Aldar Tissues, Ireland’s largest household and commercial tissue paper manufacturer and part of the Zeus Group, has officially opened its new EUR 15 million tissue paper converting facility in Rathcoole, Dublin. The 100,000 square-foot facility will see the workforce at Aldar Tissues double by 2026 — creating 30 new full-time jobs. The new state-of-the-art plant features fully automated, high-speed production lines, robotic packing, and wrapping technologies, which will enable Aldar Tissues to transition from a 24/5 to a 24/7 operation by 2026.
In 2019, Aldar Tissues was acquired by Zeus, Europe’s leading independent packaging manufacturer and distributor.
Speaking at the facility’s opening, Keith Ockenden, CEO of Zeus, commented: “Our goal is to help our customers reduce their packaging usage and lower their carbon emissions by providing innovative products and services. By processing industrial production rolls into smaller, finished products on-site in Ireland, Aldar Tissue significantly reduces the need for long-distance transportation of raw materials, thereby cutting carbon emissions from shipping bulk materials from mainland Europe. This streamlined approach not only lowers our carbon footprint but also enhances supply chain efficiency, ensuring products are delivered to customers more sustainably and cost-effectively.“
According to Zeus, as of 2023, the Irish toilet tissue market is valued at approximately EUR 155 million, driven by demand from both retail and away-from-home sectors.
“Currently, 80% of the Irish tissue market is supplied from the UK and mainland Europe. This new facility increases our production capacity and will enable us to fulfil up to 40% of Ireland’s bathroom tissue and kitchen towel needs“ Ockenden noted.
The plant’s modern technology enables high-speed production of consumer and professional tissue products at a rate of 600 meters per minute, or 200 packs per minute, offering more than 60 variations of kitchen towels and bathroom tissue.