From factory floor to filter tip: how Filtrona is rethinking water stewardship across production and product

Water stewardship in manufacturing is not only about what happens on the factory floor. It also extends to the products themselves and their impact on water systems after use. For Filtrona, environmental responsibility is central to its strategy. The company is addressing both dimensions: reducing water consumption in its operations while developing plastic-free filtration solutions that help protect rivers, soils, and groundwater from microplastic contamination. Its consecutive EcoVadis Gold ratings, placing Filtrona in the top 5% globally, confirm that this commitment translates into verified performance.

Filtrona manufactures speciality filter solutions through a dry mechanical conversion process using cellulose acetate tow, paper, and small quantities of plasticiser and adhesive. Water is not required as a direct production input, but responsible water management extends well beyond the production process itself.

Water as a real asset: managing every drop across Filtrona’s global operations

Reliable access to safe water is essential across Filtrona's manufacturing sites for sanitation, cleaning, and employee welfare. Some facilities operate in water-stressed regions, making responsible water stewardship a material operational priority.

Total water withdrawal increased by approximately 23.3%, from 75,150 m³ in 2022 to 92,685 m³ in 2025, reflecting changes in production activity. Most water was sourced from third-party supplies, with groundwater and surface water use remaining minimal. Total wastewater discharge increased by approximately 203.4%, from 26,834 m³ in 2022 to 81,414 m³ in 2025, managed through third-party treatment facilities or, where permitted, surface water discharge in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Filtrona's water management programme focuses on four areas: consumption reduction, reuse, monitoring, and responsible discharge. Several concrete initiatives have been implemented across the global site network.

At all Indian manufacturing sites, a Zero Liquid Discharge programme eliminates industrial wastewater discharge into external watercourses entirely, through the installation of wastewater treatment and recovery systems and the reuse of treated water on-site. The programme has also reduced freshwater abstraction and supports operations in water-stressed regions.

Across multiple sites, traditional once-through cooling systems have been replaced with closed-loop recirculating systems for air compressors, production equipment, and HVAC. Freshwater consumption is now required only to compensate for minor evaporative losses, reducing abstraction and improving equipment stability.

At the Hungarian site, waterless urinals have been installed, eliminating flush water use entirely and reducing both wastewater generation and treatment requirements.

All sites operate a monthly water monitoring and leak detection programme, tracking consumption trends, investigating anomalous usage, and implementing preventive maintenance. This supports early detection of water losses and continuous efficiency improvement.

Filtrona's water stewardship efforts were recognised with a B rating from CDP's Water Security disclosure.

Protecting water beyond the factory: why plastic-free filtration matters

As a manufacturer committed to sustainability, Filtrona also focuses on the environmental impact of the products it makes, including their effect on surface and groundwater. Preventing microplastic contamination is one of the most effective ways of preserving natural water bodies in good ecological condition, and plastic manufacturing itself is among the most water-intensive industries. For Filtrona, the transition to plastic-free filtration is therefore inseparable from its broader water stewardship commitment. A milestone in this journey was the development of the first industrial paper filter, and today the product portfolio is increasingly becoming plastic-free.

The regulatory context is intensifying. At WHO FCTC COP11 in November 2025, a proposed global ban on cigarette filters, classified as single-use plastics under Agenda Item 4.3, was not adopted. However, the conference strengthened Article 18 (Environment), explicitly linking filters to toxic waste and microplastics, and operationalised Article 19 (Liability), enabling governments to seek financial compensation from tobacco companies for environmental damage and cleanup costs.

WHO documentation continues to describe filters as single-use plastics, and WHO and FCTC actors are increasingly aligned with UN Plastics Treaty negotiations, framing cigarette butts as a major source of microplastic and chemical pollution. Several negotiating blocs are advocating for tobacco filters to be named explicitly in treaty annexes as priority plastic pollutants. At the EU level, the Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive is already translating this agenda into concrete costs through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes that charge manufacturers and importers for litter cleanup and waste management. Tightening SUP enforcement, microplastics restrictions, and hazardous-substance reviews are raising the bar for material transparency across the supply chain. The practical implication is a shift from prohibition risk to liability risk, making plastic-free filters backed by credible third-party data a defensive necessity rather than a reputational choice.

Conventional cigarette filters are made primarily from cellulose acetate which, despite being derived from natural cellulose, is regulated as plastic in several jurisdictions and is subject to labelling requirements and cost recovery schemes. To address this, Filtrona has developed the ECO™ platform: a range of alternative filtration technologies including fibre-based, paper-based and engineered structures such as non-woven airlaid materials, hollow tube designs, carbon cavity solutions, and biodegradable roll-your-own filter tips. Sustainable filters are now in commercial use across cigarettes, cigarillos, and roll-your-own products in multiple geographic markets. By the end of the reporting period, 24% of Filtrona’s total product TLA comprised sustainable or plastic-free solutions.

The pace of transition is influenced by factors outside Filtrona’s direct control, including customer reformulation timelines, regulatory developments, consumer acceptance, and the availability of alternative materials at industrial scale. The direction, however, is clear. Filtrona is ready to lead the way.