Page 47 from: September 2011
Paper
Contributing to the
Recovered Paper Market
Analysis:
• Melvin de Groot (Van Gelder
Recycling, the Netherlands)
• Marielle Gommans
(Bel Fibres, Belgium)
• Steve Vento (Vipa Lausanne
SA, Switzerland)
lishing the strongest growth among
the various grades. Overseas shipments
of pulp substitutes gained 14% to
1.033 million short tons whereas
exports of mixed and printed news
dropped, respectively, 16% to 2.327
million short tons and 20% to 1.118
million short tons.
In revenue terms, China was the big-
gest buyer of US recovered paper in
the fi rst six months of 2011, paying out
US$ 1.1 billion or 33% more than
in the corresponding period of last
year. Next in line came Mexico on
US$ 177 million (+3%), India on US$
154 million (+27%), South Korea on
US$ 114 million (+15%), Canada on
US$ 92 million (-13%) and the EU on
US$ 58 million (+76%).
Asia
Holding off on purchases
From the international perspective,
recent weeks have been rather quiet in
the Far East as mills have been holding
off on their recovered fi bre purchases
in the hope that prices will fall. By early
September, however, there has been no
downward move as yet, largely
because collection rates around the
world remain low. If collection activity
gathers pace in the coming weeks,
lower prices could become a reality.
Surprisingly, the Indian market remains
very weak for all grades of recovered
paper, with the country’s mills sourcing
hardly any tonnage from Europe.
Asia dominates CEPI exports in 2010
Of all the recovered paper exported by members of the Confederation of
European Paper Industries (CEPI) in 2010, a whopping 97.1% was destined
for Asia, according to the organisation’s ‘Key Statistics’ review of last year.
Compared to 2009, however, shipments to Asia tumbled 25.3% from 12.208
million tonnes to 9.117 million tonnes.
The CEPI countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France,
Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Roma-
nia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK) boosted
their exports to other parts of Europe by 25.5% to 206 000 tonnes while
their shipments to Latin America leapt 83.4% to 21 000 tonnes. In contrast,
deliveries to North America fell 6.9% to 27 000 tonnes while volumes
dispatched to the rest of the world plummeted 81.8% to 14 000 tonnes.
Overall, CEPI exports amounted to 9.385 million tonnes – a total 24.9%
below the 12.488 million tonnes recorded in 2009.
CEPI imports of recovered paper reached 1.22 million tonnes last year for
an increase of 5.5% over 2009; more than 83% of the total came from other
European countries outside of the confederation’s membership.
The ‘Key Statistics’ publication also reveals that, of the 111.514 million
tonnes of raw material used in papermaking throughout the CEPI region,
recovered paper accounted for 48.972 million tonnes or 43.9% of the total.
This equates to an increase of 7.9% over the 2009 fi gure. In terms of recov-
ered paper utilisation by country, Germany led the way on 33.2%, followed
by France (10.8%), Italy (10.6%) and Spain (10.4%).
Topics announced for paper recycling
event
Paper Recycling Europe 2011 will feature a review of the EU’s end-of-waste
legislation and its potential impact on the recovered paper sector. Organised
by the Recycling Today Media Group and Pira International, the conference
will also cover quality challenges inherent in collecting more fi bre via the
co-mingled route and the efforts being made to fi nd solutions.
Taking place in the Spanish city of Barcelona on November 9-10, the event
will also address developments in global trade patterns during a panel
discussion led by Bill Moore, President of US paper industry consulting fi rm
Moore & Associates. Contributions are also scheduled from: Niels van
Binsbergen, Managing Director of ACN Europe; Francisco Donoso, Director
of Spain-based Reciclajes Dolaf; Philippe Chantrain, Sales and Marketing
Manager at the Cellmark offi ce in Sweden; and Marc Forman, President of
US-based GP Harmon Recycling. The conference will also consider the busi-
ness outlook for the paper and board industries, as well as the decision by
some generators to market their recovered paper directly. A question-and-
answer session with Guillermo Valles Albar, Director of Materials at Spanish
papermaker Saica, is also planned.
For more information, visit:
www.paperrecyclingconference.com
Textiles
By Günther Krippendorf,
FWS Alta-West, Germany
Collection fi rms
lament ‘unfair’
competition
The European textiles recycling mar-
ket continues to suffer from tight sup-
ply of originals. Although sorting
companies currently have suffi cient
material to feed their capacities, it is
still proving diffi cult to fi nd additional
volumes to cover the winter months.
As a result of the relatively cold sum-
mer, collection volumes have been
slightly higher than last year. How-
ever, reputable collection companies
are continuing to complain of a pro-
liferation of illegal containers for
second-hand clothing. Currently,
many questionable collection com-
panies and organisations are report-
edly operating in the market,
providing unfair competition for
established players using methods
which do not comply with the law.
As usual at the end of the summer
holiday season, sorting companies
are working at full capacity. Demand
for premium grades remains very
strong and Eastern Europe is already
ordering winter clothing. Demand
from Africa has been stable through-
out the summer season and is expect-
ed to remain fi rm with the end of the
Ramadan, which marks the start of
the main sales season in Africa.
Wiping cloths are currently easy to sell
and demand is outstripping supply. As
a result, prices are expected to con-
tinue to rise. The recycling grades can
also be sold with ease and demand
remains strong. The trend in favour of
rising bed feather prices is also con-
tinuing. However, it is virtually impos-
sible to predict price developments for
the medium and long term.
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