Timber industry research & analytics Segezha Group and EUROCEMENT Group Holding concluded a three-year strategic partnership agreement
On March 29, Segezha Group (affiliated to Sistema JSFC) and EUROCEMENT Group Holding concluded a three-year strategic partnership agreement. The document was ceremoniously signed by the Vice-President of Segezha Group Andrei Brotsman and Procurement Director of EUROCEMENT Group Grach Kacheyants.
For the benefit of environmental protection the parties agreed on a new packaging solution for the products of EUROCEMENT Group which from April 2018 switches to the packaging of unbleached sack kraft paper made of eco-friendly natural Russian raw material (100% softwood pulp).
The scope of supplies of the renewed Segezha Group bag production of various sizes (25, 40, 50 kg) will meet the needs of EUROCEMENT Group companies in paper packaging in full.
The packaging has improved the consumer properties due to new brands of unbleached sack kraft the release of which became possible after the commissioning of the unique paper machine of the global concern Voith in Segezha PPM. Color identification of the bag is made with ecologically safe water-soluble paints and we use only starch based organic glue in production.
‘We systematically focus on our packaging solutions and welcome the principled decision of our partners to switch to unbleached environmentally friendly packaging. As the responsible leader of the Russian building materials industry, EUROCEMENT Group positively follows the world trends, – said Andrey Brotsman, Vice-President of Segezha Group. ‘Unlike polyethylene, where raw materials are hydrocarbons, our paper bag is made from recoverable raw materials. During the test it was confirmed that such a package is decomposed in soil for a maximum of 2-3 weeks and serves as a universal bioadditive for plant growth. Thus, we support the worldwide practice of gradually replacing polyethylene bags with paper bags.’Production tests of bags for EUROCEMENT Group Holding took place at Segezha Packaging LLC in Karelia. A lightweight, reliable and eco-friendly bag made of micro-crepe paper from Segezha PPM has confirmed excellent quality including tensile strength, porosity, resistance to pressure, creep and other parameters that are important in the transportation, shipment and unloading of products.
‘Before launching, new paper bags underwent special drop tests where the products were subject to ordeal to confirm performance. The strength of packaging material has been tested in simulated ‘real-life situations’, – said the Production Manager of Segezha Packaging Nikolai Skorobogatov. ‘The question is what kind of load a torn bag can withstand and what would happen to packaging if it falls on an uneven surface, for example, on a stone or the edge of a ladder.’
The tests of closed paper bags took place on a reclaimer equipped with opening flaps. All the bags filled with cement successfully passed the test in a free fall on a horizontal impact pad made of steel with the established height of the state standards (GOST 2226-2013). Segezha bags exceeded the factor of safety by 2.5 times.
In addition to high strength the new three-layer bag of EUROCEMENT Group has a high degree of protection against forgery. One of the tools in the fight against pirate goods is applying QR and barcodes which allows to quickly and accurately identifying the product. In addition, the preservation of multi-color printing and application of the letter code of the bag manufacturer ensure the products authenticity.
The first batch of tarred products of EUROCEMENT Group in the new packaging will be on sale in the first half of April 2018 in the North-West Federal District.
Sustainable development, increasing the environmental performance of professional activities and corporate social responsibility are the guidelines of the partners under the Agreement. It is important for EUROCEMENT Group and Segezha Group that the products produced to be completely safe for environment and the health of consumers.
