Thursday, March 3, 2016

Mills reject fiber from mixed waste facilities

From The Paper Stock Report

A new study of mill procurement officials reveals that 75 percent of them do not buy recovered paper from mixed waste processing centers. The survey was conducted by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).
ISRI released preliminary results of a survey of North American paper mill buyers about their thoughts and experiences with materials from mixed waste processing centers. Mixed waste processing centers advise their residential customers that there is no need to separate recyclables from solid waste (including organics) prior to collection, claiming that the valuable recyclables will be successfully separated in a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), ISRI said.

Although there have been other recent studies about mixed waste processing centers, this is the first known study that exclusively solicited views of recovered paper buyers regarding their opinions and views about the ability to successfully use the recyclables sorted from such “one-bin” programs.

“We gained an incredible amount of learning from the survey participants regarding their experiences and preferences concerning the procurement of recovered fiber for their paper mills,” said Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. “In 2014, ISRI issued a policy statement discouraging the use of one-bin collection systems due to anecdotal statements and strong feelings from our member companies regarding the degradation in quality of recyclables recovered from such systems, but it wasn’t until the completion of this survey that we finally gleaned hard data from paper mills about the poor quality and contamination that they are actually experiencing, and the resulting impact on their purchasing and sourcing decisions. It is clear from this study that in communities where mixed-waste processing systems are put in place, the recycling of paper is significantly diminished, both in quality and quantity.”

Some highlights of the survey’s initial results include:
  
  • 82 percent of respondents purchase recovered fiber for between one and six mills, and 49 percent of respondents purchase material in the range of more than 100,000 tons of recovered fiber per year, but less than 500,000 tons of recovered fiber per year.
  • Of the respondents, 25 percent purchase “some” material from dirty MRFs, but these mills purchase less than 10 percent of their required tonnage from mixed waste processing centers.
  • Of those that purchase recovered fiber from mixed waste processing centers, 70 percent find the quality to be worse than most other recovered paper, and 90 percent of those mill buyers have had to downgrade or reject the paper from the mixed waste processing centers at a higher rate than recovered paper from “regular” MRFs.
  • Almost two-thirds of those surveyed feel that ISRI guidelines should contain a statement as part of its recovered paper specifications that states: “Paper recovered from one-bin programs, separated in mixed-waste processing centers, is not fit for use in USA paper mills.”
 Of the 75 percent of respondents who do not purchase recovered fiber from mixed waste processing centers, the top eight reasons given, for not purchasing it, were as follows:

1) Contamination;
2) Odor;
3) Low Quality;
4) Exhibit a higher level of prohibitives and outthrows versus what is acceptable;
5) Internal quality standards prevent purchasing;
6) Too risky;
7) Excessive moisture; and
8) Quality will not meet the mills’ customers’ needs.

The survey was conducted confidentially via an online survey to North American paper mill buyers between January 11 and January 31, 2016. An independent, third-party research firm was utilized to conduct the survey. In order to achieve a high response rate, the survey was limited to less than 10 critical questions. All major mill groups using recovered paper in North America were invited to participate in the survey, both members, as well as non-members of ISRI.

ISRI is a trade association that represents more than 1,600 companies in 21 chapters nationwide that process, broker and industrially consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics and textiles.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Six news, mixed paper grades may be condensed into three

By Ken McEntee
The Paper Stock Report
February 19, 2016
 

A proposal to condense six old newspaper (ONP) and mixed paper grade categories into three new grades will be considered in April by the Paper Division of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). If the Paper Division approves the changes in ISRI’s Scrap Specifications Circular at ISRI’s annual convention, in Las Vegas, a subsequent vote by ISRI’s board of directors could put the new grades immediately into effect, said Sandy Rosen, president of ISRI’s Paper Stock Industries (PSI) Chapter and co-owner of Great Lakes Recycling, Roseville, Mich.
PSI members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the grade changes at a special Paper Specifications Summit, held this month in New Orleans.
At the summit, members voted to eliminate ONP grades 6-8 and mixed paper grades 1-3. In their places, PSI voted to create three new grades defined as follows:

  • Sorted Clean News (SCN) - Consists of sorted newspapers from source separated collection programs, converters, drop-off centers and paper drives containing the normal percentages of rotogravure colored and coated sections. May contain inserts that would normally be included in the newspaper in the proper proportions. Grade must be free of excessive ink, brown grades and non-paper material. Prohibitive Materials: ½ of 1%; Outthrows plus Prohibitives may not exceed 1%; Other papers may not exceed 10%
  • Sorted Residential Papers (SRP) - Consists of sorted newspapers, junk mail, magazines, printing and writing papers and other acceptable papers generated from residential programs (such as residential household and apartment collections and drop-off centers) sorted and processed at a recycling facility. Material should be free of containerboard & brown grades {OCC, Kraft bags, boxboard and Kraft carrier board}. Prohibitive materials may not exceed 2% (Wax/foil papers, other non-paper material); Outthrows may not exceed 3% (corrugated, Kraft bags/board, boxboard, poly-coated).
  • Mixed Paper (MP) - Consists of all paper and paperboard of various qualities not limited to the type of fiber content, sorted and processed at a recycling facility. Prohibitive materials may not exceed 2%. (Wax coated, foil papers, other non—paper material); Outthrows may not exceed 3%.
Grade No. 9 – Over-issue News – was not discussed at the summit and will remain intact. Specific grade numbers were not assigned to the proposed new grades.
Although the three new grades received overwhelming support, one Southeastern broker whose company markets ONP both through MRFs and paper collection centers, said the establishment of a single news grade is a mistake.
“Sorted Residential Papers is not a news grade because it has junk mail and all kinds of other paper in there, and only about 10 percent of all the old news generation in this country is going to meet the specification for Sorted Clean News,” he said. “Most MRFs can’t pack that grade. So what news grade that falls short of Sorted Clean News are we going to be shipping over to China?”
While the changes to the news and mixed paper grades received overwhelming support (see voting results), measures that would have amended the definition of old corrugated containers (OCC) - Grade 11 - and create a new OCC grade were met with strong opposition. The proposed new grade, which would have been called OCCB, would have recognized a lower quality “B” grade of OCC beneath Grade 11 . PSI members voted it down 25-4.
A proposal to amend the current Grade 11 OCC definition to specify a maximum of 30% “offshore OCC” content was withdrawn by the PSI Specifications Committee before the vote.
The changes, which resulted from almost a year of discussions, were proposed by the Specifications Committee. The committee worked to develop changes to the paper specifications since an initial summit was held in Dallas in February 2015.
Specifications Committee Chairwoman Kari Talvola, managing director of Fibre Trade Inc., Burlingame, Calif., said discussions about grade changes involved “a lot of compromise among ourselves and a lot of heated discussions, but our goal was to create something that is actually being traded today in our industry.”
Changing supply sources, most notably the growing implementation of single stream residential collection systems, was the impetus to consider changes in grade definitions. Attendees at the Dallas summit discussed whether a new grade should be established for newspaper generated by single stream MRFs, or whether ONP and mixed paper grades should be combined in some way.
The next 11 months of discussions culminated in the Specifications Committee proposals that were voted on in New Orleans.
“It’s my opinion that what has happened over the last decade or two is that changes in collection methods have brought down (recovered paper) quality,” Rosen said in opening the summit. “It is a downward cycle but it is a trend that can be reversed. If higher quality material becomes more valuable, then processors will want to invest in upgrading their material.”
The ISRI Specifications for paper and other recyclable commodities are guidelines that help suppliers and end users agree on the quality and content of the materials they buy and sell. Most end users have their own specific standards based on their specific needs.
The most controversial discussion at the summit involved the proposals to add a lesser-quality “OCCB” grade and to amend OCC No. 11 with the 30% limit on “off-shore” OCC. Of 17 attendees who commented on the proposed OCC changes at the summit, only Paul England, midwest general manager at Pratt Industries, Conyers, Ga., reading a prepared statement from the company, advocated the creation of OCCB.
“With all of the offshore OCC in the marketplace today – 10 million tons – it is time to establish a second grade of OCC, or a ‘B’ grade,” England said. “This will allow us to have a brown grade containing some OCC and other brown grades like grocery bag.”
Don Majka, vice president - commodity marketing and sourcing at Waste Management Inc., in Buffalo, said a secondary OCC grade would complicate sorting operations.
“The last thing we need is somebody on the tipping floor having to be responsible for deciding which pile to put the corrugated on,” he said.
Brian Hawkinson, executive director - recovered fiber for the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), said the association’s member mills support keeping the present OCC definition.
After meeting with the Specification Committee following the comment period, Rosen announced that the committee would withdraw the amended OCC definition. The following day, PSI members rejected the new OCCB grade with a vote of 25 against and four in favor. All other proposals passed by at least a 2:1 margin.
Rosen said the new specifications could go into effect as soon as they are approved by the ISRI board of directors during the April conference.
“I don’t see any reason to delay (implementation),” he said. “It isn’t going to change how paper is packed.”
Planting the seeds for future consideration, the 135 attendees – PSI members and non-members - discussed other issues, including possible new or revised language defining contaminants, outthrows and prohibitives, along with moisture and health and safety issues related to paper bales.

Here's how PSI members voted on proposals presented at the New Orleans summit:

Export prices improve following Chinese New Year


By Ken McEntee
The Paper Stock Report

In the wake of the Chinese Lunar New Year break, U.S. exporters reported generally unexpected mid-February boosts in prices of bulk grades going to that market. Old newspaper (ONP) and mixed paper, they reported, had the largest increases, but old corrugated (OCC) prices also improved. However, traders reported, it was too soon to determine whether the hikes would hold for any length of time, and whether they would have an impact on domestic mill prices.
Various exporters reported that ONP prices delivered to China jumped by $7 to $15 during the week of February 22, relative to the beginning of the month, with some sellers asking for even more. Mixed paper prices delivered to China, traders confirmed, were about around $6 to $8 per ton higher, with one broker reporting offers for an additional $8 above that. OCC delivered prices to China jumped by $5 to $7 per ton, with offers reportedly extending as much as $5 per ton higher.
Before Chinese New Year, typical OCC prices from the U.S. West Coast delivered to China’s main ports reportedly topped out at around US$163-166 per ton. By mid-February, prices were discussed between $169 and $175 per ton. Mixed paper in mid-February was being offered to mills at US$120 delivered to China – up from around $105, while ONP was being offered at $132 – up from as low as $115.
Some traders said they were mildly surprised by the post-New Year increases, noting that some Chinese mill buyers let inventories slip during January. Others, however, said the increased bewildered them.
“I’m happy that the prices are up. We need better prices to support the MRFs, but I don’t understand what could have happened during the first two weeks of February,” said an exporter in the Pacific Northwest. “Why are they deciding they need to pay more money for paper? There is hardly a domestic market for news and mixed, and the Chinese buyers could have had all they wanted without raising prices. It all seems to have been driven by the Chinese mills’ buying agents – America Chung Nam and Ralison International - who are here in the states.”
According to an exporter in California, “The big newsprint mill in China really flaked out and didn’t want to buy anything earlier, and now they’re running low on inventory. Production there has been unstable, so demand for fiber has been streaky. If mills were more consistent in their buying, nobody would have to get into a panic.”
Some traders expressed optimism that OCC prices will begin to trickle upward throughout 2016. In February, however, North American mill inventories were reportedly full during a seasonally slow production period and mills were far from desperate for additional loads.
The consensus among U.S. traders is that it’s too soon to tell whether the price increases are a temporary adjustment, or whether they will hold for a month or two. They also are waiting to see how domestic prices might be impacted in the weeks to come. Generally, most traders said they anticipated only nominal reverberations on domestic ONP and mixed paper prices because those grades have become primarily export commodities. In particular, almost 75% of all ONP generated in the U.S. last year was exported.

"Domestic consumers will have to bring their prices up, but that's a small portion of the news market," said a broker in the Southeast. "These prices basically just bring the market up to where it was a few months ago."
According to a West Coast broker, “Mills in China are still struggling financially. But prices had been dropping for the last six or seven months slowly. Now it may have hit the bottom and may slowly climb up. I think orders now in the market justify better prices for at least two months. We have orders, other people have orders and we’re all trying to outbid each other right now trying to get the tons.”
Some traders expressed optimism that OCC prices may begin to trickle upward throughout 2016. In February, however, North American mill inventories were reportedly full during a seasonally slow production period and mills were far from desperate for additional loads.
“I think we might see the North American mills coming up to meet the export OCC price, but I don’t think the domestic market is even much of a factor any more for news and mixed paper, especially here on the West Coast,” one broker said.
According to another broker, “Domestic mills in the south are really full, but not so full that we are finding people willing to sell us OCC to export at a price less than the domestic price. So they are still taking loads. For this time of year, though, there is a good supply of OCC being generated. Maybe that is a good statement for our economy.”
OCC, said another broker, “is starting to show a little bit of strength export wise. A lot of people say it won’t continue, but they always say that. They just don’t want it to continue.”
Domestically, traders reported, office paper may be the strongest grade of the first two months of the year.
“Office paper is getting strong on the export market and it’s carrying over to the domestic mills as well,” one broker reported. “China is showing more interest, Mexico wants more and the U.S. and Canadian mills are pulling from a larger supply radius than usual. Meanwhile this is a slim generation period. In my opinion, office paper has been artificially lower than its true fiber value for quite a while, so it’s good that is starting to show some strength.”

Friday, January 18, 2013

Corporate leaders expand use of FutureMark recycled paper


FutureMark Paper Group, North America’s leading provider of responsibly made, high-recycled paper, grew its customer base for a third straight year in 2012 with the addition of respected organizations such as the American Museum of Natural History, Black & Decker, Kaplan, Kohl’s, Sam’s Club, Time Inc., Trader Joe’s and Wiley, FutureMark announced. FutureMark also significantly expanded relationships with existing customers Chick-fil-A, National Geographic and Whole Foods Market.
 

Kohl’s, Sam’s Club and Trader Joe’s are among the corporate leaders moving to recycled paper, helping FutureMark conserve more than 4 million trees in 2012, the company said. Eco-friendly recycled paper helped FutureMark expand and grow for a third straight year, despite continued contracting demand for printing paper in North America.
 

“FutureMark Paper Group continues to expand and grow, despite tough conditions overall in the North American market for printing paper,” said Steve Silver, president and CEO. “Our commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of paper production is really paying off. 
Customers value our products’ high recycled content and environmental profile. They especially seem to like that our recycled paper performs and costs the same as less green, non-recycled alternatives.”
 

FutureMark Paper Group’s responsibly made printing and packaging papers have the highest recycled content for products of their type made in North America. The group’s two manufacturing facilities produce 90- to 100-percent recycled papers used in books, catalogs, magazines, retail inserts, office papers, labels and promotional mailings, as well as in fast food and commercial packaging applications.
 

FutureMark Paper Group’s production centers are located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and in the Chicago metropolitan area. For more information, visit www.FutureMarkPaper.com.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Is going paperless really better for the environment?

January 15, 2013

There are numerous technologies available today to help consumers clean up the mess on their desk, which can lead to saving time. Many of these services are free, which will save consumers money. But, will these technologies save trees? Often people think that by using new technologies instead of print and paper, they are saving trees and making a sound environmental choice.

According to Printing Industries of California, the choices consumers make should be based on a data-driven comparative analysis of lifecycle, carbon footprint and overall environmental impact.

When companies like Google Drive and the other members of the Paperless Coalition, call for companies to "Go Paperless 2013," the organization charges, they don't take into account that paper and print on paper are renewable and recyclable resources. This is another example of a campaign using an environmentally-focused marketing strategy to promote its services while ignoring its own impact upon the environment.

“Print on paper isn't depleting our forests, overwhelming our landfills, or causing global warming,” Printing Industries said. “In the United States, more trees are grown than are harvested and the volume of trees has increased 49 percent over the last 50 years. The amount of U.S. forestland has remained essentially the same for the last 100 years at about 750 million acres, even though the U.S. population tripled during the same period.”

One of the benefits that makes print on paper sustainable is that paper can be 100 percent recyclable. Recyclability is one of paper's credentials as a renewable resource that can begin and end its life in a responsible manner. In 2011 the U.S. paper recovery rate was a record-high 66.8 percent.

“Responsibly managed forests are a critical resource that benefits the environment,” the organization said. “Forests provide wood and wood by-products that are now seen as a preferred material as society tries to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. While it takes energy to produce paper, most of it is renewable. More than 65 percent of the energy needed to produce paper products is derived from carbon-neutral biomass fuel.”

According to Dr. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeacen and chairman and chief scientist for Greenspirit Strategies Inc., "To address climate change, we must use more wood, not less. Using wood sends a signal to the marketplace to grow more trees and to produce more wood. That means we can then use less concrete, steel and plastic - heavy carbon emitters through their production. Trees are the only abundant, biodegradable and renewable global resource."

For more information, visit chooseprint.org.


Paper Recycling Online