spokespersons for the Andi recently announced the most important achievements of the Colombian paper industry, which works using sustainable fibersproductively aligning with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Sustainable cellulose fibers for the manufacture of paper and cardboard are of great importance considering the availability of natural resources.
Isabel Cristina Riveros, director of the ANDI Chamber of Pulp, Paper and Cardboard, states that “the recycling of paper and cardboard is not infinite due to the biodegradable characteristic of the fibers that limits their recycling to a maximum of 7 times, therefore which is necessary to incorporate virgin fiber to the process. In 2022, 68% of the pulp came from recycling paper waste, 11% from sugarcane bagasse pulp, an agro-industrial waste from sugar production, predominantly in Valle del Cauca, and 19% from the virgin wood fiber from forest plantations certified in responsible management, located between the coffee axis and the north of Cauca”.
In this sense, the work of the country’s recyclers, and the recycling chain itself, have become the backbone of the inputs of this industry, which in 2022 consumed 1,092,990 tons of secondary fiber from usable waste. Added to 151,659 tons of virgin sugarcane bagasse pulp, a source of fiber from Colombia, it is a pioneer internationally and 417,865 tons of wood pulp came from forests certified with standards of the Forest Administration Council (FSC) and approved by the General Supervision Society (SGS) Colombia, says Andi.
In recent years, Colombia has recorded an average pulp production of 403,703 tons. Domestic consumption is 581,824 tons. In the last year, 394,060 tons were produced and 177,694 were imported.