Weekly Spotlight
Two Sides Open Letter Challenges Canadian Minister Finley’s Anti-Paper Environmental Claims

Over the Wire

TAPPI

June 18, 2015
GapCon
A recent letter sent by Two Sides North America Inc., Lake Forest, Ill. USA, to Minister Diane Finley (Public Works and Government Services) requests that the Government of Canada stop the use of terms such as "saving trees" or "going green" in communications related to switching from paper-based to electronic transactions, due to the misleading nature of these terms.
 
UPM to Invest EUR 50 Million to Upgrade Kaukas Pulp Mill
Assembly will take place during a planned shutdown in autumn 2016 and startup is scheduled for the end of 2016. This investment will benefit the entire Kaukas biorefining mill integrate through increased resource efficiency and operational flexibility. The Kaukas pulp mill is located in Lappeenranta, Finland.
 
Turning Lignin into Chemical Building Blocks
A new method proposed by researchers involves feeding wood into a small chemical reactor and adding a catalyst - to set off the chemical reaction - as well as a solvent. With the right temperature and pressure, they can separate the lignin from the pulp and disassemble it into smaller components. The result is a lignin oil that is easier to convert into chemical building blocks for a variety of consumer products instead of having to use lignin as only low-grade fuel for pulp mills.
 
China's Paper Makers Seek Overseas Expansion
The rapid expansion of paper companies in China has created domestic overcapacity of 20%. As a result, companies headquartered here are now eyeing overseas markets to continue their growth. These groups hope the country's new Silk Road initiatives help them successfully grow in their new countries.
 
TAPPI/PCA Work Simulation Workshop Set for July 21-22
Participants in this workshop will come away with a much clearer picture of where significant improvement opportunities may lie within their organizations. They will quickly experience critical interactions from other departments’ perspective and fully understand what is meant by the phrase..."It’s not just maintenance anymore!"
 
TAPPI Establishing New Tissue Awards
"There have been some great contributions to the advancement of tissue and converting," says Scott Springmier of TAPPI, "and our TAPPI volunteers have decided we are long overdue to recognize them." The Tissue Division is establishing three new awards to recognize outstanding contributions in the industry.
 
2016 TAPPI Award Nominations Deadline: August 1
TAPPI and its divisions recognize member achievement through various awards and appreciations. The deadline to submit nominations for the TAPPI 2016 major awards is August 1, 2015. Nomination forms can be submitted by email, faxed to the attention of the Awards Department at +1-770-446-6947, or mailed to TAPPI.
 
Eastman Chemical Co.
Market Roundup
U.S. May Tissue Price Index Falls
The U.S tissue price index continued to decline in May. The Index fell last month to its second lowest in 50 months.
 
Paper Packaging Demand Shifting from Liquid Packaging to Corrugated Cases
According to 2012 estimates, liquid packaging cartons accounted for about 40% of the total market share. But over the next four years – by 2019 – the market share of corrugated cases is likely to expand at a noticeable pace.
 
European Pulp Consumption a Mixed Bag in May
Pulp consumption in Western Europe was unchanged in May y/y versus down 1.7% for the first four months. Bleached softwood kraft (BSK) pulp gained share, and stocks dropped two days m/m.
 
Specialty Paper Market to Reach 34,879.08 Kilotons by 2020
Factors such as improving economic condition in countries and increasing end-use applications are the major drivers of the specialty paper market. Packaging and labeling dominated the Specialty Paper Market, having contributed around 46% share in 2014.
 
NSK Corp
Pulp & Paper
IP Releases New Sustainability Report
As a global manufacturer operating in more than 24 countries, natural resources are crucial to IP's supply chain. This is why the company is continuously working to improve all aspects of its value chain, especially sourcing of wood fiber, water use, and energy efficiency.
 
Lucart Castelnuovo Inaugurates Valmet Cogeneration System at Tissue Mill
This new system at the mill in Italy integrates a gas turbine with a yankee hood air system and a waste heat steam generator, covering all the electricity and steam needs of the site. This way the gas turbine flue gases are used to dry the paper without any further gas consumption.
 
SCA Installs A.Celli Roll Handling/Packaging System at Mannheim Plant
At its Mannheim tissue production facilities in Germany, SCA, Stockholm, Sweden, has installed a complete and particularly complex A.Celli Paper (Italy) roll handling and packaging system. The system includes four lines that, following accurate testing, became ready for acceptance in December of last year.
 
SCA Prepares to Close PM at Stubbins Mill in U.K.
Tissue maker SCA (Sweden) has begun a consultation period with its 140 member Stubbins mill staff in preparation for losing up to 34 jobs. Management plans to close one of its paper machines.
 
Södra Cell to Upgrade Evaporators at Mönsterås Pulp Mill
Södra Cell, Sweden, has contracted Valmet, Finland, to upgrade the evaporation plant its Mönsterås pulp mill in Sweden. The value of the order was not disclosed. However, a project of this type and scope is typically valued at around EUR 10 million, according to Valmet.
 
Spooner Industries Wins Manufacturer of the Year Award
This new accolade follows a visit to Spooner Industries’ (U.K) Ilkley operations by Prime Minster David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne in February, who were impressed by the technology and commented that "Spooner is a great example of the kind of ‘advanced manufacturing’ businesses this government is trying to get behind."
 
Verso Appeals Taxable Value of Quinnesec Mill
Under a petition to the Michigan Tax Tribunal, Verso (Memphis, Tenn., USA) asked that the taxable value of its Breitung Township property be reduced from the current $48.5 million to $15 million.
 
SRI Advertising
Containerboard/Packaging
Corrugated Shelf Ready Packaging is Discounters’ Flexible Friend
Discounters in the U.K. require functional packaging to make optimum use of shelf space and are big users of corrugated SRP – whole cross-sections of food and household goods are attractively displayed in the material. Multi-purpose packaging that speeds up the process of getting goods on display once delivered to the store is essential for maintaining footfall to the tills.
 
Smurfit Kappa Commits to 100% Sustainably Sourced Fibers in Packaging
Commenting on the strong performance outlined in the report, Gary McGann, group CEO at Smurfit Kappa, said that "we are proud to say that our people and products have sustainability in every fiber. We use it as a lens through which to focus our innovation, our strategy, and our processes."
 
Stora Enso Upgrading Varkaus Mill to Meet Demands for Renewable Packaging Board
Stora Enso Oyi, Helsinki, Finland, is implementing Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) technologies as part of a modernization and optimization effort at its paper mill in Varkaus, Finland, to help the company meet rising demands for renewable packaging board.
 
Legislative
U.S. Rep. Poliquin Worried About Impact of Boiler Regulations on Paper Mills
Rules could cause the Sappi paper mill in Skowhegan, Maine and a mill in South Carolina to spend millions of dollars to comply that could "otherwise be invested in efficiency, safety, and job creation." Poliquin noted that increasing costs forced three Maine mills to close last year, causing nearly 1,000 workers to lose their jobs.
 
New Products
AkzoNobel, Evonik to Build JV Chlorine/Potassium Hydroxide Facility in Germany
The 50-50 joint venture involves the construction and operation of a dedicated plant at AkzoNobel's (Amsterdam) existing site in Ibbenbüren. It will have an annual nameplate capacity of around 130,000 metric tons of potassium hydroxide solution and 82,000 metric tons of chlorine. This will strengthen the leading market positions of both companies.
 
CB&E Unveils Jam-Release Technology for Two-Ram Balers
Catawba Baler & Equipment (CB&E), Greensboro, N.C., USA, has introduced the market’s only two-ram baler that quickly and safely ejects jammed recycle material from the charge chamber without manually digging out the material. Beyond advancing safe operation, the optional Free Jam system on CB&E’s Gold Rush series baler increases profit potential for any recycling facility operating conventional two-ram balers.
 
Verso Introduces Ideal Offset Web
A 92 brightness and new bluer-white shade, combined with consistent on-press performance and excellent printability, makes Ideal Offset an easy choice for a broad range of commercial printing applications such as annual reports, brochures, bulletins, catalogs, coupons, direct mail, financial documents, flyers, manuals, marketing collateral, and newsletters.
 
EquipNet, Inc.
Sustainability
APRIL Commits to Stop Cutting Indonesia’s Rainforest
One of Asia’s largest pulp and paper firms, Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL), has announced it will stop sourcing from natural forests four years earlier than initially planned in an effort to reduce deforestation and protect peatlands.
 
People
Restrepo Appointed Independent Director of Smurfit Kappa Board
Smurfit Kappa, Ireland, has appointed Gonzalo Restrepo to its board of directors as an independent, non-executive director. The appointment is effective immediately. Thomas Brodin also has been appointed as the group’s senior independent director.
 
TAPPI News
Learn Environmental LCA in Workshop at NCSU
This unique workshop held August 3-7 provides attendees an overall view of the fundamental principles of environmental life cycle analysis (LCA) for a product or service.
 
In Memoriam: Frederick Critchfield Keeney
This long time TAPPI member's career dates back more than a half-century. Many of us remember Keeny as the EVP at Knowlton Brothers in the Southern Specialty Division in 1981, then EVP at Filtration Sciences Inc. in 1983. Later he was a consultant with F.C. Keeney and Associates starting in 1987.
 
TAPPI Press: The Mechanics of Rollers
This unique book, now available to TAPPI members for a $37.00 discount off list price, covers design, application, and maintenance for rollers of all sizes, shapes, and webs.
 
Expanded Service Models Can Deliver Production and Quality Improvements
This free webinar held on June 25 from 2-3 p.m. EST is presented by TAPPI's Process Control Division. Learn how to expand the definition of service to include the automation systems and process applications. No longer is service limited to mechanical devices.
 
Mohawk, Panera, Valmet, Appvion, Pacon and More to Headline Specialty Papers 2015
TAPPI will host many of the Specialty Paper markets top contributors at this event held September 15-17 where you can benefit from the advantage of ample networking with more than 200+ key decision makers in the industry. Gain insights into current markets and innovations and learn what the latest applications are – including growth areas like digital print and printed electronics including the latest R&D technology.
 
Intro to Kraft Pulping and Bleaching Course Perfect for Anyone New to the Kraft
The Introduction to Kraft Pulping and Bleaching course, taught by Dr. Michael Kocurek, will take place August 4-5 at TAPPI’s Headquarters. Seats will sell out at 25. Registration is now open.
 
Deadline Extended for William L. Cullison Scholarship Applications
Believing strongly that today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, the TAPPI Foundation endowed the William L. Cullison Scholarship fund in honor of TAPPI's fifth Executive Director. The application deadline has been extended to August 1.
 
Five Reasons to be a Sponsor at PEERS/IBBC
2015 PEERS is an excellent opportunity to meet current customers and discover new clients in an exhibit area designed for interaction. You’ll be part of a brand new Passport Program designed to get conference attendees into the exhibit area. Plus find new leads at several networking opportunities, an awards recognition reception, a conference dinner, multiple early morning breakfasts and lunch breaks.
 
TAPPI Journal Spotlight Article Available for Free Download
For a limited time, nonmembers of TAPPI can download a sample of the high quality research published in TAPPI Journal.
 
TAPPI’s Corrugated Packaging Division Seeks Nomination for Two Positions
TAPPI’s Corrugated Packaging Division is seeking nominations to fill two elected positions on the Corrugated Packaging Council (CPC). Nominations are being accepted for two industry members for a three year term. The due date for accepting nominations is August 14.