories of old crepe paper, which was a grey and rough product. To convince them of the many positive advantages, the high softness and the outstanding sustainability characteristics, we have started our unique campaign ‘beige is better’ in Germany,” Vormweg adds.
The “beige is better” campaign
“As a private label specialist for retailers, it was a unique approach to start a campaign addressing the consumer directly. The campaign activates consumers to make a responsible choice when they are in front of the supermarket shelf. We consider our beige products made from recycled cardboard as the future standard for hygiene paper. The large-scale campaign is a major milestone on that path forward, and there were many retailers that were enthusiastic about the approach and participated in the campaign. Even some that printed the campaign slogan on their own private label products. Now, it is our ongoing ambition to convince consumers of the outstanding quality and sustainability characteristics of our products. This presents a challenge, and we are already seeing incredibly positive developments resulting from the campaign.”
“Not only are we convinced of our own products, but the market has also externally confirmed that this innovation is outstanding. Just last year, WEPA was awarded as a company with the German Sustainability Award in the category “Paper, cardboard and paperboard” Vormweg says. The German Sustainability Award is recognised as Europe’s leading award for ecological and social commitment and is the most prestigious sustainability award in Germany.
In terms of single products, “Satino PureSoft”, an unbleached, particularly soft tissue paper made from recycled cardboard for the WEPA Professional Business Unit was awarded with the “Ecodesign Award” – the highest state honour for ecological design in Germany.
Private label products
Germany is notorious for having a remarkably high private label market. Also, the majority of WEPA’s products are private label offering high quality products. “These are difficult and challenging times for the economy and the society in general as well. In such times, increasingly more people are looking for quality products they can afford. Private label really has a particularly good standing here in Germany”, Vormweg explains.
The path ahead
The WEPA Group has announced its vision to be net-zero by 2040. In the context of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), its aim is to reduce its emissions by a relative 52.5% for Scopes 1, 2, and also Scope 3 by 2030 with reference to the base year (2019).
Every mill, every site, is being thoroughly looked at and accessed so that the company can achieve its ambitions: “Investing in all of our site’s sustainability transformation has been significant,” Vormweg says. “The plan is a big puzzle, a lot of different building blocks. We are looking at every part of the business and ask ourselves where we can find good opportunities to transform to sustainable energy, what to do with waste streams, how we can further reduce our water usage… there are many elements to consider”.
