50 years of Circular Generation

In 1973, the HZ Group acquired Celulosa del Sur, a pulp manufacturing company, located near a small city called Tornquist, in the southwest of the province of Buenos Aires.

The decision to expand in the Paper Industry was a key commitment to vertical integration for the HZ Group, and value creation for the Argentine Graphic Industry, which did not have local material suppliers.

The beginning was not easy, a total reconversion of the acquired plant was necessary, with large investments, to adapt production, and begin manufacturing coated cardboard.
Over the years, Papelera del Sur cardboard was perfected until it reached international quality standards, thanks to the Group’s knowledge in packaging manufacturing.

The vocation, the knowledge of the graphic world, the trust and mainly a team of collaborators committed to moving forward despite the adversities, were the key to success, which turned Papelera del Sur into the only cardboard manufacturing company in Argentina, being the main source of skilled labor in Tornquist.

Beyond the leadership achieved, and its permanence in the market, the main achievement to highlight is the circular economy purpose promoted by Papelera del Sur, reprocessing post-consumer materials and converting them into useful goods for society.

The circular economy is a production and consumption model that aims to extend the useful life of products. Design products that can be used and reincorporated into the production circuit, through recycling or reuse. As in nature, in the circular economy nothing is lost, everything is transformed.

Papelera del Sur’s circular economy model is based on a solid recovery infrastructure for post-consumer cardboard and paper, which is reprocessed to generate new materials with high percentages of recycled fibers. A model that exceeds the product itself, with a transcendental role due to its environmental and social contribution.

Last year Papelera del Sur reprocessed 59,000 tons of post-consumer materials, the equivalent in volume of 81 professional soccer fields. In addition to preventing these materials from ending up in a landfill, the recycling chain generates jobs in cooperatives throughout the country.

Recycled Cardboard Sustainable Ally

Unlike other materials used for packaging, cardboard has a natural origin, comes from forests and biodegrades in less than 18 months. Since fiber cannot be recycled indefinitely, it needs to incorporate a certain amount of new fibers, because cellulose deteriorates each time it is recycled. The virgin fiber used in Papelera del Sur comes from certified forests with FSC and PEFC chains of custody, which guarantee responsible management of forests, native communities, flora and fauna. As a result, responsibly managed raw materials are obtained, differentiating themselves by being recycled, recyclable and biodegradable.

Today, the materials manufactured in Tornquist are distributed throughout the Region and are part of the lives of millions of consumers, as they are present in the majority of mass consumption packaging.

“The trend in the Packaging Industry indicates that more and more materials incorporate a percentage of PCR component in small proportions. We have the differential that Papelera del Sur products have post-consumer fibers in high percentages, ranging from 51% to 89% depending on the weight and type of product. On the other hand, this attribute links very well with objective 12.5 of the SDGs, which aims to reduce the amount of waste through reuse and recycling, turning Papelera del Sur materials into allies in sustainability” concludes Mariano Procicchiani. Commercial manager.

About Papelera del Sur

Papelera del Sur, together with H. Koch, a paper and cardboard distribution company, and Index, a raw material warehouse, are part of the Cardboard and Paper Business Unit of the HZ Group.

The company was founded in 1960 in Tornquist, in the southwest of the province of Buenos Aires, and acquired by the HZ Group in 1973, with the objective of producing cardboard and integrating its operations as a source of raw materials for the production of packaging.

With sustained growth, Papelera del Sur established itself as a leader in the manufacture of recycled coated cardboard for packaging in our country.

Currently Papelera del Sur offers high quality recycled, recyclable and biodegradable cardboard developed mostly from recycled components. Today, its products are present in most of the packaging of the main mass consumption brands and in industrial supplies.