Enhancing our local ecosystem around Aschaffenburg Mill

Protecting and enhancing the environments in which we operate is one of the major goals in our Now and Next Sustainability Strategy.

By 2025 we will launch 100 biodiversity projects across Europe and North America, including a growing number of site-led initiatives from our Aschaffenburg Mill in Germany.

Supported by the DS Smith Charitable Foundation, employees from the Aschaffenburg Mill have worked to increase the impact of the natural environment surrounding the mill, evolving it so it makes a considerable difference to the local ecosystem.

Creating additional green areas to support our local wildlife

The team introduced a large selection of native plants and shrubs across the site, including planting a wide array of flowers which are local to the region. This area of the site is accessible to visitors, and it's hoped these additional green areas will continue to provide ample foliage to local wildlife – little and large alike.

The new areas will support some of the already established biodiversity projects at Aschaffenburg Mill, including insect hotels, wild bee nests, bird nesting boxes and a special area created for lizards. 

In addition, because of warm air being blown out of one side of the paper machine building, the team have taken the extra step of implementing stone structures to also make the places attractive to wildlife where no vegetation can grow.

Located in the centre of Germany, Aschaffenburg Mill is one of Europe’s oldest paper mills, with an annual production capacity of over 420,000 tonnes.

A team effort, to make a huge difference

We have been particularly active in spearheading initiatives to support one of the country's greenest regions, and I am proud of the team’s commitment to enhancing biodiversity around our locality. The entire team at the mill is pleased that the actions from the past few years are showing great success and that the mill’s site, which used to only consist of mown lawns, are now not only looking so vibrant but are even more environmentally friendly than before

— Ulrich Albert, Managing Director at Aschaffenburg Mill