Mark Jackson and Andy MacNae with recycled paper bales
A historic paper mill located in Stubbins, Lancashire, has been praised for its pioneering approach to industrial sustainability and its long-standing contribution to the local economy during a recent visit by Andy MacNae, MP for Rossendale and Darwen.
The Essity paper mill in Stubbins, which produces paper for some of the global hygiene and health companies’ market-leading brands, plays a key role in the business’s operation supplying hand towels, napkins and toilet tissue for major businesses throughout the UK and Ireland.
The Stubbins mill manufactures tissue for the company’s Tork brand and is also the home of Tork PaperCircle – an innovative, closed-loop recycling initiative that collects and recycles used paper towels from organisations across the UK, including a host of Premier League football clubs, schools, churches, tourist attractions and businesses.
The site is the only Essity facility in the UK capable of recycling used takeaway drinks cups and paper towels into new tissue products. It also ensures that some waste generated from the papermaking process is put to good use by being repurposed as animal bedding.
Andy MacNae was welcomed to the site by Kate Prince, senior public affairs manager at Essity, and toured the mill with operations manager Mark Jackson. The visit gave the MP the opportunity to see first-hand the scale and sophistication of the mill’s machinery and operations, as well as its commitment to environmental responsibility and innovation.
Andy MacNae, MP for Rossendale and Darwen, commented, “Stubbins Mill is a shining example of how environmental responsibility and industrial success can go hand in hand. We’re proud to have major global businesses like Essity creating jobs and driving innovation here in our constituency, and I was hugely impressed by the scale of the operation and Essity’s commitment to sustainability and its people. It’s exactly the kind of long-term thinking we need to see more of - in Rossendale and Darwen, and throughout the UK.”
Stubbins Mill has been in operation since 1911 and was one of the UK’s first sites to recycle wastepaper. Today, its products are made from 100% recycled fibre, reflecting over a century of commitment to circular economy practices. The site also treats all wastewater on-site before returning it to the local environment and maintains strong relationships with neighbouring communities.
The mill also plays a vital role in developing the future workforce. During his tour, MacNae met several apprentices, noting the mill’s clear focus on training and upskilling the next generation.
Mark Jackson, operations manager at Essity Stubbins, said, “We put sustainability at the heart of everything we do – from protecting the environment to supporting the people and communities around us – so it was great to share what we’ve been working on here at Stubbins with Andy.”
Amid calls for sustainable growth across the UK, the visit underscored the importance of long-established manufacturing sites like Stubbins in driving environmental innovation, creating resilient jobs, and securing economic opportunity in Lancashire and beyond.
To find out more about Essity, visit: https://www.essity.com/