Over the Wire

China’s dissolving pulp imports were up 7% y/y through the first 10 months of 2015, with surges from Indonesian and Japan.

 

Sustained growth in demand for paper-based packaging materials is stimulating demand for functional and barrier coatings. Total demand is expected to increase from 2.4 million metrictons of material in 2014 to more than 3.2 million metric tons by 2020.

 

Besides population growth centered in the Asia Pacific region, the other drivers of this vast, global industry are interlinked and complex but include retail structures and competition, consumer behavior, materials and technology, cost, sustainability, and regulation.

 

One major trend in this market is the increase in use of kitchen towel for aesthetic purpose. Increasing purchasing power has supported demand for high quality and premium brands. New designs, including hand-knitted or crocheted towels, are rising in popularity.

 

Since 2012, the market has experienced a steep decline in growth of paper and board demand and production. Production growth has averaged 3% per year—a striking difference to the 10.9% average growth per year during china’s "golden age" of the paper industry from 2002-2012.

 

The paper processing segment holds the largest share of the global styrene butadiene latex market in terms of volume. The segment includes coated paper manufacturing, which accounted for around 40% of the global styrene butadiene latex market in terms of volume in 2014.

 

U.S. containerboard production was 1% lower this October compared with October of last year. The containerboard operating rate for October decreased to 94.5%.

 

Total U.S. printing and writing (P&W) paper shipments decreased 8% this past October compared with October 2014.

 

Durasafe is an innovative composite paper-polymer-paper banknote substrate developed by the company’s Swiss security paper manufacturer, Landqart AG. The substrate’s unique properties allow windows to be formed virtually anywhere on the banknote as well as watermark and security fibers.

 

PM 12, with an annual capacity of 230,000 metric tons, produces the book paper Holmen Book and the magazine paper Holmen TRND. "We’re naturally glad that we’re once again able to produce paper and start delivering to our customers," said Nils Ringborg, CEO of Holmen Paper.

 

The turnkey project features Kadant’s new compact fiber processing system concept designed specifically for virgin fiber pulping applications. The company received an order totaling approximately $3 million from a tissue producer in Latin America for a fiber processing line.

 

If a definitive agreement is entered into, Millar Western currently anticipates that a transaction would be completed before year-end. Until such time, there can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be executed or that a transaction will be completed.

 

The sale of Cape Kraft Mill, along with the sale of Enstra Mill, located in Gauteng near the town of Springs in South Africa, which was completed last month, signals Sappi's exit from the recycled paper packaging market, a market where Sappi notes that it did not enjoy any competitive advantage.

 

This delivery is part of SCA's investment to upgrade the production of bleached softwood kraft pulp at the Östrand mill from today's capacity of 430,000 metric tpy to 900,000 metric tpy. The last startup of the renewed pulp mill is scheduled for May 2018.

 

The company has approx. 50 employees in Sweden and its revenue in 2014 was EUR 7.1 million (SEK 66 million). The business operations and personnel of Imano have been transferred to Tieto immediately.

 

The scope of supply includes an ANDRITZ PrimeFlow TW two-layer headbox with PrimeProfiler F dilution water control and PrimeForm TW gap former. The PM 3 has a design speed of 1,200 m/min and produces fluting, testliner, and corrugated medium with a basis weight range of 80-150 gsm.

 

After the modification, the draw differences between the press and dryer section have been reduced with improved end product properties. Simultaneously, the amount of web breaks have been reduced, improving overall runnability and production line efficiency.

 

With the purchase of Mack Paper, Shorr is able to better serve its U.S. customers through an expanded market within the Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin regions, building and strengthening market position and enabling expansion of additional strategic opportunities.

 

As of Jan.1, 2016, the Weidenhammer plants and branches will operate under the name Sonoco Consumer Products Europe. The rebranding completes Sonoco’s integration of Weidenhammer Packaging Group into Sonoco after the acquisition in late 2014

 

The new center is primarily targeted towards customers, including converters and manufacturers, brand owners, and retailers. The objective is to create customer value through strategic packaging that can drive sales, while also reducing environmental impact and total cost.

 

The nanocellulose production process generally can only make one type of morphology and surface functionalization. However, this innovation produces nanocrystalline cellulose, or fibrils, or even a mix of the two, in both hydrophylic and hydrophobic forms using API's cutting-edge AVAP process.

 

Imagine a tree with leaves that tell you the nitrogen or water level of the soil. It could also be a way of tapping energy from plants without having to kill them. Nanocellulose fibers were added to the foliage of an experimental rose along with a positively charged polymer, creating a type of "wire" formation that can conduct electricity.

 

A recently published scientific report demonstrated some procedures of optically transparent and electrically conductive cellulose nanofiber paper for lightweight and portable electronic devices.

 

Nippon Paper Industries Co. (Japan) plans to build a factory to mass produce a high-strength, low-weight nanofiber as early as next year. The company’s plans, a report notes, are "part of a push to bolster revenue as Japan’s shrinking population and the shift to online content threatens sales of newspapers and books."

 

Everybody’s Business combines the power of direct mail, touch, and sustainable messaging to create an interactive and educational promotion. The perfect bound book, and its creatively designed direct mail inserts, are all produced on a variety of Neenah ENVIRONMENT® Papers.

 

The carton bottle from SIG Combibloc, Germany, is now available in a package volume of 500 ml—a perfect volume for "on-the-go" products that can be consumed anywhere. A SIG Combibloc manager said that "convenience remains one of the big issues for consumers when it comes to food packaging.

 

White Birch, the second-largest newsprint producer in North America, told customers in a December 1 letter that it will hike the price of 30-lb (48.8 gm) newsprint by $40 for each metric ton in two equal installments of $20 on January 1 and February 1.

 

With the 2015 Climate Conference (COP 21) in Paris starting December 1, the contribution of forests to tackling climate change is high on the agenda of PEFC Forest Certification Week, the annual gathering of the world’s leading experts in sustainable forest management certification.

 

"This commitment illustrates how private sector organizations can support climate goals not just in terms of pledges but by going beyond them and actually putting resources on the table," said Tony Wenas, managing director, APRIL Group Indonesia Operations.

 

The certificate had been temporarily suspended for the Canadian province in January 2014 following an audit by Rainforest Alliance. In keeping with the FSC process, Resolute has since successfully undergone two rigorous audits.

 

"The changes in operational and management structure will bring further focus in serving our customers and markets. I am confident that the streamlined business model will bring further efficiency and clarity to all of our operations," said Marco Levi, president and CEO.

 

The company's six winning employees were recognized for commitment to sustainability and community engagement; $3,000 has been awarded to local charities.

 

Michael P. Doss succeeds David Scheible, who will preside as chairman of the board through the May 25, 2016, Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

 

Helena Marjaranta joins Metso from the Finnish Transport Agency, where she has worked as director of communications and sustainability since 2013. Before the FTA, she was SVP, communications and corporate responsibility at Vaisala Oyj, being based both in Finland and the U.S.

 

SVP of Global Industrial Products and Protective Solutions John Colyer is relinquishing his operations leadership to focus on treating a health issue. As a result of Colyer’s change in status, the CEO announced leadership changes, effective immediately, focused on streamlining Sonoco’s existing organizational structure.

 

Learn the latest in chemistry, physics, and engineering principals to improve recovery, reduce costs, and reduce environmental impact at your mill.

 

Each year, TAPPI is proud to offer multiple scholarship opportunities to graduate and undergraduate students in the pulp, paper, packaging, and related industries. The deadline to submit applications for academic year 2016-2017 Technical Division scholarships is Feb. 15, 2016.

 

Up-to-date, in-depth eLearning Courses are available from TAPPI.

 

DuBois Chemicals is currently seeking an Account Manager in the U.S. for the Georgia/South Carolina area.

 

The PEERS 2015 PaperChase 5K Fun Run, which benefits the TAPPI Engineering Scholarship Fund, took place in October at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Ga., USA.

 

TAPPI Press is known as an industry-specific publisher of current, reliable, practical, and useful products that help members, students, and other readers enhance their technical knowledge. All TAPPI Press publications are discounted by one-third for members.