Pulp Paper & Logistics


INDUSTRY NEWS 7


Paperboard trays with a thin plastic barrier can be recycled


N


ew recommendations in the UK that allow paperboard packaging to contain


a certain amount of plastic and still be considered recyclable have been welcomed by Iggesund Paperboard, which has introduced packaging that has up to 80 per cent less climate impact compared with all-plastic alternatives. At the beginning of 2020, the


UK labelling organisation OPRL (On-Pack Recycling Label) issued guidelines for how to recycle packaging made of paper and board with a plastic coating. The guidelines were developed in cooperation with the relevant


Iggesund’s Inverform tray has a plastic film but can be recycled


industry organisations and specify which recycling label should be put on the packaging to advise consumers. Under the recommendations,


up to 15 per cent can be included in the paperboard


packaging for it still to be classified as recyclable and be sorted in the waste stream for paper materials. From January 2023 the permitted plastic content will be reduced to 10 per cent of the packaging’s weight. “This is a good decision which establishes clear rules for a number of years ahead,” comments Ginny Samuel, business development manager at Iggesund Paperboard. “Those of us who work with paper- and paperboard-based packaging have been challenged to develop solutions using less material but we’ve also been given time to do this.”


Jonas Adler, director of new business development at Iggesund Paperboard, adds: “One solution that’s very common in food packaging is to put the food in a tray, and plastic is most commonly used for this. “We can replace it with our


combination material Inverform, which is a paperboard tray with a thin plastic barrier. But it currently has a plastic content of over 10 per cent. “Our solution reduces the


packaging’s climate impact by 80 per cent, so it would be a setback for sustainability work if this packaging solution were to be penalised.”


UPM closes its Chapelle newsprint mill in France


Annual operational savings of around €30 million are expected by UPM with the closure in July of its Chapelle newsprint mill at Grand-Couronne in France. The Finland-based canmaker said it had not been able to find a buyer for the mill, which with one paper making machine had capacity to produce 240,000 tonnes of


newsprint a year. The capacity of the mill will not be replaced elsewhere in UPM’s paper making portfolio.


UPM said it was offering support


to the 228 staff to alleviate the effects caused by reductions in relation to the closing of the mill. Anu Ahola, senior vice


president for news & retail at


UPM Communication Papers, commented: “After UPM announced the intention to sell the Chapelle mill in September we started an active sales process and have been in discussions with interested parties since. However, we have not received binding offers by potential buyers. “Consequently, we decided to


BillerudKorsnäs simplifies its structure


Paper-based packaging manufacturer BillerudKorsnäs is being reorganised with a simplified structure from the beginning of August, in advance of new chief executive Christoph Michalski joining in November (see People section). The Solna, Sweden-based company will have three


functional areas: Wood Supply, Operations and Commercial. In parallel, the resources for sustainability and innovation will be grouped in a common new function, Sustainability & Strategic Development. “We need to cater for rapidly changing customer needs for sustainable products and


solutions. The organisational structure now being implemented is one important step on a journey creating conditions that will allow a more optimal utilisation of our resources and enhance our ability to adapt to changes in the outside world,” said acting chief executive Lennart Holm.


In its interim financial reports


for the first half of 2020, net sales were SEK6.16 billion (US$672m), 2 per cent down on the same period in 2019 but net profit increased to SEK202 million ($22m), up from SEK182m last year. The company is ramping up output from its new KM7 board machine at Gruvön.


July/August 2020


close the mill, while at the same time working with employee representatives to mitigate the social impact on our employees. We remain committed to selling the mill assets if we receive a suitable offer.” UPM employs 18,700 people


worldwide with sales of about €10 billion a year in pulp, paper, biofuels, energy and forestry.


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