Boise Inc., Boise, Idaho, USA, in partnership with the Alliance for Community Trees (ACT), is launching Project UP, a new civic sustainability initiative that seeks to transform distressed urban spaces throughout North America into revitalized, usable parks for communities. ACT is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the environment where people live and work through tree planting, care, conservation, and education.

Project UP, Boise will donate a portion of the proceeds from each carton sold of Boise ASPEN 30, ASPEN 50, or ASPEN 100 multi-purpose recycled papers to the revitalization of urban park spaces. In partnership with ACT, Boise will choose a specific park project to complete in a metropolitan area and will be a Gold Level Sponsor of the 2011 National NeighborWoods Month, an ACT initiative to engage the public in hands-on action to improve community health through tree planting and stewardship.

"ACT welcomes Boise as its newest partner in helping to create cleaner, greener and healthier communities," Ray Tretheway, president of ACT, said. "Urban trees and green spaces improve public health by encouraging play and outdoor activity, enhance nearby property values, and benefit storm water management. The impact of Project UP will be noticed and appreciated by everyone in a community."

Terry Stepney, Boise ASPEN brand manager, noted that "at Boise, we see value in paper that was once considered waste and strive to unlock its potential by transforming it into premium office papers."

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As of early today, TAPPI's PaperCon event www.papercon.org in Covington, Ky., USA, beginning this weekend (May 1 - 4), had more than 1,200 registrants, a new record for PaperCon. Altogether, 17 pulp and paper mills have taken advantage of the mill registration program, and total paper company attendees will be 36% above those at PaperCon 2010. Current mill registrations include:

• Domtar (entire corporation)
• Verso Paper Corp., Memphis, Tenn.
• Graphic Packaging, Middletown, Ohio
• Graphic Packaging, Battle Creek, Mich.
• Smart Papers, Hamilton, Ohio
• International Paper, Loveland, Ohio
• Wausau Paper, Middletown, Ohio
• FutureMark, Alsip, Ill.
• RockTenn, Solvay, N.Y.
• RockTenn, Demopolis, Ala.
• PaperWorks, Wabash, Ind.
• Appleton, W. Carrollton, Ohio
• SAPPI, Westbrook, Maine
• Liberty, Becker, Minn.
• NewPage, Central, Wis.
• Temple-Inland, Maysville, Ky.
• Evergreen, Pine Bluff, Ark.

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The Pulp & Paper Safety Association, Perry, Fla., USA, at its February Board of Director's meeting selected Judy Lassa, Boise Inc. SVP, Paper and Specialty Products, as its 2010 recipient of the Executive Eagle Award. The Executive Eagle Award is the association's most prestigious award and is presented annually to an outstanding executive in the paper industry who has made major contributions to the cause of accident prevention in his/her own company and beyond.

Lassa will receive this award at the Association's Annual Awards Banquet being held the evening of June 22. The Awards Banquet is part of the organization's annual Professional Development Conference. This year's conference is being held at the San Antonio Hyatt Regency River Walk, June 19 - 22.

The program and registration forms http://www.ppsa.org for the Awards Banquet are available online or by contacting the association's office at 850-584-3639.

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Brookfield Asset Management, Toronto, Ont., Canada, and New York, N.Y., USA, is offering to sell the shuttered Katahdin Paper Co. mills at Millinocket and East Millinocket, Maine, USA, to the state of Maine for a dollar under terms of a deal that San Francisco-based suitor Meritum walked away from late last week, according to an AP report this past week. The two mills could be spared from being dismantled if the state chooses to buy them.

The state's acquisition of the mills may be the only way left to save them after Meriturn backed out of negotiations. Meritum was the only potential buyer to step forward over the past two years, d Dan Whyte, VP at Brookfield Assets Management, said in the AP report. "We're planning our next step, cognizant that the state could still step in and buy these assets under the terms of the former agreement," Whyte noted.

Dan Demeritt, spokesman for Gov. Paul LePage, said Brookfield's chairman agreed to delay a final decision until stakeholders meet. In the meantime, the state is scrambling to find another buyer. "The chairman has given the governor a commitment that he would not make a final decision until everyone is in the room to talk about it. We're working off that commitment, looking at the different options. And we're actively seeking another buyer," Demeritt said.

In the AP report, Sen. Olympia Snowe said that she had spoken to a Brookfield official to urge the company not to scrap the mills. "Economic options are limited once critical infrastructure is sold, and whole communities of hardworking families are adversely affected," Snowe said. She added that the state has a history of fighting to find solutions to difficult problems, "and I know we will continue that tradition on behalf of the people of the Katahdin region."

As detailed in the AP report, Meriturn negotiated concessions from labor unions and was attempting to negotiate lower property taxes. It also wanted relief from liabilities associated with an old dump, as well as a commitment to build a biomass boiler to address the high costs of the Millinocket mill's oil-fired boilers. Before ending negotiations, Meriturn had planned to restart the East Millinocket mill earlier this month, providing employment to 450 paper workers. It also planned to reopen the Millinocket mill, which shutdown in 2008.

The AP photo below show the Millinocket mill on March 8.

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Earth Day provides a moment for all of us to reflect how green sustainable technology, business, public policy, and public demand are changing our world for the better. On a global basis, the next generation of researchers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders are developing translational biorefining technologies that will beneficially impact human kind. In recognition of these efforts, Dr. Art Ragauskas, professor of chemistry at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga., USA, has developed a global web-based Earth Day poster session.

This site, with entries from across the world, summarizes select advances in green biorefining from which we can all learn from. The web site will remain active for the next year and additional submissions (send to arthur.ragauskas@ipst.gatech.edu) are welcomed.

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During the recent Timberland Investment Conference at Reynolds Plantation, Ga., USA, the University of Georgia ‘s Warnell Center for Forest Business (CFB), Athens, Ga., told the global timberland investment community that private timberland ownership in the U.S. has changed structure over the past 10 years. More than 40 million acres of timberland have shifted ownership in approximately 600 large transactions since 2000.

In his presentation on "Private Forestland Ownership Change in the U.S.," Jacek Siry of the CFB summarized findings from his new book US Timberland Markets: 2000 to 2010, which was jointly authored with Tom Harris and Sara Baldwin of Athens-based Timber Mart-South. Siry included some of the following points: 

• In 2000, forest products companies owned approximately 20% of privately owned U.S. timberland, of which 36 million was in the South. By the end of 2010, much of these Southern U.S. timberland holdings had changed hands, some more than once, and most of the rest had moved to different ownership structures ·
• The top 10 companies owned 38.7 million acres in 2000. Today, after a historic divestiture by nearly all of the large forest products companies, private corporate timberland ownership in the U.S. is more diverse and less integrated. The top 10 forest products company owners hold only 21.5 million acres and four of the top five are Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).
• Timberland Investment Management Organizations (TIMOs) purchased many of the acres sold by the forest products companies. Only one TIMO, Hancock Timber Resources Group, held more than 3 million acres under management in 2000. In 2010, the three top TIMOs each held more than 3 million acres, and the top 10 TIMOs held more than 20 million acres.
• In general, timberland appears to have been traded more frequently than in the past. Transition activity peaked mid-decade. The timberland acreage sold per year in large transactions increased from about one million acres in 2000 to peak at about 7 million acres in 2006. By 2010, sales had fallen back to 2000 levels.
• Timberland prices also increased over the period. Prices averaged around $800 per acre nation-wide from 2000 through 2004, peaked in 2007 at almost $1,800 per acre in 2007, and fell back by 2010. However, prices only returned to 2006 levels.
• REITs and TIMOs are widely thought to manage their land held for timber production in a similar manner to industrial owners. However, portions of the land may be managed less intensively or set aside for environmental purposes. Sales of non-core timberland and acquisitions that compliment holdings can be part of the business model.
• One implication of forest industry divestiture of timberland is that more wood is now sold on the open market. This trend has increased the role of consulting foresters in timberland management. Further, there are new market dynamics for both buyers and sellers. Supply chain instruments such as supply agreements and timber leases have become prominent parts of timberland transactions. Wood supply chain efficiency has changed but how the new relationships affect wood flow and costs are still under scrutiny.

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Starbucks Coffee Co. Canada this past week announced front of store recycling in its company owned stores across British Columbia. The program, which is the first to accept single serve coffee cups in British Columbia, includes the most common form of hot beverage cup, the polyethylene lined hot beverage cup.

The program saw customized multi-receptacle recycling bins appear in stores in advance of Earth Day. The bins, which have simple signage for customers to indicate which recyclables go where, are located within all company owned stores across the province where Starbucks controls waste collection and recycling is available at the community level. The bins allow for the cup, the lid, and the sleeve of Starbucks beverages to be recycled, and will also accept iced coffee plastic cups and lids.

"Our target is that by 2015 we have recycling available for our customers in all of our stores worldwide where we control waste collection and to serve 25% of beverages in reusable cups," said Jim Hanna, director of environmental impact. "We also aim towards 100% of our cups being recyclable, so we are excited to be closer to realizing those goals with this program being implemented across British Columbia."

Starbucks sells approximately 4 billion cups globally per year. The single serve cup industry sells more than 500 billion cups worldwide in the same period. As one of many businesses operating in the industry, Starbucks is working to lead the way in communities like Vancouver to move the entire industry towards cup recycling.

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Total U.S. printing and writing (P&W) paper shipments increased 1% in March compared with March 2010, according to the AF&PA (Washington, D.C., USA) March 2011 Printing-Writing Paper Report, released this past week. Two of the four major P&W grades posted increases compared with last March. U.S. purchases (shipments + imports – exports) of P&W papers decreased 2% in March. Total P&W paper inventory levels decreased 5% compared with February 2011.

Some points of interest from the report include:

• Uncoated free sheet (UFS) shipments increased for the first time this year.
• Year-over-year shipments of coated free sheet (CFS) remained essentially flat in March.
• Coated mechanical (CM) shipments increased year-over-year for the second time this year.
• Uncoated mechanical (UM) year-over-year exports increase for the first time in five months.

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April North American containerboard prices were reported to be flat, says Mark Wilde, senior analyst with Deutsche Bank. "Sadly, figuring out what constitutes ‘the price' has become a bit like trying to read the Soviet-era Kremlin. This weekend, the trade papers' lead article points to linerboard ‘transaction' prices stable at $530 - $550/ton, net of discounts, (tier-2 producers = $510 - $520/ton in some markets), ‘list' price at $685 - $695/ton, and a third price of $635 - $645/ton. One single commodity, three (or four) different prices—if you're confused, so are we. "Reliable trade sources have been reporting increased discounting in the box market. Initial Q1 results suggest that we ought to focus more on results rather than the trade papers. Is the erosion destined to continue? We don't think so. Better-than-expected March box shipments, falling inventories in Q2, higher exports, and rising input costs could prompt a price hike in Q3," Wilde says.

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U.S. Coated recycled board (CRB) prices rose $30/ton in April to $900 - $920/ton (announced =$40/ton), Wilde reports. Several factors are in play—strong CRB demand, escalating input costs, and supply tightness from maintenance shutdowns. Trade sources report that producers remain disciplined, unlike previous periods when they undercut quotes, he adds.

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April estimated prices on U.S. No. 5, 40-lb offset rolls rose $10/ton to $865 - $895/ton, +17.3% y/y (announced = $40/ton), according to Wilde. Reports suggest that implementation is "mixed," with the price increase going through for new buyers and non-contract customers, he says. Generally, the price hike on heavier weight grades has been more successful, Wilde adds. Demand is not as strong: Preliminary March shipments were up 25.4% m/m (mostly due to severe winter weather in February), but flat on a y/y basis. The key driver is rising input costs and capacity closures. The idling of 25% of Japan's LWC capacity due to the March 11 earthquake could further tighten the markets, he notes.

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U.S. No. 3 60-lb CFS estimated prices rose $5 - $10/ton to $985 - $1,010/ton (+10.5% y/y) in April (announced = $40/ton), Wilde continues. Reports suggest that producers are finding it difficult to push-through the full hike. Implementation is "mixed," with a price increase going through for new buyers and non-contract customers. NewPage recently announced a $60/ton price hike on its CFS grades, effective June 1. Producers are pointing to rising input costs as the key driver for price hikes.

Preliminary March shipments were +19.4% m/m (mostly due to severe February weather) and +2.3% y/y, Wilde says.

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Cascades Inc., Kingsey Falls, Que., Canada, this week reported that it is launching its sustainable development plan with 18 objectives it will strive to attain by the end of 2012. The purpose of these objectives is threefold: performance, leadership, and transparency, the company noted.

The foundation of Cascades' sustainable development plan, the company explains, is based on consultation with its stakeholders, which includes employees, customers, suppliers, investors, and certain non-governmental organizations. "The importance given to consulting with our stakeholders is what sets our sustainable development plan apart from others," Henry Sauvagnat, VP, Sustainable Development, said. "By compiling our stakeholders' comments, we were able to examine our current practices and make changes to some of them."

The first stage of consultation took place in 2009 with the help of the firm Samson Bélair/Deloitte & Touche. The overall preparation of the plan and its commitments was supervised and validated by Climate for Ideas.org, a non-governmental environmental organization.

Cascades' 2010-2012 Sustainable Development Plan www.cascades.com/sustainable-development is available online

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Cascades Tissue Group, Candiac, Que., Canada, reports hat it has acknowledged 23 clients and distributors who, by purchasing almost a million cases of tissue paper made of 100% recycled fiber, have contributed to saving 580,684,397 liters of water, the equivalent of 232 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In recognition of their individual contribution to water conservation, they will receive an honorary plaque and a copy of Cascades' Sustainable Development Plan, the company said.

In 2010, Cascades used an average of 9.7 cubic meters of water per metric ton of manufactured paper, an amount that is six times less than the Canadian paper industry average of 60 cubic meters. "Water management is one of Cascades' main environmental preoccupations. Our processes and practices are constantly reviewed to reduce water used during product manufacturing," Suzanne Blanchet, president and CEO at Cascades Tissue Group, said.

Cascades plans to reduce even more water consumption in the next two years. This objective and 17 other key performance indicators have been included in its 2010-2012 Sustainable Development Plan that was officially launched on Earth Day.

Cascades Tissue Group, a division of Cascades inc., is the fourth largest manufacturer of tissue paper in North America with 18 plants in Canada and the U.S. The company has some 12,500 employees, who work in more than 100 units located in North America and Europe.

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Grupo Unipak, S.A. de C.V. PT., Mexico, will rebuild a relocated fine paper machine at its new mill site—Grupak Hidalgo in the municipality of Emiliano Zapata in Mexico. The rebuild project has been awarded to Metso of Finland. Startup of the relocated and rebuilt machine, which originally comes from the U.S., is scheduled for the first quarter of 2013. The value of the order is approximately EUR 5 million.

The relocated fine paper machine will be reconditioned and modified to manufacture recycled containerboard grades. Metso's delivery will comprise a modernization of the forming section. Metso will also modify the dryer section, air systems, steam and condensate system, as well as the stock preparation system with a new dry end pulper.

Grupo Unipak, S.A. de C.V. PT. is a large Mexican company producing a variety of food packaging products. The company currently produces liner and fluting grades for its own integrated use on two machines located in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

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Holmen, Stockholm, Sweden, reports that since Tuesday morning this week (April 26), its Madrid, Spain operations have been affected by a strike. The strike has forced the mill to shutdown production and stop deliveries to customers.

strike, set to continue today (Thursday) and Saturday of this week, is related to the company's announced closure of PM 61, which affects approximately 170 employees. Production on the machine stopped in late March.

PM 61 has a capacity of 170 000 metric tpy, equating to almost 10% of the business area's production capacity. The machine produced coated magazine paper (LWC) as well as improved newsprint to a lesser extent.

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Metsä Tissue, Espoo, Finland, part of the Metsäliitto Group, this week announced a three-year investment program to be launched in Poland. The EUR 55 million investment is the biggest ever in Metsä Tissue's history and will be targeted at developing the company's Krapkowice mill in southern Poland into a state-of-the-art production facility. The investment will ensure the development of operations in Krapkowice and related job opportunities, which is positive for the entire region.

The program includes two new tissue machines, related assets, and infrastructure, as well as a smaller rebuild of PM 6 in Krapkowice. Two old machines (PM 11 in Konstancin-Jeziorna close to Warsaw and PM 5 in Krapkowice) will be closed. The investment program in Krapkowice will enable a net tissue base paper capacity increase of approximately 35,000 metric tpy in Poland, according to Lars Warvne, SVP, Technology and Operations.

"Additionally, a new Away-from-Home converting line will be installed and a new rental converting and warehousing building will be constructed. The move from the old warehouses to one efficient unit will further improve the efficiency of goods handling and delivery service," Warvne adds. Paper machines and related infrastructure will be supplied by Voith Paper, Germany. Hannu Kottonen, CEO of Metsä Tissue, noted that "the planned actions will strengthen Metsä Tissue's offering to existing and new customers, consumers, and end-users. The investment program will contribute to our productivity and sustainability and ensure that we will further develop ourselves as a reliable long-term partner. This investment is also crucial for the brand growth that Metsä Tissue is pursuing."

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Mediterranean Paper Mills (MPM), Syria, has started up the new Toscotec, Italy, tissue line installed at its Jableh, Lattakia mill in Syria. Before installation of the new machine, MPM was producing and converting some 3.500 metric tpy of toilet, facial, and napkin tissue for the local market. To better serve the growing Syrian market in terms of quantity and quality, the company says it decided to replace the old, existing TM 1 fourdrinier machine with a new generation line. The new Toscotec MODULO crescent former features a single layer headbox, single press configuration, and Steel Yankee Dryer TT SYD 3200 MM. The scope of supply also included the approach flow system, upgrading of the existing stock preparation plant, steam heated hood, steam and condensate system, and electrification and control. Additionally, the project involved dismantling of the existing paper machine, civil works on the existing building, and the installation of a new boiler and new transformers.

The old machine was shutdown and dismantled in November 2010. Erection activities started in December 2010 and were completed in February 2011. After the commissioning phase, the machine was successfully started up, reaching steady saleable production in only a few days. Machine speed is now up to 900 m/min, with a trim width of 2,250 mm, for a daily production of 40 metric tons, increasing the mill's overall production.

MPM was established in 1989 and is owned by the Jalloul family.

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Perlen Papier AG, Switzerland, has started up its new PM 7 newsprint machine, with a world record startup speed of 1,662 m/min. The Voith paper, Germany, supplied production line reportedly was producing high quality newsprint within only a few hours after startup. The line features distinctly lower energy consumption (power and steam) due to the resource-efficient Integrated EcoMill concept.

With a wire width of 10,450 mm, the paper machine was designed for an annual output of 360,000 metric tons of newsprint in a basis weight range of 40-55 gsm. At a maximum operating speed of 1,900 m/min, PM 7 produces standard and upgraded newsprint.

Voith Paper supplied the entire production line, including stock preparation, approach flow system, paper machine, and all associated auxiliaries. The scope of supply also included two winders, reel transport system, roll wrapping station, an extensive automation package, and machine clothing, roll covers, and doctor blades. In addition, the capacity of the effluent clarification system was doubled by using a new type of carrier material in the biological stage.

In stock preparation, the energy-saving TwinDrum drum pulper handles raw-material pulping for the already existing line as well as for the new one. Outstanding components of the automation package are the machine control, process automation, and a multitude of field instruments.

Beyond the basic scope of supply, Voith was responsible for the mechanical, process technology, and control systems according to the Process Line Package (PLP) principle. This means that Voith supplied not only the detail engineering for the entire production line, but also additional services, such as complete installation, startup, and optimization.

Perlen Papier AG, founded in 1873, is a major producer of magazine and newsprint papers in Switzerland. In 2009 the family-owned business had 358 employees and net sales of EUR 203 million.

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Södra, Sweden, reports that this week it signed a sales and marketing agreement with the Russian company Angara Paper, taking on the role of distributor for the pulp production from the planned Angara Paper mill. This agreement establishes Södra as both an industrial partner and a sales partner for the project. The final investment decision for the project is expected early next year.

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Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A., Brazil, has concluded an agreement with Metso Paper, Finland, to supply all main technology for its 1.5 million metric tpy greenfield pulp mill of be built in the state of Maranhão in the northeastern part of Brazil. Startup is scheduled for the first half of 2013.

The value of the order is not disclosed. However, the typical value of an order of this size and scope is EUR 800-900 million, according to Metso. About 60% of this is made up by Metso-supplied equipment and systems and they will be recorded as Metso's new orders and consequently in net sales during the delivery period. The rest covers equipment and related services from other suppliers and partners, which are also within Metso's responsibility but is invoiced directly from Suzano by the subcontractors.

Metso's scope of supply covers the main parts of a greenfield pulp mill, including wood handling, cooking plant and fiberline, pulp drying and baling, evaporation, power boiler, recovery boiler, causticizing, and lime kiln, as well as an integrated automation solution for all process areas. The new mill will produce 1.5 million metric tpy of bleached eucalyptus market pulp.

Suzano Papel e Celulose is one of the largest vertically integrated producers of pulp and paper in Latin America. The company's main products, sold on the domestic and international markets, are eucalyptus pulp, printing and writing paper, and paperboard.

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Tembec Inc., Montreal, Que., Canada, this week announced that its non-operating U.S. Subsidiary, Tembec USA, has filed a petition seeking relief under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Tembec USA operated a coated paper mill in St. Francisville, La., that was idled in July 2007. The mill property and equipment were sold to a third party in April 2009. Tembec USA currently has obligations totaling $81 million and assets totaling $1 million.

As a result of the filing, Tembec Inc. will reduce its consolidated accrued benefit obligation by $9 million. Tembec's principal operations are in Canada and France.

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Cascades, Kingsey Falls, Que., Canada, this past week inaugurated a new machine used to produce molded pulp products at its Forma-Pak plant in Kingsey Falls. The project, which was started in 2012 and included the new machine, automation of existing equipment, and securing of the machine to improve employee safety, involved an investment of more than $3.5 million.

Located in the heart of the city of Kingsey Falls, the plant is limited in terms of space, COO Mario Plourde explains. "Rather than expand, we've completely redesigned it to accommodate more equipment and increase its efficiency," he notes.

The project will increase the plant's production capacity by 40%. Significant gains in product quality have also been achieved, particularly with respect to finishing and packaging, Cascades points out, adding that the automation will allow for increased packaging rigidity and, as a result, will maximize delivery, including more products on trucks.

Cascades Forma-Pak produces 100% recycled molded pulp products using old newspapers and telephone directories as raw material. The plant specializes in egg filler flats as well as cup carriers used for the transport of beverages for quick service restaurants. "It was time to modernize this plant which manufactures environmentally-friendly food packaging solutions. Since molded pulp material is fully recycled and recyclable, we believe that it is a product with a future, especially with a packaging industry that increasingly demands more responsible solutions," Plourde said.

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The global containers and packaging market had total revenues of $420.3 billion in 2009, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.2% for the period spanning 2005-2009, according to a new report by Research and Markets, Dublin, Ireland, titled Paper and Packaging Global Industry Guide . The global paper and forest products industry generated total revenues of $1,293.7 billion in 2009, representing a CAGR of 9% for the 2005-2009 period. The global forest products market generated total revenues of $1,008 billion in 2009, representing a CAGR of 11.9% for the same four-year period.

The global paper and paperboards market generated total revenues of $284.5 billion in 2009, representing a CAGR of 0.5% for 2005-2009. The global paper products market generated total revenues of $285.7 billion in 2009, representing a CAGR of 1.3% for the four-year period. The global wrapping and paper packaging market generated total revenues of $140.5 billion in 2009, representing a CAGR of 3.4% for the 2005-2009 period. The global glass, metal, and plastic market, according to the new report, generated total revenues of $299.6 billion in 2009, representing a CAGR of 2.8% for the same period.

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Caraustar Industries, Atlanta, Ga., USA, reports that its Kernersville, N.C., plant has been awarded Eastman Chemical Co.'s Supplier Excellence Award for 2010. This is the second consecutive year that Caraustar has received this recognition.

The Kernersville plant supplies yarn tubes to Eastman Chemical. The award signifies consistent performance in providing high quality products and working on Eastman's behalf to improve efficiency and competitiveness in today's challenging market.

"Receiving the EASTMAN SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD is a great achievement for the Kernersville Plant. It reflects our goal to be the first choice for paperboard packaging solutions," said Chris Sexton, Kernersville plant manager.

Caraustar is an integrated producer of 100% recycled paperboard and converted paperboard products. The company serves the four principal recycled boxboard product end-use market—tubes and cores, folding cartons, gypsum facing paper, and specialty paperboard products.

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Stora Enso, Finland, reports that it is responding to growing demand and expectations in the packaging market by investing approximately EUR 90 million in its Skoghall Mill in Sweden. The company will build a new woodroom and woodyard at the Skoghall Mill, with annual wood handling capacity of 1.9 million cubic meters. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2012.

"We are continuously rethinking to find efficient new solutions so we can better meet our customers' needs. Skoghall Mill is one of our key assets in the liquid packaging board business in Europe, and this is an important step to improve the mill's competitiveness. In addition, the investment will support the wood and chip handling to all of our Swedish mills," says Mats Nordlander, EVP, Packaging Business Area.

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Tetra Pak, Switzerland, has announced plans to cap carbon emissions at 2010 levels by the end of 2020 and increase efforts to double the recycling rate for used beverage cartons by the end of the decade. The 10-year targets are part of a new environmental program designed to deliver on the company's ultimate aim of providing sustainable packaging using only renewable materials, achieving a minimal environmental footprint and creating zero waste.

More specifically, the targets announced this past week include:

• Capping of carbon emissions at 2010 levels by the end of 2020 while continuing to grow. With an estimated 5% compound annual growth rate, achieving this goal would require a 40% relative reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. This target not only includes Tetra Pak's operations, but those across the entire value chain, meaning that it will ask suppliers to meet agreed on targets and support customers' activities to reduce their own emissions.
• By 2020, doubling the global recycling rate of the company's used beverage cartons to provide valuable raw materials for a host of new products. With an estimated 5% compound annual growth rate, achieving this goal would mean that about 100 billion used beverage cartons are recycled in 2020 alone. This will be done through active engagement of the entire recycling value chain.
• Increasing the supply of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paperboard used in Tetra Pak's products to 100%, with an interim target to achieve 50% in 2012. By the end of 2011 alone, the number of Tetra Pak cartons carrying the FSC logo will nearly double from 2010 levels to 16 billion.
• Developing packaging material based on 100% renewable materials. Tetra Pak cartons are already mainly based on paperboard from a renewable resource, wood fiber. The company has signed an agreement with Brazilian producer of green polyethylene, Braskem, to launch caps containing renewable polymers made from sugarcane in 2011.

Through improved energy efficiency and with increased use of renewable energy, Tetra Pak says it has cut its absolute carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 12.9% while increasing production by more than 23% over the past five years (a relative reduction of more than 30%), according to just released independently audited figures. In 2010, 40% of the company's paperboard supply was FSC certified, with 8.5 billion cartons carrying the FSC logo. Some 30 billion used Tetra Pak cartons were recycled around the world in 2010, a twofold increase since 2002, diverting 473,000 metric tons of material from landfills.

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EkO Peroxide, Columbus, Miss., USA, this week reported that it will raise prices on hydrogen peroxide in North America by $0.035/lb on bulk shipments and by $0.045/lb on semi-bulk shipments, effective immediately or as contracts permit. The company attributes the price increase to steadily increasing input costs.

Formed in November 2006, EkO Peroxide is a joint venture between Eka Chemicals, Marietta, Ga., and OCI Chemical Corp, Seoul, South Korea. EkO Peroxide operates a 70,000 ton hydrogen peroxide facility and distributes product throughout North America.

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KGRA Energy, Lake Forest, Ill., USA, a waste heat recovery developer, this week signed a contract with Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wash., for its subsidiary Ayden HTP Partners to design and construct an 800 KW waste heat recovery system at Weyerhaeuser's Greenville, N.C. lumber mill. The system, scheduled to come online in the summer of 2011, will recover waste heat from Weyerhaeuser's biomass-based thermal drying system to generate 4.5 million KWh of carbon dioxide-free electricity per year. KGRA's system will displace the equivalent of more than 9 million lb of carbon dioxide per year.

KGRA Energy's system uses the organic Rankine cycle to recover waste heat from sources such as combustion engine exhausts, furnaces, boilers, and kilns. KGRA's systems are modular and scalable, providing the ability to produce power from smaller and lower-temperature heat sources previously deemed unsuitable for standard cogeneration. At the Weyerhaeuser lumber mill, heat will be recovered from a kiln where cut lumber enters the drying process. Installation of the project is expected to begin in June and the plant plans to be operational by the end of July 2011.

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International Paper Co., Memphis, Tenn., USA, has named Cecilia Ho president of IP Asia, effective May 1. Ho will be responsible for IP's industrial packaging, coated paperboard, joint venture with Sun Paper, consumer packaging operations in the region, and uncoated free sheet paper sales in Asia. She came with IP in 2004 and has served in various strategic planning and management roles in IP Asia before being named to her current position as VP and GM, Pulp, in 2009. Ho replaces Paul Brown, who was named president of India.

 

 

 

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The Finnish Forest Industries Federation this week appointed Tomi Salo as new director of its Forests and Environment Sector. The appointment becomes effective May 18.

Salo previously served as MD of L&T Biowatti, before which he worked for the company as a forestry services executive with responsibility for the wood procurement function. He has also served as a branch manager at the Trade Association of Finnish Forestry and Earth Moving Contractors.

"Tomi Salo has extensive experience of wood procurement for the forest industry and bioenergy production as well as of related branch organization activities. His experience will enhance our efforts especially on domestic forest policy, which is an area of emphasis for us," said Timo Jaatinen, director general of the Finnish Forest Industries Federation.

"The successful attainment of renewable energy targets makes it very important to ensure that the right type of wood is steered into the right kind of end use. In future, we will need to find a more functional balance between the needs of the wood processing industry, energy producers and forest owners," Salo noted.

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TAPPI is offering an essential course for understanding how chemicals and additives affect your final product. The TAPPI Introduction to Wet End Chemistry course takes place June 1-3, 2011 at the TAPPI Training Room in Norcross, Ga. USA.

This course is designed to help attendees understand the principles of papermaking chemistry and to build a foundation for enhancing product quality and wet end chemistry troubleshooting.

• Understand the effects that chemicals and other additives have on the papermaking process
• Address wet end issues with suppliers
• Make better judgments on selection and use of papermaking chemicals 
• Determine viable approaches to problems or opportunities 
• Contribute to troubleshooting projects on paper machines
  

Register by May 4, 2011 for savings and to reserve your seat!

This introductory- to intermediate-level course is designed for mill superintendents, development engineers, chemical and process engineers, chemists, process and quality control technicians, and sales and technical service representatives. Participants should have one to five years of paper industry experience and college-level chemistry and math courses are helpful. TAPPI will award 1.7 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for completion of the curriculum. Take advantage of the skills and knowledge offered by this course.

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Important dates are drawing near for the European PLACE Conference The Conference Brochure is now available for the 13th TAPPI European PLACE Conference) to be held May 30 to June 1, 2011 in Bregenz, Austria. The biennial conference will focus on the latest trends, technologies and applications affecting coating & lamination, film extrusion and end use applications.

Register before April 29 to take advantage of the Early Bird Registration Rate.

The Hotel cutoff date for this event is April 30.

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Hans H. Wegner, Chief Sustainability Officer, National Geographic Society, will reveal the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) by National Geographic magazine in a keynote address on May 4 at the TAPPI Sustainability Forum held during PaperCon 2011. The work represents one of the most comprehensive LCA studies to date on a magazine.

The goal of the LCA, completed in June 2009, was to identify the carbon emissions of creating the magazine content, of the supply chain of vendors and service providers that factor into the creation and delivery of a physical magazine, and finally, of disposal of the magazine. Among the many processes evaluated were: floor space and energy to maintain staffs for story development, editing, advertising and sales; forestry management and harvesting; chemical suppliers; paper manufacturing; transportation to the printer; printing and binding; distribution by truck, rail, etc.; and waste services.

The next step being taken in the process is to develop options to reduce the carbon footprint and then develop a strategy for implementing those that are practical and effective.

Wegner is Vice President of Production Services responsible for the manufacture of National Geographic Magazine. He was recently named the Society's Chief Sustainability Officer, where he is responsible for initiatives to green its operations, putting into action sustainability plans and carbon reduction initiatives in the Society's operations and with its suppliers.

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Attend the TAPPI International Conference on Nanotechnology for Renewable Materials, June 6-8, 2011 in Arlington, Virginia (Washington, D.C) USA to gain knowledge about the advances in nanotechnology in renewable materials and their widespread applications in many other industries. The Technical Program contains more than 60 peer-reviewed papers. View the brochure to see how to make the most of your time in Arlington.

The conference organizers have brought together five industry thought leaders for not-to-miss (keynote presentations) {http://tappinano.org/speakers.asp}. You will hear from Mike Jackson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Verso Paper Corp.; Vicki Stone, Director of the Nano Safety Research Group, Heriot-Watt University; Director of Toxicology for SAFENANO; and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Nanotoxicology; Mike Roco, Senior Advisor for Nanotechnology at the National Science Foundation (NSF); Dr. Leo Christodoulou, Director, Defense Sciences Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA); and Tom Lindström, Director of the Biofibre Materials Research Centre (BiMaC Innovation), Royal Institute of Technology (KTH); Senior Research Scientist, Innventia AB.

Learn more at http://tappinano.org

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The editorial board of TAPPI JOURNAL has selected "Calendering effects on coating pore structure and ink setting behavior" by Peter Resch, Wolfgang Bauer, and Ulrich Hirn as TAPPI JOURNAL's Best Research Paper for 2010. The paper appeared in the January 2010 issue and was one of eight nominated for the award. Editorial board members assessed the research based on innovation, creativity, scientific merit, and clear and concise presentation of ideas. The paper and its authors will be honored at the Awards Gala Dinner on May 3 during PaperCon 2011, held May 1-4 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center near Cincinnati, Ohio (www.papercon.org).

Primary author Resch, who is quality manager at Sappi Austria in Gratkorn, used research presented in the paper as basis for his Ph.D., and publication in TAPPI JOURNAL counted towards partial fulfillment of his doctoral requirements at Graz University. Bauer is a professor and Hirn is a research assistant with Graz University of Technology's Institute for Paper, Pulp and Fibre Technology in Graz, Austria.

 

 

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TAPPI is pleased to announce that thanks to a partnership with Pira International, all TAPPI members are entitled to a 20% discount for Pira's Biorefining and Fibre Engineering conferences. Book online & use promo code: TAPPIM20

Pira International is again holding the very successful 4th Annual Biorefining for the Pulp & Paper Industry conference. This year, it will be co-located and run parallel with Pira's 3rd biennial Fibre Engineering conference. This dual event will take place on May 24-26, 2011 at the Barcelo Sants, Barcelona, Spain.

Whether booking one event or the other all delegates get access to both of these conferences, making the meeting a leading knowledge & networking platform of the year!

Learn more on www.biorefining-conference.com
Learn more on www.fibre-engineering.com
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Southeastern TAPPI is pleased to announce a joint webinar seminar with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Management Division and PMI Atlanta Webinar. The event will be held Friday, April 29, 2011, 1:00 to 5:00 PM EDT, Marriott Atlanta Perimeter Center, 246 Perimeter Center Pkwy, Atlanta, GA, 30346.

• Four PDHs or PDUs (depending on your flavor) toward continuing education requirements
• For improving your project management acumen
• Four presentations on different project management topics
• Learn from a team of project managers with over seventy years of project management success in IT, manufacturing, power generation, pulp and paper, and more

To register today, go to the event website.

More information is available online.

Please contact Dwight Husband at DwightHusband@setappi.org with any questions.

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The 2011 Northeast PIMA Annual Scholarship Tournament is set for Friday, June 10, 2011. It features:

• Shot gun start; 8:00 AM sharp
• Entry Fee: $100.00 (golf, cart, BBQ, prizes, range, etc.)
• Registration deadline: When Full
• Event location: Fox Ridge Golf Club, 427 Harmons Corner Road, Auburn, ME 04210 

All proceeds from this tournament will go to the Northeast PIMA Scholarship Fund. This tournament supports a great cause. Try to register very soon as last year we filled up. On behalf of Northeast PIMA and its affiliates, your continued support is appreciated to the utmost. Note: Cancellations cannot be accepted after June 5th

For more information please go to:

http://www.tappi.org/Groups/Local-Sections/MH/Announcements/PIMA-Annual-Scholarship-Tournament-2011.aspx

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The 2011 Empire State TAPPI/PIMA Spring Golf Outing to raise scholarship funds will be held Thursday, May 19, 2011.  The event features:

• 11:00 AM start with a four-man scramble format. The limit is 72 players, so register early.
• Event Location: Queensbury Country Club, Exit 20 from Northway, East on Rte 149
• Reservations must be made by May 13 by calling QCC @ 518-793-3711

Includes: hot dogs and beverages at the turn, open bar from 4:30 PM to 6 PM, steak dinner, golf awards and prizes after dinner. Dinner tickets may be purchased in advance or at door. Cash or check made out to Empire State TAPPI/PIMA, or use credit card at registration. No refunds after May 14.

Help support this year's event by sponsoring a hole! A $100 sponsorship provides a prominently displayed sign on a tee letting everyone know you are a TAPPI/PIMA "booster." All proceeds will go towards scholarships. Need exact company name by May 6. Sponsorships are greatly appreciated! The deadline for submitting sponsorship form is May 6, 2011. Please make checks payable to Empire State TAPPI/PIMA or use credit card. Send in advance or pay @ outing.

Click here for more information.

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Presenting a chemist's perspective on the papermaking process, The Chemistry of Modern Papermaking is an extensive collection of data that combines the organic chemistry of paper with its potential applications. Within each chapter, paper chemicals are organized based on their chemical structure.

After an introduction and brief history, the book explores the papermaking process, retention aids, temporary wet strength resins, wet strength resins, dry strength resins, internal sizing agents, creping adhesives and softeners, and chemicals for paper surface treatment.  Included are over 3000 references to facilitate further study. It's scheduled for a summer 2011 release.

Pre-order your copy now!

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In just under a month, the world's largest and most premier event for the pulp and paper industry, SPCI 2011, opens in Stockholm, Sweden. The event is held at Stockholm International Fairs (Stockholmsmässan) on May 17-19. Companies from around the world will exhibit the very latest industry technology and services in the largest exhibition hall at Stockholmsmässan. Visit www.spcievent.com to pre-register your visit free of charge.

The event features a new concept for SPCI which brings the conference program down to the exhibition floor. Three activity squares will be a part of the exhibition and offer a full conference programme with keynote speakers, shorter presentations with a technical orientation as well as entertainment. The entire event is free to all visitors.

For more information regarding the event, conference program, list of exhibitors, etc., please visit www.spcievent.com

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TAPPI is offering its first week-long course on the biorefinery, May 16-20, 2011 in Norcross, GA, involving leading biorefinery experts from across North America. With a course format designed to facilitate exchange between faculty and participants, it is sure to provide important value for your company.

Six key factors that companies considering a biorefinery implementation must evaluate will be addressed including;

1. Which biorefinery products (wood pellets, biofuels, or biochemical) will provide sustainably good margins over the long term?
2. Which emerging biorefinery processes are the most promising for making these products?
3. What is their efficiency and operating costs today and what will they be in 5 years from now after the process technologies have matured?
4. How do we best make-use of existing mill infrastructure when implementing the biorefinery?
5. Can we implement the biorefinery, and at the same time lower unit costs of wood, pulp and paper products?
6. What might be the role of government policy relative to key issues such as stumpage fees, biorefinery capital cost reduction, and other incentives such as greenhouse gas reduction policy?

How You Can Benefit From Attending This Course

This course will seek to provide the knowledge and tools required for forest industry leaders, technology providers and consultants to develop biorefinery strategies and better understand emerging biorefinery technologies and their design/implementation in a business strategy. More than 20 experts will cover both strategy-setting and design issues related to transformation to the biorefinery.

Course Instructor

This course will be led by Paul Stuart, Consultant and Professor, Ecole Polytechnique. Paul has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from McGill University. He is Co-Founder and Principal Consultant of EnVertis Inc.

Learn more about this course and register to attend at the TAPPI website.

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The 2011 TAPPI International Conference on Nanotechnology for Renewable Materials is scheduled for June 6-8, 2011 at the Sheraton Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia USA. The comprehensive Technical Program includes over 60 papers and five keynote presentations.

The event's Poster Session will feature findings from the leading researchers from around the world as well as a Student Poster Competition! Abstracts that focus on new and novel uses are highly encouraged. Analysis of challenges and trends in emerging markets for renewable nanomaterials are sought to provide a foundation for new research and industrial activities. Abstracts for the Student Poster Competition must be submitted by April 4. Prizes and certificates will be awarded to the first and second place winner.

Learn more about the event.

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