Essity Turns Paper Crumb Waste Into Kiln-Dried Animal Bedding With Veolia And Arden Wood Shavings

Essity has launched a UK recycling partnership with Veolia and Arden Wood Shavings to convert toilet paper and paper towel waste from its Stubbins and Prudhoe mills into kiln-dried livestock bedding marketed as Agribed and Agrisoft. The initiative repurposes “paper crumb” – surplus non-hazardous solids discarded during recovered fibre pulping – which has now been granted full Product Status, officially classifying it as a usable, marketable product rather than waste. Since May 2024, Stubbins alone has supplied 20,700 tonnes of paper crumb for processing into bedding with moisture content reduced from about 45% to 8–10%, producing a biosecure, highly absorbent material widely used in poultry and dairy farming. Farmers report fewer top-up bales, reduced labour and better bird welfare, while Essity eliminates landfill for this stream and cuts emissions, prompting interest from other manufacturers in similar circular solutions.