Smurfit Westrock, a global leader in sustainable packaging, has undertaken a large-scale, cross-border rail logistics initiative connecting its Hoya Paper and Board mill in northern Germany with key production facilities in Poland. 

The project is a significant milestone in the company’s drive to enhance supply chain performance while substantially reducing environmental impact. Operating around the clock, the Hoya mill produces more than 500,000 tonnes of high-quality paper annually. Using recovered fibre as its primary raw material, the site manufactures large reels, tailored precisely to customer specifications and prepared for distribution across Europe.

To improve efficiency and lower emissions, Smurfit Westrock transitioned a major share of Hoya’s outbound logistics from road to rail. Paper reels are stored in warehouses before being collected by local partner VGH and then transported to Poland by logistics provider Transwaggon. 

Once loaded, the 24 wagon train spans 600 metres and carries around 1,250 tonnes of paper. By shifting transport from Hoya to Poland onto rail, Smurfit Westrock is eliminating more than 1,400 truck journeys each year: the equivalent of 1.2 million road kilometres and 1,500 tonnes of CO2 annually. The reliability of the rail network compared to road has also seen delivery performance improve by double-digit percentages.

“This project demonstrates how collaboration and innovation can deliver tangible environmental and operational benefits,” said Saverio Mayer, President and CEO, Europe, MEA & APAC at Smurfit Westrock. “By increasing the use of rail in our paper and board logistics network, we are improving reliability for customers while significantly reducing emissions.”

Smurfit Westrock Pruszków is a key beneficiary of the improved logistics flow. At the facility, incoming reels are scanned and fed directly into production lines for corrugated packaging solutions serving fastmoving consumer goods, retail, private label, and ecommerce customers.

“From recovered fibre to finished packaging, this project strengthens our end-to-end sustainable supply chain,” added Javier Rivas, President Paper and Mills Europe, MEA & APAC at Smurfit Westrock.

“With this rail corridor, we continue to deliver on our commitment to sustainability, efficiency, and customer-focused innovation.”