To make newsprint, you need water, lots of water. Most paper mills were therefore built on a river, like Perlen Papier AG in the canton of Lucerne, which was founded almost 150 years ago and is located on the Reuss. Furthermore, in addition to energy, the production process primarily requires paper, namely waste paper. A load is currently rolling onto the company premises on four rail wagons in tipping containers.

"Rail and recycling, they go together," says Alain Probst. He is head of supply chain management at the paper mill in Perlen and a member of the management team. The company has relied on the railway for decades because it can transport large volumes. "And because it fits in with our ecological standards." The Perlen company has 13 kilometers of its own trackage and four shunting locomotives. SBB Cargo takes the wagons to Gisikon-Root station, where they are picked up. The railroad also plays an important role in the removal of the finished rolls of newsprint, especially for transports within Switzerland.

In order to stand out from its foreign competitors, Perlen Papier AG consistently focuses on ecology. Since 2013, the company has reduced its carbon emissions by 84 percent. This was possible because steam from the neighboring Renergia waste incineration plant can be used to dry the paper. Since 2021, the remaining greenhouse gas emissions of the paper can be offset by projects abroad and the paper can be purchased carbon-neutral.

You can find the complete article here (in German).