DS Smith Expands Footprints in the U.S.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): European packaging major DS Smith announced official opening of its first U.S. recycling facility in Reading, Pennsylvania. The facility had begun operations at the beginning of this month.

The new 43,000 square foot recycling facility is strategically located, as it is housed along with its paper mill and just a mile away from its packaging plant. The plant has the capacity to recycle over 36,000 tons of old corrugated cardboard (OCC) every year. The plant employs latest technologies to ensure that collected OCCs are recycled into new corrugated boxes with in a period of two weeks.

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In addition to material sourced from the company’s Reading corrugated packaging plant, the recycling facility will also accept recovered fiber from local distribution centres, packaging facilities and retailers. The recycled packaging products from the facility will be supplied to paper mills belonging to partners and others.

Mark Ushpol, managing director of packaging for DS Smith in North America noted that the company is excited about the tremendous growth opportunities in the U.S. and increasing its investment in the Reading community.

The Reading recycling plant is the latest in the efforts by DS Smith to expand its presence in the U.S. The company had recently opened an automated corrugated packaging plant in Lebanon, Indiana.