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There is a public private partnership in Berlin that specialises in one particular market segment: old paper. A partnership, therefore, that rules out any kind of conflict between the public and private sectors about this material right from the very beginning. Its goal is to use sustainable means to collect, sort and supply the raw material, paper. Around 190,000 tonnes of old paper are generated in Berlin alone every year, of which approx. 130,000 tonnes are sorted by Wertstoffunion Berlin – a PPP between the municipal company Berlin Recycling and REMONDIS.
tonnes of old paper. The amount of material able to be sorted by the public private facility every year
Old paper is one of the more traditional sources of raw material and is hugely popular among paper processing businesses because of its numerous economic and environmental advantages. Whilst around 2.2 kilograms of wood and 4 kilowatt hours of energy are needed to produce one kilogram of new paper, just 1.15 kilograms of old paper and 1.5 kilowatt hours of energy are needed to make the same quantity of recycled paper. Since 2012, Berlin has been home to one of the country’s most modern paper sorting plants, which ensures that the old paper generated in Berlin and Brandenburg is recycled and returned to production cycles. Around eight million euros were invested in this successful public private project.
The amount of trees saved each year by WUB’s paper sorting activities in Berlin is the same as the number of trees found in the Grunewald Forest
Berlin Recycling, a fully owned subsidiary of the municipal firm Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe, is the market leader in Berlin when it comes to collecting old paper from private households. Looking at ways to ensure this business success continued and to safeguard the jobs of its employees, the company made the strategic decision to find an experienced partner to enable it to play a role in the sorting and marketing of waste paper. “Berlin Recycling felt it was important to take a further step along the supply chain and become involved in the processing and marketing of the materials we collect. This move benefits our customers, safeguards jobs at Berlin Recycling and increases competition on the waste paper market in Berlin,” explained Vera Gäde-Butzlaff, chairperson of the board at Berliner Stadtreinigung.
During the negotiations, REMONDIS was not only able to show that it could offer the most attractive collaboration model but also that it had years of experience of the recycling industry. “Being the market leader, REMONDIS has extensive know-how of the recycling industry in Germany and processes old paper at over 60 sorting plants across the country. Moreover, the company likes to think long term when it comes to cooperation work and has PPP companies with more than 30 local authorities in Germany,” commented Norbert Rethmann, honorary chairman of the supervisory board of the RETHMANN Group.
REMONDIS stood out thanks to its very attractive business proposal, its relevant recycling experience and its extensive specialist knowledge
As a result of this decision, WUB Wertstoff-Union Berlin GmbH was established in 2011 and plans set in motion for a new paper sorting plant to be built. Work began on the 4,000m² building and its paper sorting facility in December 2011 and was completed in September 2012. During the official opening in 2012, Michael Müller, the senator responsible for city development and the environment in Berlin, welcomed this new public private partnership, saying: “This project clearly shows that it is possible to find large companies that are prepared to invest in Berlin and create new jobs. Moreover, the environment will benefit here as these paper-sorting activities will reduce carbon emissions by more than 75,000 tonnes and save the equivalent number of trees found in the Grunewald Forest.”
The public private facility, which is located on Lahnstraße in Berlin's Neukölln district, is considered to be one of the most modern and innovative of its kind in Germany. Operating in two shifts, this plant sorts and, in some cases, compacts around 130,000 tonnes of waste paper from commercial, retail and industrial businesses as well as from private households every year.
The paper sorting plant in Berlin is one of the most modern of its kind in Germany
The collaboration between Berlin Recycling and REMONDIS is a further positive example of how public and private sector waste management companies can work together constructively and successfully. WUB Wertstoff-Union Berlin GmbH has established itself as a successful model with a strong future.