• There is no need to cut down trees
    in order to produce hygiene paper

    Used beverage cartons are sufficient.

  • Hygiene paper for local community
    is manufactured from used beverage carton,
    collected in same local community.

  • Municipal material cycle™ of used beverage cartons
    and hygiene paper turns local community into
    cellulose source for production of localy needed hygiene paper.

123

What is the municipal material cycle of
used beverage cartons and hygiene paper?

The municipal material cycle (MMC) of beverage cartons and hygiene paper connects
stakeholders and residents of the local community to easily form their own circular model
based on the existing take back system of used beverage carton management:

Used beverage cartons, collected separately by institutions and households in the local community, are purposefully recycled for the production of hygiene paper such as paper handkerchiefs, paper towels and wipes, toilet paper etc. from recycled cellulose.

These new products are used by institutions in the same local communities where the used beverage cartons are collected as a source of raw material.

The municipal material cycle of beverage cartons and hygiene paper includes municipalities, municipal companies, companies for the collection and management of waste materials, and public institutions in the local community. All residents are included in this through the established system of waste packaging collection.

The municipal material cycle of beverage cartons and hygiene paper packaging can be set up in any municipality or city in the EU that has a municipal waste separation system in place.

How does it work?


Each stakeholder continues with their normal operations,
except in a connected, purposeful, sustainable and more efficient way.

The main stakeholders are included in the municipal material cycle (MMC) of beverage cartons and hygiene paper by way of a special agreement, forming a partnership material cycle with a clearly defined purpose and goals: to use separately collected used beverage cartons as a secondary source of cellulose and to return it to the same local community as recycled hygiene paper.

Residents cooperate by disposing of beverage carton packaging in a packaging waste bin after use.

1

HOUSEHOLDS

Households use beverages, milk, yoghurts and other liquid foods daily and those come in carton packaging. After use, these cartons are collected in waste bins for packaging or yellow bags for beverages, or as instructed by the municipal waste management company.

2

MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY

The municipal waste management company takes over the packaging waste collected in institutions and households.

3

TAKE - BACK SYSTEMS (TBS)

In sorting lines, waste packaging is divided into several types: plastic packaging, metal packaging and carton packaging. This prepares it for the recycling process. The take-back system (TBS) directs carton packaging waste for recycling in quantities that correspond to the requirement for hygiene paper in institutions in the local community.

4

PAPER MANUFACTURER

The paper manufacturer recycles used beverage cartons: the process of recycling removes the cardboard or cellulose, which is then used as an input material for the production of hygiene paper products, such as paper handkerchiefs, towels and wipes, toilet paper etc.

5

RECYCLED HYGIENE PAPER DISTRIBUTION COMPANY

The distribution company picks up new recycled products from the paper manufacturer and delivers them to public institutions in the local community where the MMC is operational.

6

SCHOOL, KINDERGARTEN, MUSIC SCHOOL, LIBRARY, MUSEUM, SPORTS FACILITIES, HEALTH CENTER, MUNICIPAL OFFICES AND MUNICIPAL COMPANIES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Schools, kindergartens, the municipality, libraries and other institutions in the local community use recycled hygiene paper manufactured from used beverage cartons collected in their local community on daily bases. This final act connects and completes the Municipal material cycle.

By designing a municipal material cycle, we ensure environmental
and financial savings and a number of other benefits.

MORE

1

SCHOOLS, KINDERGARTENS, MUNICIPAL COMPANIES, MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION, LIBRARIES, HOUSEHOLDS

Every day, institutions and households use drinks, milk, yoghurts and other liquid foods that come in carton packaging. After use, these cartons are collected in yellow waste bins or yellow bags for used cartons, or as instructed by the municipal waste management company.

2

MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY

The municipal waste management company takes over the packaging waste collected in institutions and households.

3

TAKE - BACK SYSTEMS (TBS)

In sorting lines, waste packaging is divided into several types: plastic packaging, metal packaging and carton packaging. This prepares it for the recycling process. The take-back system (TBS) directs carton packaging waste for recycling in quantities that correspond to the requirement for hygiene paper in institutions in the local community.

4

PAPER MANUFACTURER

The paper manufacturer recycles used beverage cartons: the process of recycling removes the cardboard or cellulose, which is then used as an input material for the production of hygiene paper products, such as paper handkerchiefs, towels and wipes, toilet paper etc.

5

RECYCLED HYGIENE PAPER DISTRIBUTION COMPANY

The distribution company picks up new recycled products from the paper manufacturer and delivers them to public institutions in the local community where the MMC is operational.

6

SCHOOLS, KINDERGARTENS, MUNICIPALITIES, LIBRARIES, OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Schools, kindergartens, the municipality, libraries and other institutions in the local community use recycled hygiene paper produced from used beverage cartons collected in their local community. This completes the communal material cycle.

By designing a municipal material cycle, we ensure environmental
and financial savings and a number of other benefits.

MORE

First they ignore you, then they laugh at
you, then they fight you, then you win.

M. Gandhi

The effects of municipal
material cycles

12.184

saved
trees *

48.736

m2 saved
woods *

26.745.285

used beverage
cartons

936

tons of used
beverage cartons **

761.196

kg reduction of
CO2 emissions ***

2.643

reduced the amount of packaging waste in m3 at the waste dump, or prevented incineration***

10

included
municipalities ****

386.754

included
residents *****

Data above is based on total quantities of used beverage cartons recycled with origin in participating municipalities and quantities**** of professional hygiene paper used in participating municipalities from 2016 till 28.02.2022 and are updated monthly.
* UNEP, 2011, Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication, HYPERLINK “http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy” www.unep.org/greeneconomy); ** Data on packaging waste taken over from participating municipalities since 2016; *** 1 kg Landfill of paper waste EU-27 (of project ELCD) Data source]; **** Data provided by the distribution companies involved; ***** H1/2020 data from the national statistical offices of the countries of the municipalities involved.

Population involvement

81.700 116.500
KMK Senec KMK Trnava

296.000 of 5.459.000

3,6%

of population living in the participating areas

Establish a circular
partnership

For stakeholders
and partners

MORE

Circular culture
in your hands

For residents and users
of hygiene paper

MORE

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Proven to work – the projects in practice

The efficiency, environmental and financial savings of MMC beverage cartons and hygiene
paper have been proven by multiannual projects. Read about how we set up the first
projects, who the partners are, what the results are and how we are progressing.

Novo mesto

Local community: Novo mesto city municipality
Komunala Novo mesto

2015 66.779 50,2%
establishment population coverage

MORE

Ljubljana

Local community: Ljubljana city municipality
JP VOKA SNAGA Ljubljana

2017 295.504 41,5%
establishment population coverage

MORE

Brežice

Local community: Municipality of Brežice
Komunala Brežice

2019 24.473 41,9%
establishment population coverage

MORE

Experience is proof

Here is what our partners had to say about the establishment and operation
of the MMC in their local community ...

“Many years of successful operation of the UBS municipal material cycle, in which our municipality participates, proves that we can form partnerships for sustainable life in local communities. I’m sure many of us did not realize that a used beverage carton can be a valuable resource for producing hygiene paper in order to save forests. Credit
for this goes to institutions and citizens in all participating municipalities, since consistent waste separation is the foundation of our cycle.”

DUŠAN KRŠTINC

Mayor of the Municipality of Straža
for MMC Novo mesto, Slovenia
2019

“Komunala Novo mesto is a pioneer of the circular economy in the local community with its establishment of the first municipal material cycle of beverage cartons and hygiene paper. We are even prouder of the fact that the coverage of our municipal material cycle is already as high as 55%. Our residents and institutions are truly an increasingly self-sufficient source of cellulose for this product that is required in the local community.”

MAG. GREGOR KLEMENČIČ

Director of Komunala Novo mesto,
MMC Novo mesto, Slovenia
2019

“By participating in the UBC project for our hygiene paper, we are introducing children to waste separation. The added value lies in showing them that waste is a source of raw materials for other products that we use in the kindergarten.
We show them that one type of material used in our kindergarten circulates and lives on in different products. It is not just an interesting story for our children, it is a concrete practice that benefits everyone in the local community.”

ANA SRPČIČ

Principal of the Čebelica Šentjernej
Kindergarten MMC Novo mesto, Slovenia
2019

Our circular model has received confirmation
in the form of international awards

The innovative approach and the effects of our circular business and material model have been recognized and confirmed by international awards.

THE CIRCULARS 2017 – HIGHLY COMMENDED:

The pioneering municipal material cycle of packaging beverage cartons and hygiene paper in Novo mesto received a special commendation - HIGHLY COMMENDED - at the competition of good practices for a circular economy, THE CIRCULARS 2017, in the category of the best government, city or regional circular economy project. The competition is organized every year by The World Economic Forum and The Forum of Young Global Leaders with the aim of promoting the best companies and implemented projects in the field of the circular economy.

EUROPEAN CLEANING AWARDS 2019:

Project »Municipal material cycle of Novo mesto«, received and award in a »EUROPEAN CLEANING AND HYGIENE AWARDS 2019« competition held in London in late 2019. The award has been received in the category »Best initiative raising the profile of the cleaning sector«.

Our circular model has received confirmation
in the form of international awards

The innovative approach and the effects of our circular business and material model have been recognized and confirmed by international awards.

THE CIRCULARS 2017 – HIGHLY COMMENDED:

The pioneering municipal material cycle of packaging beverage cartons and hygiene paper in Novo mesto received a special commendation - HIGHLY COMMENDED - at the competition of good practices for a circular economy, THE CIRCULARS 2017, in the category of the best government, city or regional circular economy project. The competition is organized every year by The World Economic Forum and The Forum of Young Global Leaders with the aim of promoting the best companies and implemented projects in the field of the circular economy.

EUROPEAN CLEANING AWARDS 2019:

Project »Municipal material cycle of Novo mesto«, received and award in a »EUROPEAN CLEANING AND HYGIENE AWARDS 2019« competition held in London in late 2019. The award has been received in the category »Best initiative raising the profile of the cleaning sector«.

The team

Our team comprises a network of national coordinators in countries where we set up and manage
municipal material cycles. We collaborate with national coordinators who examine the possibilities for
the establishment of MMCs in European countries based on the experience of operational MMCs and
stakeholder networking.

In accordance with the municipal waste and packaging management system, they oversee the
establishment of the MMC and its long-term management.

The team

Our team comprises a network of national coordinators in countries where we set up and manage municipal material cycles. We collaborate with national coordinators who examine the possibilities for the establishment of MMCs in European countries based on the experience of operational MMCs and stakeholder networking.

In accordance with the municipal waste and packaging management system, they oversee the establishment of the MMC and its long-term management.

Do you have a question?
Do you want to establish a municipal
material cycle in your location?

We will be happy to listen to your suggestions and answer your questions!

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