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The papermaking manufacturing process is one of the more scrutinized aspects of the forest products industry. From tree stump to final disposal, regulators, legislators, activists, and now the general public and large corporations have a vested interest in how paper companies source raw materials and bring products to market. This is better known as life cycle, and the industry is studying the issue and finding solutions every day. In addition to all the other proactive measures taken by U.S. papermakers, ranging from forest certification to air and water effluent controls, the utilization of recovered paper has gained widespread use in the production of paper in the United States. According to the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), the U.S. industry recovered over 50% of all the paper and paperboard consumed in the United States in 2007, and the industry has adopted a goal of collecting 60% of all paper and paperboard by 2012. Notwithstanding the dominance of virgin cut size papers, the U.S. cut size industry has been offering high-quality cut size papers with ever-increasing levels of recycled content. For the first year, we are able to show data on cut size papers containing between 31% - 100% postconsumer content. This segment totaled 112,000 tons in 2007 and accounted for 2% of all cut size tons. Although we are not allowed to display the data, several companies submitted figures for 100% postconsumer content cut size paper in this year’s survey.
The most pressing issue regarding papers with recycled content is the ability to collect, transport, and process sufficient quantities of recovered paper to make a quality sheet. While this is a relatively easier task for the so-called bulk grades (such as old corrugated containers (OCC) and old newsprint (ONP)), collecting and processing deink-quality recovered paper is a significant challenge. In addition, as papers are recycled a second, third, and even fourth time, the fibers tend to break down, which requires a constant injection of virgin fibers. The industry supports many programs to encourage higher collection of deink-quality papers at the curbside, in office buildings, and in schools. Even if these efforts are successful, a scarcity of investment in deinking capacity (market or integrated) will put a crimp in the supply of deinked pulp for the manufacture of papers with high levels of postconsumer waste. The preceding is an excerpt from a report entitled U.S. Cut Size Survey and Forecast: 1999 - 2011. To learn more about this report, visit our online store or contact Robyn Wuori ext. 103 or via e-mail at . |
