Ahead of the Curve

Unlocking Product Potential with Renewable Nanomaterials

10 Apr 2019 The following is an excerpt from an article that first appeared in the March/April issue of Paper360° and is offered here for Ahead of the Curve readers who may have missed it.

Europe Aims for 74 Percent Paper Recycling

03 Apr 2019 The success of TAPPI's annual PaperCon event is largely due to the working professionals who plan the technical program. These volunteer leaders rely on their industry experience to create a program that actively addresses the critical issues attendees face on their jobs every day. We're pleased to offer a series of interviews with these leaders, to bring their expertise to a wider audience through Ahead of the Curve.

Will Paper Come Back to the Future?

27 Mar 2019 A Pew (Washington, DC) survey on science and technology from earlier in the decade found that there's one area where often pessimistic US. citizens (according to the results of other polls about the future) claim they see a "brighter" future: More than 60 percent of Americans think our future will be at least partly free of paper.

Not Just Paper… A Look at Alternative Uses for Wood Fiber

20 Mar 2019 There's a common misconception that wood fiber is solely used to create paper and paper products. But this versatile material has plenty of other uses and can turn up in the most unlikely of places—pharmaceuticals, cellophane, sponges, even sausage casings. With many traditional products being scrutinized for their environmental impact, manufacturers and retailers are increasingly turning towards wood-based materials to provide a more sustainable alternative. Here are just five.

North America's First Tree-Free Pulp Mill

13 Mar 2019 (Editor's note: This is an excerpt from a feature in the forthcoming March/April 2019 issue of Paper360° magazine, the official magazine for TAPPI Members, and is offered as a special "sneak peek" for AOTC readers. See links below.)

Meet the Program Leaders: Todd Varner on Staying Competitive

06 Mar 2019 The success of TAPPI's annual PaperCon event is largely due to the working professionals who plan the technical program. These volunteer leaders rely on their industry experience to create a program that actively addresses the critical issues attendees face on their jobs every day. We're pleased to offer a series of interviews with these leaders, to bring their expertise to a wider audience through Ahead of the Curve.

5 Trends Changing the Future of Corrugated Packaging

27 Feb 2019 The global corrugated packaging market is growing faster than expected, confounding some predictions that forecast a slowdown in corrugated consumption, although recently grounded expectations are not as bullish as some fringe predictions circa mid-2018. A downturn in demand in China and the banning of contaminated recycled paper stocks has not fully materialized yet, either.

Can gribble nibble waste into biofuel?

06 Feb 2019 According to the University of York, researchers and scientists—led by University of York professors Professor Simon McQueen-Mason and Professor Neil Bruce—have discovered a new enzyme that could prove an important step in the quest to turn waste, such as paper, scrap wood and straw, into liquid fuel. As reported on the university's website, the research centers around the destructive power of the tiny, wood-boring marine isopods called "gribble," which historically attacked the timber hulls of seafarers' ships and continue to wreak damage on wooden piers and docks in coastal communities around the world.

Domtar's Safety Journey

30 Jan 2019 Editor's note: This article is an excerpt from a feature in the just-released Jan/Feb 2019 issue of Paper360°. It is offered here for Ahead of the Curve readers who may have missed it. For the full article, and to access the entire Jan/Feb issue plus additional online content, visit www.paper360.tappi.org.

Digital or Paper? Campaign Fights for Right to Choose

23 Jan 2019 Do you prefer to receive important documents digitally or on paper? It may be a strange question to ask in an electronic newsletter like Ahead of the Curve! Yet—as reported recently in TAPPI's Over the Wire (which is also an e-newsletter)—the right for consumers to choose a preference is important for our industry.