A recycled paper facility owned by Smurfit Kappa was recently opened in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region of Morocco, at the Ain Aouda industrial estate. This is the first plant of its sort in Africa, established by the company that makes packaging from recycled paper.
In Africa, Smurfit Kappa is growing. On July 12, 2023, the Irish company, which has been producing packaging from recycled paper since 2005, opened its first recycling facility on the continent. Situated in the Ain Aouda industrial complex in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region of Morocco, the facility has a 25,000 square meter plot of land.
According to Mounir Naciri, Chairman and CEO of Smurfit Kappa Morocco, “the Casablanca-Rabat axis accounts for more than 70 percent of national use of cardboard packaging for industry, hence the choice of Rabat as the location for this factory.” This is the first greenfield location for the Group in Africa.
Used paper will be recycled at the new facility into corrugated board, which will then be supplied to businesses in the meat, fisheries and ceramics markets in addition to the agriculture, automotive, textile and pharmaceutical sectors. “This plant’s production is only meant for the Moroccan market and it will satisfy the demands of both domestic and foreign clients that have opened offices in Morocco,” emphasizes Moroccan Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour.
