Kraft packaging paper has maintained a roughly 4% share of all fiber-based packaging capacity since 2015, however, as of late, the relative share of Asia-Pacific (APAC) capacity in kraft papers is beginning to grow, as seen in the image below.

Unbleached recycled fiber market pulp, also known as brown recycled pulp or BRP, is a new grade of market pulp that didn’t exist before 2017, but is expected to be a hot raw material in the Pulp and Paper industry within the next couple of years.

Consumer awareness about excessive plastic pollution and its hazardous effects to the environment has intensified in recent years, and we are beginning to see more countries begin to impose bans in an attempt to significantly reduce plastic pollution.

With so much activity that has occurred in the pulp and paper industry over the last quarter, it’s difficult to keep up with some of the major developments that could impact various segments across the industry.

As the sustainability movement continues to gain traction, there is a clear trend to move further away from unsustainable packaging and utensils, such as plastic and Styrofoam trays, cups and plates.

We now live in an era where the world has come to the realization that we cannot keep consuming our natural resources in the way we once did.

The Pulp and Paper industry continues to gain recognition for its sustainability-related advancements and achievements through new innovations and related initiatives.

Russia exported around 6 million tons of pulp and paper products in 2021, with close to 40% of the flow arriving in China’s market, as seen in Figure 1.

So far, 2022 has proven to be just as unpredictable and hectic as the previous two years.

The global economy has been navigating evolving supply chain crises since mid-2020, and some of the associated challenges seem to be growing more complex.

Market pulp is a critical global commodity within the pulp and paper industry. As such, it is a constant fixture in global trade flows because of its primary role in manufacturing numerous paper grades.

In December 2021, Swedish pulp and paper manufacturer BillerudKorsnäs AB announced its acquisition of North American coated papers producer Verso Corporation.

The pulp and paper industry is one of the largest consumers of industrial process water in the US, and the second largest in Europe (water is used within 85% of all three stages of paper production).

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin organized and initiated an invasion into Ukraine.

As we’ve discussed before, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues are becoming increasingly important amongst business owners and consumers alike.

Last year, we examined how the COVID-19 pandemic supercharged the packaging and corrugated sector – a piece in which we analyzed the various effects and opportunities it has since created for the Pulp and Paper industry.

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) initiatives and investments continue to shape decision-making in nearly every industry, and as a result, sustainability-related issues have moved to the top of the list of corporate priorities.

Similar to 2020, the Pulp and Paper industry underwent some significant changes in 2021—some expected, some unexpected.

The Printing and Writing segment has been a declining sector for a number of years as the digital age has matured.

It’s the gift that keeps on living and here’s why.

During 2021, we’ve seen the Pulp and Paper industry go above and beyond to place sustainability matters at the forefront of its priorities.