PAPER & BOARD
INDUSTRY
The industry is large and growing….
And it is growing faster than most industries…
Paper generates wealth
The industry is highly integrated...
… and
highly capitalised
The industry is large and growing….
Industrial
wood-based papermaking really got underway some 150 years ago as a
result of strong market demand and new technology.
 Pulp and paper mill in Finland, provided courtesy of UPM-Kymmene |
The demand for paper and board shows no slackening. Indeed the growth now of advertising, communications, personal care and international trade are all contributing to the demand for paper.
- The electronic age has brought with it the need for more, not less, graphic paper.
- Office photocopiers, computer printers and desktop publishers all require paper.
- Travel and trade catalogues call for more colour printed paper.
- Rigid, lightweight and printable paper and board materials have gained predominance in packaging.
- Printing press technology, wider education and demand on news fuel the expansion of newspapers.
- The growth of consumer and industrial goods fuels packaging needs.
- Protective cardboard, tough cartons and printed wrapping papers are in demand.
- The demand for hygiene and sanitary papers has surged.
- The growth in world commerce and the development of international postal services demand more writing and business papers.
And it is growing faster than most industries…
- Over the past decade the overall production of paper and board in Western Europe has increased by more than 40%.
- Graphic paper remains one of the most convenient ways to convey information. It enables knowledge, education and culture to spread and so the consumption of graphic papers has increased by 35%.
- Packaging paper is the natural
partner for food and products to be safely transported, sold and
exported and it avoids wastage efficiently. The
consumption of packaging papers has increased by 27% and hygiene
papers by 51%.
Paper adds wealth - and not only as bank notes and securities.
From forestry to retail trades and subsequent recovery for recycling, paper generates wealth and employment.
There is direct employment, but many find employment in upstream, downstream and supporting activities.
A newsprint line, for example, employs 240-300 people, and a coated fine paper line may employ more than 400 people.
Exports of value-added grades generate revenue.
Pulp, paper and board mills situated in rural areas bring regional benefits and the use of wood also brings income to rural areas.
The industry is highly integrated...
The paper industry comprises of a diversity of companies, differing in ownership, scale and type of activity. Some own forests and therefore control the raw material, several are engaged in the collection and trading of recovered paper. Some firms trade pulp and many operate integrated pulp and paper mills. Downstream and supporting activities (such as trading, packaging and tissue converting) are often carried out by paper and board companies.
The scale and technology of papermaking has progressed at a considerable pace over the past decade, and the level of investment is considerable. Today, a 400,000 tonne newsprint machine in Europe, for example, represents an investment of more than EUR 300 million.
Some key facts and figures about the European pulp and paper industry.
