Corporate Social Responsibility – the WEIG-Group in Paraguay

YAGUARETE-Reciclaje, the recycling division of the WEIG-Group in Paraguay has just 64 employees, but 2.600 suppliers who collect and deliver recovered paper. This means a regular income for 3.000 families. And by increasing the recycling volumes this number will increase further.

Since 1978 WEIG is active in Paraguay, starting with the production of corrugated base papers, quickly followed by paper recycling and by the manufacturing of corrugated sheets and boxes mainly for the local food industry. Since 2013 the production of plasterboard liner for the gypsum pane industry in Latin and South America is added. The WEIG-companies in Paraguay are structured in three business units just like in Germany and they operate under the groups brand name CYSA. CYSA stands for Cartones Yaguarete SA and the stylised head of the jaguar (Yaguarete in national language Guarani) is the well-known brand sign of the group.

Paper recycling is of special importance in Paraguay – and this in multiple aspects.

Paper for recycling is an important raw material for the paper and board production. But the recycling quota for paper is low at around 30%. On one hand this means a big challenge to ensure the supply of the cartonboard production with raw material and on the other hand an important raw material remains widely unused. This is why recovered paper needs to be imported, although it would be available, if it only would be collected enough.

To counteract this, the government of Paraguay has established a law in 2018, which demands a responsible handling of waste, resp. secondary raw materials – including the import ban for waste to be deposited in the county. Four important companies active in metals, plastic, glas and paper have created a new association CISPY. CISPY stands for Camera de Industrias Sustentables del Paraguay. One of the founding members is YAGUARETE-Reciclaje. The first president of the association is Gladys Talavera, the Managing Director of REDESA, the recycling company of YAGUARETE-Recyclaje. This a big recognition for Gladys and the CYSA-Group and a responsibility at the same time.

One of the most important targets of CISPY and also of YAGUARETE-Reciclaje is to promote awareness for recycling, waste separation, sustainable production and environmental protection. To achieve this a wide range of activities will be launched, which YAGUARETE-Reciclaje has successfully done for the paper sector in the past already, in schools, churches, fire brigades, neighborhood committees and for private paper collectors.

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