Week of 13 April 2026: Conflict of Interest

Environmental Issues seem to have no sunset. The typical environmental scientist (at least I think from my own experience) became interested in the subject while in high school, pursued it in higher education, then obtained employment in a lab or regulatory agency, often government funded.

More on Innovation

Saica Group announced that it leads innovation with the launch of the first recycled paper adhesive tape on the market.

Balancing Renewable Fiber, Energy Demands, and Rising Expectations: The Pulp Industry's Environmental Story

The pulp and paper industry has made significant environmental progress over the years. In just a generation or two, the transformation has been outstanding - with impressive advances even in the last five to ten years. With this in mind, let's examine the environmental performance of our mills: the day-to-day challenges operators face, the real gains achieved through sustained investments, and the practical steps that can be taken. Because the modern world continues to rely on the essential products our mills make.

Efficiency Effects - Jevons Paradox

In the 90's there was a vision for what business called the "paperless office." The advent and adoption of computers, email, cheap printers, database recordkeeping, etc. was supposed to drive office paper usage into the dustbin of history. What did we actually experience? US office paper consumption rose 14.7% between 1995 and 2000. Despite the digital tool kit, people in the office environment printed more drafts, emails, and files than ever before. This effect, or some would call it a paradox, has a name...Jevons Paradox.

From Ambition to Action: Setting Meaningful Environmental Targets in the Pulp, Paper and Packaging Industry

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance is increasingly measured by how well companies define and meet internal environmental targets. For the pulp, paper, and paper-based packaging sectors, setting clear and credible goals is no longer optional - it's essential.

How Pulp and Paper Mills Should Think About MES and ERP

When pulp and paper manufacturers evaluate a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), the real decision is rarely about software features. The harder question is architectural: where should manufacturing intelligence live between ERP systems and the mill floor? The more important question is structural: how should responsibilities be divided between ERP systems and manufacturing execution tools?

[Adv.]MAJIQ

(Adv.) SAP offers you an easy direct link to their breaking developments

Suzano helps lift over 140,000 people out of poverty in its areas of operation over a five-year period

Initiatives focusing on income generation and economic inclusion are benefiting key regions and reinforcing the value of the company's social responsibility strategy

Challenges and opportunities for the German timber and forestry industry - Mercer's findings from the WEHAM study

In early July 2025, representatives from politics, business, and science gathered in Berlin to discuss the future of German forests. Read how Mercer is actively shaping structural change and responding to climate change, raw wood supply, and new markets.

Read the monthly Industree 4.0 newsletters here

Check out the monthly newsletters here or subscribe and have them emailed to you hot off the press!

Fiber Processing

Steam and Condensate Chronicles

Where is Jim this week?

As I travel, I am always looking for someone to go to dinner with, share a barbeque sandwich lunch and so forth.

Miami student receives Paperitalo Publications endowed scholarship

Natalie Lang, left, is shown receiving the Paperitalo Publications endowed scholarship from Jim Thompson, at the Miami University Paper Science & Engineering Foundation Meeting, April 8, 2025. Natalie will be a sophomore in the fall.

Fire at Packaging Corporation of America Richland, Washington packaging facility prompts evacuation

An early evening fire at Packaging Corporation of America in the Horn Rapids area led to the evacuation of the building on April 8.

Mondi confirms fatal shooting at Richards Bay facility

Investigation underway after fatal shooting at Mondi Richards Bay mill.

Video Apparently Shows Employee Suspect Igniting Huge Kimberly-Clark Warehouse Fire, and Making Ominous Remark

A six-alarm fire broke out Tuesday, April 7 at a Kimberly-Clark warehouse in Ontario, Calif., requiring 175 firefighters to contain it.

Clearwater Paper Reduces SBS Production at its Arkansas Facility

Clearwater Paper Corporation announced the restructuring of its Cypress Bend, Arkansas facility, resulting in the reduction of approximately 20% of salaried and hourly roles at the facility. The company plans to operate the facility at about half of its production capability. The company expects these actions to deliver $8 to $12 million of annualized cost savings, while not impacting shipment volumes.

Saica Flex Deeside invests $2.9 million in new coating machine at UK facility

Saica Flex Deeside has announced a GBP 2.2 million (Euro 2.5 million) investment in a fully automatic coating machine, a move that quadruples the site's previous coating capacity. The state-of-the-art equipment coats wider materials at higher speeds with enhanced precision, delivering improved efficiency and product quality for the UK label industry.

Online auction for High End Stock Prep, Pulping, and Finishing Equipment from the former Georgia-Pacific Specialty Pulp Mill will be held May 7

An online auction will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2026 for High End Stock Prep, Pulping, and Finishing Equipment from the former Georgia-Pacific Specialty Pulp Mill in Perry, Florida.

Update: Deranged employee identified as alleged arsonist behind massive Kimberly-Clark Ontario, California warehouse fire

Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, of Highland has been arrested on two felony arson charges for torching a warehouse operated by consumer goods company Kimberly-Clark in Ontario, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation.

Firefighter taken to hospital for minor head injury after Smurfit Westrock Solvay, New York industrial fire; parts of facility damaged

One firefighter was taken to a hospital for a minor head injury and some property was damaged during a blaze at a Solvay industrial facility Tuesday night, April 7.

Arson suspect arrested after massive fire tears through Kimberly-Clark warehouse in Ontario, California

More than 100 firefighters were on scene battling the flames that cast an orange glow in the area.

Estimated $1 million damage following fire at Quad Graphics in Hartford, Wisconsin

An active fire investigation is still underway at the time of this release to determine the cause of the fire. Early estimates of total loss are near $1 million.

Emergency crews respond to explosion at Weyerhaeuser facility in Columbia Falls, Montana

No injuries were reported in the explosion, which is still under investigation. A cause has not yet been determined.

Fire breaks out at Rayonier Advanced Materials Paper Mill in Jesup, Georgia

Jesup is resuming operations following the outage, with one production line currently not operating due to the fire.

Packaging Corporation of America closing full-line plant in Richmond, Virginia

Packaging Corporation of America is closing a converting plant in Richmond, Virginia, impacting 110 employees come June.

Metsä Group plans commercial wood-based carbon capture plant in Rauma, Finland

Metsä Group has initiated a pre-engineering project for its first commercial biogenic carbon capture plant, with a planned nominal capacity of 100,000 tonnes of captured wood-based carbon dioxide per year.

Rayonier Maintains Current Name and Ticker Symbol, Introduces New Logo

Rayonier announced that it will maintain the Rayonier name after a thorough review of alternatives following its recent merger of equals with PotlatchDeltic, while also introducing a new corporate logo that reflects a fresh brand identity for the combined company.

Weyerhaeuser Selects Gallatin For First Facility In Tennessee

Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest forest products companies, has selected Gallatin for a new wood products distribution center that will strengthen its ability to serve customers and manufacturing partners across the Southeast. The project represents Weyerhaeuser's first operational facility in Tennessee.

Multiple agencies fight fire at International Paper facility in Redwood, Mississippi

No injuries were reported.

UK watchdog probes $3.4 billion Suzano and Kimberly-Clark deal

The ⁠Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ​a ​May ⁠28 deadline to ​announce ​a ⁠decision from its ⁠phase ​1 investigation.

Norske Skog to sell Saugbrugs properties for $74 million

Norsk Nukleær Dekommisjonering has agreed to acquire certain properties at the Norske Skog Saugbrugs industrial site in Halden, a transaction valued at approximately NOK 720 million ($74 million) net.

UPM and Mark Andy renew strategic partnership in the Americas for seventh consecutive year

UPM Adhesive Materials, a global supplier of self-adhesive paper and film products, and Mark Andy, a leading manufacturer of narrow- and mid-web printing and finishing equipment, announce the renewal of their strategic partnership in the Americas for the seventh consecutive year.

Sealed Air Announces Completion of Acquisition by CD&R

Sealed Air is now a privately held company and its shares have ceased trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Globant and CMPC Launched an AI-Based Supply Chain Traceability Solution compliant with EU Deforestation Regulation

The solution enables real-time reporting, automated document intelligence, and scalable regulatory compliance across global operations.

Boise Cascade Named One of the Most Trustworthy Companies in America in 2026

The list of winners spans 23 industries and recognizes 700 leading companies that have demonstrated exceptional trustworthiness in the eyes of consumers, employees, and investors. Boise Cascade ranked in the Top 12 within its industry.

Decisions of UPM-Kymmene Corporation's Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting adopted the financial statements for 2025 and resolved on a dividend of €1.50 per share for the financial period 2025.

Pregis Recognizes Channel Partners Driving Environmental and Social Impact with 2025 Pregis Purpose Awards

These awards recognize Pregis channel partners for adopting product solutions that deliver measurable environmental and social outcomes during 2025.

Pixelle Embraces the Future of Strategic Intelligence With VORA - A Next-Gen AI Solution

Adoption of the VORA AI platform from Industry Intelligence reflects Pixelle's forward‑thinking approach to strategy and innovation.

Box Lake Lumber Products secures five years of timber in Kootenay region, B.C.

The volume comes from unlogged timber in Tree Farm Licence 3, which Interfor holds.

Sun Chemical Enables Full Color Printing on High-Temperature Food Packaging Applications with AquaHeat Technology

Sun Chemical has announced the launch of the AquaHeat platform, a new generation of food-safe, bio-based printing inks. The new inks enable full-color printing for high-temperature food applications, unlocking commercial baking and food-service packaging opportunities previously not possible, while supporting sustainability, productivity, and regulatory confidence.

Have you tried the Paperitalo Supplier Directory lately?

If you are looking for goods and services in the pulp and paper industry, you need to check out the Paperitalo Directory!

Engineer's Path to Executive Leadership

Also, Highly Relevant for Senior Supplier Sales Professionals: If you sell into mills, you're already part of the business--but often without full visibility into how decisions are really made. This program helps you think like your customers, so you can sell at a higher level and win earlier in the decision process.

Mondi showcases semi-chemical fluting portfolio for demanding food and heavy-duty supply chains

Mondi's premium semi-chemical fluting solutions are designed to perform reliably in challenging conditions, from long-distance transport to cold storage and high-humidity environments.

Student Spotlight: Senior Avery Hendl of Miami University

The Paper Science & Engineering Foundation at Miami University was founded in 1960 through the donations of several local paper mills and corporations who wanted to ensure the education of future paper engineers. The foundation continues to actively work with students in the paper science and engineering program at Miami University. Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with senior Avery Hendl. We asked her a few questions about her experiences at Miami.

Student Spotlight: Interview with N.C. State Paper Science and Engineering junior Abby Hickman

Abby Hickman shares her experiences at N.C. State.

Interview with University of Maine senior Kenzie Karpinski

The University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation leads a partnership between the University of Maine, the Pulp and Paper industry and aspiring engineering students. Its role is to recruit, support and prepare talented engineering students to become the next great leaders in the pulp and paper industry, while also helping to meet the workforce needs of the industry, specifically in chemical, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering. Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with senior Kenzie Karpinski. We asked her a few questions about her experiences at UMaine.

Student Spotlight: Cameron Borner of Minnesota, graduating in Spring 2026

At the University of Minnesota, the Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering (BBE) program prepares students to solve real-world problems with practical, sustainable solutions. It brings together biological sciences, engineering principles, and technology to address society's growing demands for material, food, and energy using renewable resources. Cameron Borner is a student in the program, and he shares some of his experiences at Minnesota.

UMaine student leads development of new low cost, mass-manufacturable microdroplet generators

Microdroplet generators are devices that produce tiny, precise liquid samples used for large-scale drug testing, cosmetics, cell analysis and scientific research.

Miami University Paper Science & Engineering Foundation names Mike Lopane as new executive director

Mike will assume the Executive Director's role on January 1, 2026 with the retirement of our current Executive Director, Dr. Gary Rudemiller. Gary has been in this role for eight years now, and we wish him well in his retirement.

Interview with University of Maine senior Justin Pelletier

The University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation was incorporated in 1952 by 12 UMaine graduates financially supporting and preparing well-educated engineering students for careers in the pulp and paper and allied industries. Paperitalo Publications was able to catch up with senior Justin Pelletier. We asked him a few questions about his experiences at UMaine.

Student Spotlight: Tatum Havard of Georgia Tech

Paperitalo Publications was able to interview Tatum Havard, and we asked her a few questions about her experiences at Georgia Tech.

The Light Green Machine Institute

Ideas you can use now.

Capital Arguments for March 2026

Check out TALOtech groups on LinkedIn

The purpose of the TALOtech groups on LinkedIn is to provide a convenient forum for people working within the manufacturing part of this industry to share technical and operating related dialog to promote safe and competitive operations.

Energy & the Environment News

Your contributions are welcome in this department, regardless of point of view. A few criteria--if you send us a copyrighted piece, also provide a permission to publish statement from the owner. We will not publish overtly political pieces or anonymous pieces.

Check out the Paperitalo Library

Items just for you

Explore Pulp and Paper MES Software News

Pulp & Paper Radio International Program Schedule and Archives

Click here to listen to our latest episodes!

Volatility in the OCC/wastepaper market, trends in the recovered fiber and sustainable packaging markets

We welcome Myles Cohen, founder of Circular Ventures, LLC, to discuss the volatility in the OCC/wastepaper market, plus trends in the recovered fiber and sustainable packaging markets.