Toilet paper becomes livestock bedding in UK recycling first

UK tissue manufacturer Essity has launched a recycling partnership to convert hygiene paper waste into bedding for livestock.

The initiative, developed with Veolia, transforms surplus paper fibres into kiln-dried bedding for poultry and dairy farms. Industry partners say the project is a UK manufacturing firstwith the resulting product being marketed as Agribed and Agrisoft.

Crumbs with impact

Essity is the world’s second-largest supplier of consumer tissue and operates six factories in the UK. Its new recycling scheme processes waste from Essity’s Stubbins Mill in Ramsbottom and the Prudhoe Mill in Prudhoe. The sites produce about 150 tonnes of paper roll per day.

During recycled fibre papermaking, mills remove surplus solids known as ‘paper crumb’. Historically, producers treated this material, which makes up around 40% of the output, as waste.

A total of 20 700 tonnes of paper crumb from Stubbins alone have been collected and recycled since May 2024.

Drying is key

The material travels to a Veolia facility where high-intensity kiln drying removes excess moisture. The moisture levels are cut from about 45% to 8–10%. This yields a ‘bio-secure and highly absorbent’ bedding product. Consequently, farms can manage litter more efficiently.

Circular model gains traction

The recovered material now holds full Product Status, meaning regulators classify it as a marketable product rather than waste.

According to Mark Jackson, operations manager at Essity, the approach helps cut landfill while lowering emissions. ‘None of this waste stream goes to landfill,’ he said. ‘Instead, we give it a useful second life.’

Looking ahead, Essity plans to roll out the technology to its other UK mills in Trafford and Northumberland. With demand growing, Veolia also plans to expand distribution across the poultry sector.