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Tag Archives: fiber

Washington mill to close, citing OCC prices, market demand

Published: July 16, 2024
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Old cardboard containers (OCC) collected for recycling.

Recycled fiber prices have increased steadily throughout 2024, a boon to MRF operators but contributing to the economic challenges cited in the closure of a Washington mill. | Kenishirotie/Shutterstock

Just five years after converting to use 100% recycled fiber in containerboard production, McKinley Paper Company will idle its mill in Port Angeles, Washington, in August. A company representative said West Coast OCC prices and depressed containerboard demand contributed to the closure. Continue Reading

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Amazon cites business growth for rise in plastic use

Published: July 16, 2024
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Amazon largely focused on its efforts to reduce plastic use, such as substituting recycled paper for flexible fillers and making packaging suitable for curbside collection. | Skorzewiak/Shutterstock

In its 2023 sustainability report, global retail powerhouse Amazon highlighted its efforts to reduce packaging materials and to make its packaging suitable for curbside collection but provided few details on PCR usage. Continue Reading

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Planned carton facility will create West Coast end market

Published: July 16, 2024
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A new carton recycling facility is coming online, growing out of a partnership between the Carton Council, Elof Hansson and Upcycling Group. | Wachiwit/Shutterstock

By the second half of 2025, a new facility will be turning out roofing construction materials made from 1.5 million pounds of post-consumer cartons per month on the West Coast.   Continue Reading

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Recycling sector weathers the effects of Beryl

Published: July 16, 2024
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Texas experienced its first major hurricane of the season in early July, with significant power outages, but peak storm season has yet to occur. | Andrea Quintero Olivas/Shutterstock

As the first major hurricane of the season hit Texas last week, MRFs and processors braced for disrupted services, flooding and power outages, which are familiar obstacles for Gulf Coast operators each June through November. Continue Reading

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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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