Total paper and cardboard production by U.K. paper mills slumped below the 4 million metric ton mark in 2015, according to figures just released by the Confederation of Paper Industries (U.K.). The domestic production figure, at 3.97 million metric tons, was the lowest for almost 30 years, being close to the low of 3.94 million metric ton level recorded in 1986.

 

And, with domestic production falling in 2015, home mills used 12% less recovered – or "waste" paper – in the production process at just under 3.3 million metric tons. This means that for what is thought to be the first time ever, exports of recovered paper to China alone – at about 3.6 million metric tons in 2015 – exceeded the total volume of recovered material used by U.K. mills.

 

 

 

There was an overall 11.4% increase in the export of recovered paper in 2015 with the export tonnage heading towards the five million mark and going to a range of countries including Indonesia, India, France, Germany, and China. In 2015, 4.9 million metric tons of recovered paper were exported compared with 4.4 million metric tons in 2014,

 

More information is available in the full Confederation of Paper Industries online article.