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Tag Archives: fiber

Smurfit Westrock merger creates latest packaging giant

Published: July 9, 2024
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The newly formed conglomerate operates 63 paper mills and 500 converting facilities worldwide. | Trainman111/Shutterstock

With a long-in-the-works merger finally official, recycling collector and major fiber end user Westrock is now one with the European packaging firm Smurfit Kappa. The conglomerate will use an estimated 15 million tons per year of recycled fiber globally. Continue Reading

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Amazon cutting out more flexible packaging

Published: June 25, 2024
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Amazon offices

Amazon aims to replace 100% of plastic air pillows in delivery packaging with paper filler by the end of the year. | Sundry Photography/Shutterstock

Amazon will send 15 billion fewer plastic pillows into the waste stream after replacing 95% of its product protection system with paper in North America, the company recently announced.  Continue Reading

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As OCC continues to rise, end users up product prices

Published: June 18, 2024
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Closeup of rolled corrugated paper.

Greif, Graphic Packaging and Sonoco all recently announced they will raise uncoated recycled paperboard prices. | Mustafa Hamdiev/Shutterstock

Multiple paper packaging giants have announced price increases for their uncoated recycled paperboard in recent weeks due to rising recycled fiber prices and demand. Continue Reading

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Crossroads Paper is back, planning a mill in Nevada

Published: May 29, 2024
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Baled OCC for recycling.

Crossroads Paper is now planning a 30-month construction project for a mill near Winnemucca, Nevada. | Max Barnum/Shutterstock

The team behind a proposed Utah recycled paper mill has resurfaced with plans that move the site west, now aiming to build a mill in northern Nevada to process mixed paper and OCC into 350,000 tons per year of recycled containerboard. Continue Reading

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Mill operators sound off on rising fiber prices

Published: May 14, 2024
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Old cardboard containers (OCC) collected for recycling.

Paper companies are looking to offset rising OCC costs through measures like price increases for their products. | Kenishirotie/Shutterstock

OCC end users have been paying consistently higher prices for the recovered fiber grade since last fall, and it played heavily into their discussions of first-quarter earnings this year. Continue Reading

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Once a growing market, recycled pulp exports dry up

Published: May 7, 2024
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Although recycled pulp export activity has slowed considerably, Total Fiber Recovery has started up its mill in Virginia and is producing bales of dried recycled pulp for export and domestic sale. | Photo courtesy Total Fiber Recovery

In May 2018, as the global recycling industry was reeling from the Chinese government’s move to ban or heavily restrict imports of key recovered paper grades, the largest paper company in China made an investment that drew some attention. Continue Reading

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Plastic-to-paper switch brings complications, panelists say

Published: April 2, 2024
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A panel at last week’s Plastics Recycling Conference dug into the question: “The Switch to Paper Packaging: Fad or New Norm?” | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling Inc.

Paper is on the march against plastic, taking its place in several forms of protective packaging, food wrappers, beverage containers and bread bag clips as manufacturers pivot to a more commonly recycled, and seemingly more sustainable, material.  Continue Reading

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Recycled fiber capacity tracker publishes final report

Published: March 19, 2024
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Baled OCC stacked for recycling.

China’s withdrawal from the fiber export market and a rise in e-commerce created an opportunity for domestic mills to consume more recycled fiber. | BAO Images Bildagentur/Shutterstock

All but two of 25 confirmed recycled paper mill projects announced over the past five years are completed, and new capacity activity has slowed considerably, according to a recent review led by the Northeast Recycling Council. Continue Reading

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‘Continued strong demand’ driving recycled fiber market

Published: February 27, 2024
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After a slump in demand, the containerboard market is heating up again, bringing with it a need for recycled fiber feedstock. | DenisNata/Shutterstock

Major mill operators forecast a year of recovering demand in the containerboard market, translating to a greater need for the OCC and other fiber grades needed to supply those paper machines.  Continue Reading

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Corrugated box producer closes three facilities

Published: February 20, 2024
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Corrrugated boxes at the factory.

Cascades is permanently closing a recycled paper mill and two corrugated converting plants due to market conditions and other factors. | Pitipat Wongprasi/Shutterstock

North American fiber packaging giant Cascades announced that a recycled paper mill and two corrugated converting plants have closed permanently, citing a handful of factors including market conditions. Continue Reading

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