Jumbo Centre Recognized with Solenis Sustainability Award for Advancing Tissue Production Efficiency and Reducing Energy Use

WILMINGTON, Del. (USA) — Solenis, a leading global provider of water and hygiene solutions, today announced that Jumbo Centre in South Africa has been recognized with the 2025 Solenis Sustainability Award for its strong improvements in energy efficiency, carbon reduction and tissue‑machine performance.

“Jumbo Centre delivered measurable sustainability gains through smart chemistry changes and a disciplined approach to improvement,” said Ted Kelly, Solenis VP and General Manager, Consumer Solutions. “Their project shows how focused action—especially in energy‑constrained regions—can reduce environmental impact while strengthening day‑to‑day operations.”

Working with Solenis, Jumbo Centre implemented several key upgrades to its creping and refining processes, resulting in the following sustainability benefits:

Energy and Environmental Benefits

• Refining energy demand decreased by 40 kWh per ton, lowering total electricity use by roughly 930,000 kWh per year
• Energy reduction translated into an annual CO₂ decrease of 718 metric tons

Chemical Optimization

• Improvements to the creping program reduced edge‑control chemistry by 46%, supporting both cost savings and reduced material usage

Operational Performance

• Tissue‑machine pope reel speed increased from 1,404 m/min to 1,458 m/min, enabling the mill to produce an additional 1,032 tons per year
• Stretch values improved, supporting consistent quality and smoother machine operation

“Our focus is always on reliable production with a smaller environmental footprint,” said Thulane Nkambule, TM4 Production manager. “By working closely with Solenis, we were able to make targeted changes that improved efficiency, reduced energy use, and strengthened the overall performance of TM4.”

Established in 2020, the Solenis Sustainability Awards recognize specific and verifiable customer projects that have, over a period of 12 months, delivered measurable results against at least one of five sustainability indicators: reduced water use, reduced energy consumption, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, optimized raw material utilization, or reduced waste.