Industry News

Could plastic bag bans hurt paper?

14 Dec 2016 Producers of paper bags may cheer the idea of banning thin plastic grocery bags. Thousands of them seem to clutter streets and flutter from tree branches in many metropolitan areas, and banning bags made from non-renewable plastic seems like it would be a boon for proponents of sustainable paper bags. Yet in some areas, the bans and fees are including paper bags in what some are calling “regulatory overreach.”

Invention, innovation and US jobs

09 Nov 2016 Ben Thorp, Harry Seamans, and Masood Akhtar Biorenewable Deployment Consortium, Madison, WI, USA According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) there were 17,619,000 Americans employed in the manufacturing section in January 1998; by January 2010, this figure had declined to 11,462,000 or a loss of 6,157,000 factory jobs in 12 years (Hemphill et al. 2015). This does not count the number of “consequential” jobs that were also lost. This loss of manufacturing jobs has reached the point of creating national concern.

Classroom Paper Use Increasing, Survey Shows

12 Oct 2016 Though the “digital classroom” may be in the news, a recent report confirms that kids, teachers and parents still love paper. Paper and Productive Learning: The Second Annual Back-to-School Report, commissioned by the Paper and Packaging Board, surveyed 4,300 students, parents and teachers in the United States and shows that not only does paper still have a role in the classroom, but its use and importance is growing.

DoE grants $2.5M to study biorefinery waste use, renewable bioproducts

10 Aug 2016 By Kathleen Phillips The U.S. Department of Energy has granted $2.5 million for a Texas A&M AgriLife Research study to find ways to use biorefinery waste to make new, marketable products.

Report on the business ecosystem for cellulosic nanomaterials

03 Aug 2016 By Art Ragauskas Editor’s note: This article originally ran in the June, 2016 issue of TAPPI Journal, TAPPI’s flagship research publication provided each month to members.

Rick's Tips - Calender safety

22 Jun 2016 Nanotechnology—defined as science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers—has been a hot topic in the paper industry, as researchers work to define opportunities for industry innovation. To help papermakers explore those opportunities.

Is more foreign boxboard finding its way into the US market?

01 Jun 2016 By Dustin Jalbert, economist, paper packaging The unprecedented growth in global boxboard capacity has understandably generated some concerns about how effectively the marketplace can absorb these volumes in the near term, particularly in a weak global economic environment. China’s aggressive expansion into virgin boxboard has been well in excess of both domestic and even global demand growth for virgin boxboard over the last several years, and now market players await the impact of another salvo of capacity from Europe. The European projects alone will add roughly 1.2 million metric tons of folding boxboard capacity (FBB) capacity through 2017. We have explored these and other global trends in our recent World Boxboard Study.

3D printing cellulose materials for cars, cruise ships, and more

07 Apr 2021 Cellulose is an ideal raw material for electrical insulation components, but manufacturing these products requires a considerable measure of craftsmanship.

The Future of Active and Intelligent Packaging to 2025

09 Sep 2020 In 2020, the value of the combined active and intelligent packaging market—also referred to as smart packaging—is projected to reach US$6.33 billion, with the active packaging market valued at US$4.98 billion and the intelligent packaging market valued at US$1.35 billion.

Brighter days forecast for CelluForce

18 May 2016 By Graeme Rodden. Note: This article is provided to Ahead of the Curve readers as an advance preview of the May/June issue of Paper360°, which mails later this week.

Brazil’s Pulp, Paper and Forest Sector Investing R$35.5 Billion through 2023

27 Oct 2021 Brazil’s Pulp, Paper and Forest Sector Investing R$35.5 Billion through 2023

Sustainability: New Goals to Meet New Challenges

12 Aug 2020 Sustainability: New Goals to Meet New Challenges

Will the pandemic affect fluff pulp?

01 Jul 2020 Will the pandemic affect fluff pulp?

Tissue paper sensors show promise for health care, entertainment, robotics

21 Feb 2018 University of Washington engineers have turned tissue paper—similar to toilet tissue—into a new kind of wearable sensor that can detect a pulse, a blink of an eye and other human movement. The sensor is light, flexible, and inexpensive, with potential applications in health care, entertainment, and robotics.

Why Sustainability Professionals Should Drive Green Consumerism

22 Apr 2020 Why Sustainability Professionals Should Drive Green Consumerism

Open Access Brings Industry Research to All

01 Apr 2020 Open Access Brings Industry Research to All

Can we Make Greener Electronics from Pine Bark?

29 Jan 2020 Can we Make Greener Electronics from Pine Bark?

Environmental Affairs: Everyone Has a Part to Play

19 Sep 2018 (Editor's note: the following article previews the forthcoming September/October issue of Paper360°, which includes a cover focus on air and water quality. This "sneak peek" is offered exclusively for AOTC readers.)

Manufacturing Day Can Help Tell Our Industry Story

03 Oct 2018 The forest products industry doesn't just play a role in American manufacturing—it gives a lead performance. According to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), the forest products industry manufactures more than US$200 billion in products every year, and employs about 950,000 men and women, and forest products holds a spot among the "Top 10" manufacturing sector employers in 45 out of 50 states. In fact, the forest products industry accounts for approximately four percent of the total US manufacturing GDP. It also relies on a vital array of related manufacturers—of machinery, equipment, component parts, transport, and many other products—to keep its thousands of manufacturing sites humming.

And the survey says…

10 Oct 2018 The benefits of print, paper, and packaging (especially when made from renewable forest products) seems obvious to AOTC readers and other industry professionals, but what about to consumers?