July 2024 - Midland Paper

RafCycle: a circular solution for recycling label liner waste

Labels are an essential part of a packaging from food and beverage to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, but labeling also generates waste. The label release liner, the thin layer of paper or plastic that protects the adhesive side of the label, is often discarded after use. That is why we have developed a circular solution called RafCycle™ by UPM Raflatac, a recycling service that allows our customers to turn their label liner waste into new raw materials. The service was first introduced in 2010 and has since grown to include over 440 partners worldwide. RafCycle holds a new certificate of validity from leading international assurance service provider, DEKRA. This certification validates the reliability of the CO2 impact assessments provided by RafCycle in Europe and the US. We collect the label liner waste from our customers and brand owners, arranging a pickup for the waste and handling its transformation into new products. The service helps our customers avoid incineration or landfill disposal methods, save costs and improve their brand image.

ThriftBooks launches BuyBack program (chainstoreage.com)

One of the largest online book retailers is launching a new program for customers to sell their books and help promote sustainability. ThriftBooks Global’s new BuyBack program offers customers a convenient way to sell their books directly to ThriftBooks and earn extra money or store credit from the books collecting dust on their bookshelves. The ThriftBooks’ BuyBack program encourages sustainability, giving old books a second life. The e-tailer says it accepts high-demand books based on its inventory needs, provided the books are in good condition. Books must be clean, free from water damage and missing pages, with the spine intact, though showing some wear is acceptable.

PRC Questions the Reliability of USPS Service Performance Measurement System

The Postal Regulatory Commission has opened an inquiry into the Postal Service’s internal Service Performance Measurement (SPM) system for Market Dominant mail products. The Commission’s goal in this proceeding is to address concerns that the SPM may not accurately represent customer experience in the current environment. The Commission intends to carefully examine how measurements reported by the SPM are derived and whether the SPM is currently producing accurate, reliable, and representative results as the law requires. If the Commission’s review reveals that the SPM is not producing accurate, reliable, and representative results, the Commission would identify changes to the SPM to align it with legal requirements.

Postal Regulator Releases Report Evaluating USPS FY 2023 Performance Report and FY 2024 Performance Plan

The Commission’s in-depth analysis reviewed the Postal Service’s four performance goals: 1) High-Quality Service, 2) Excellent Customer Experience, 3) Safe Workplace and Engaged Workforce, and 4) Financial Health. Overall, in FY 2023, the Postal Service did not meet any of its performance goals. Specifically, *The Postal Service did not meet six of eight public performance indicators for the High-Quality Service performance goal, which measures on-time delivery of mail and packages. *The Postal Service did not meet three of the eight performance indicators for the Excellent Customer Experience performance goal, which measures customer satisfaction. *The Postal Service did not meet any of the performance indicators for the Safe Workplace and Engaged Workforce and Financial Health performance goals.

Small Press Community Slowly Builds Back after SPD Failure (publishersweekly.com)

A little more than three months after Small Press Distribution abruptly closed, leaving some 400 independent presses without a trade distributor, publishers and distributors alike are moving forward even as damage assessment continues. Approximately 25% of the stranded publishers have found new distributors: Asterism Books has signed about 80 presses, Itasca Books has onboarded 21, and Independent Publishers Group has taken on 11. An informal deadline of June 30 had previously been set for publishers to remove their inventory from Ingram Content Group and Publisher Storage and Shipping warehouses, to which SPD had sent their books as part of a failed plan to reinvent the distributor. Pam Nuffer, director of sales and marketing for PSSC, said that about 75% of the publishers who have inventory with them have provided PSSC with instructions on where their inventory should be shipped, and that PSSC has already shipped out about half of the books.

New FSC Interim Forest Stewardship Standard for Poland offers better protection for ecosystems and old-growth forests

A new standard for Poland updates guidance for forest management. It focuses on the protection of rare ecosystems and old-growth forests. Labour rights for forest workers will help to ensure social benefits for forest communities. Overall, the new standard seeks to keep Poland’s forests and all the resources they provide sustainable into the future. The standard becomes effective on 1 October 2024. About one third of Poland is forested, and just over 80 per cent of that is in public ownership. These forests are rich in biodiversity as well as being home to iconic species such as European bison, brown bear, lynx, and wolves. FSC certification has guided forest management in Poland for more than 25 years, but the FSC National Forest Management Standard needed to be brought up to date to reflect the FSC International Principles and Criteria.

Public consultation: Thai forest certification system

Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on the Thai Forest Certification System. Deadline for comments is 31 August. Give your feedback. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) revised the country’s national forest certification system to ensure its forest management standard is up-to-date and continues to meet stakeholder demands and expectations. The revised system also includes a new standard for Trees outside Forests (TOF) certification. The Thai system was submitted to PEFC after being revised in line with PEFC requirements. The system is now undergoing the PEFC assessment process, carried out by an independent PEFC Registered Assessor. It must pass this assessment to maintain its PEFC endorsement.

Sourcing, Producing & Recycling Paper Across the U.S.

For more than 30 years, Pratt has been sourcing, producing and recycling paper in the U.S. We are proud to have built six 100% recycled paper mills in America, taking recovered fiber from old corrugated containers and mixed paper materials and turning it into new rolls of paper. The feedstock for our 100% recycled paper mills largely comes from businesses and homes across the country. “We receive material from major metro areas east of Denver, Colorado,” says Shawn State, President of Pratt Recycling, Inc. This includes New York City, where our Staten Island Recycling facility receives post-consumer waste paper from all 5 boroughs. The recovered waste paper is picked up by the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and delivered to Pratt daily by both barges and trucks. Other metro areas that we source fiber include: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Miami, Nashville and Orlando among many others.

M13 Graphics to Install Landa S10P Nanographic Digital Press

M13 Graphics, a leading online printer, has chosen a Landa Digital Printing Nanographic Printing Press to take on production of the company’s large portfolio of print products, M13 and Landa announced. M13 serves as an online printer for tens of thousands of customers nationwide and has printed several billion impressions since its opening in 2002. Moving jobs to the Landa will allow M13 to offer higher commercial-level quality, options including unlimited paper choices and inline coating, and expanded applications such as EPID and variable. The new capabilities will strengthen M13’s existing, competitive advantages in quality, cost and turnaround times.

GreenFirst Announces Plan to Spin-Out Kap Corporation

GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. announces that it intends to complete a spin-out transaction of Kap Corporation, whereby the shares of Kap will be held directly by the shareholders of the Company. The Spin-out is expected to be completed in Q4 2024. GreenFirst will hold a shareholder meeting on September 12, 2024, where shareholders will be able to vote on the Spin-out. The record date for shareholders entitled to vote at the Meeting will be August 8, 2024. The Spin-out of Kap is part of the natural progression of the decentralization and deconsolidation of the newsprint mill that was originally disclosed by GreenFirst in the Fall of 2023. The Spin-out will enable GreenFirst to focus on its core business of being a pure-play lumber producer, offering shareholders a stake in any future upside from the development of Kap. Under the new structure, Kap will be able to explore numerous possibilities that were not feasible under the original GreenFirst ownership structure. As a separate company, Kap will consider independent financing alternatives and partnerships in the future. Kap Paper Inc. is the only chip consuming facility in Northeastern Ontario and the Spin-out provides Kap Paper with the potential to pursue new opportunities to support the green economy as part of a broader Northern Ontario forest strategy.

ANDRITZ to supply world’s largest lignin production system to Södra pulp mill in Sweden

Swedish forest industry group Södra has selected international technology group ANDRITZ to supply a complete solution for kraft lignin production to its Mönsterås pulp mill in Sweden. This major investment marks Södra’s entry into the lignin market as part of its strategy to make the most of the wood used in pulp production. This will be the first commercial kraft lignin plant in Sweden and the largest in the world. Kraft lignin is a by-product of pulp production for paper. Today it is used in pulp mills to generate energy. However, it can also be used as a renewable resource to replace fossil-based materials in the chemical industry or form the basis for new biofuels.

FSC Aligned Certification for EUDR and system-wide changes now live

The FSC Regulatory Module and FSC Risk Assessment Framework comprise FSC Aligned Certification for EUDR, along with system-wide updates to operationalize these changes and align with the intention of the Policy to Address Conversion. The launch of these requirements ensures that our certification system remains robust and relevant in the evolving regulatory landscape. The Risk Assessment Framework and other system-wide changes are also applicable for Certificate Holders not affected by EUDR. This new voluntary add-on module FSC-STD-01-004 FSC Regulatory Module supports EUDR compliance by providing additional requirements for Forest Management, Chain of Custody, and Controlled Wood Certification as well as accreditation requirements. It is designed to help companies use their FSC certification to meet EUDR’s stringent requirements by taking the guesswork out of what is required on top of FSC certification. The module outlines robust due diligence systems, conducting thorough risk assessments with FSC’s Risk Assessment Framework, and maintaining transparent supply chain documentation.

Monadnock Paper Mills Redefines Sustainable Giving with 100% Post – Consumer Waste Gift Card Solution

In today’s retail landscape, gift cards are a popular staple of modern shopping experiences for busy consumers. However, this convenience comes at a considerable environmental cost. According to the International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA), nearly 30 billion plastic cards are produced globally each year. More than 70% of gift cards are used and discarded within just six months – quickly becoming part of the estimated 53 million tons of plastic waste that either accumulates in landfills, undergoes incineration, or requires energy-intensive recycling processes. Given that the total capacity of the U.S.’s ten chemical-recycling plants is only 456,000 tons per year, it’s evident there is a drastic shortfall in handling this waste sustainably. These facts point to the need for a more sustainable gift card solution – Monadnock Paper Mills has the answer. Leveraging this deep expertise, Monadnock presents its innovative response to the environmental challenges posed by traditional plastic gift cards: Envi PC 100 Card.

Dermody Properties Breaks Ground on LogistiCenter℠ at Pleasant Prairie

Dermody Properties—a diversified private equity investment management company focused exclusively on the national logistics real estate sector—is pleased to announce that WestRock, a global leader in sustainable packaging, has signed a build-to-suit lease at LogistiCenter℠ at Pleasant Prairie. WestRock is establishing a Great Lakes regional corrugated operations hub and will require more than 580,000 square feet within Wisconsin’s newest rail-served logistics park. “We are pleased that WestRock is entrusting Dermody Properties to build its advanced manufacturing facility in southeast Wisconsin,” said Neal Driscoll, Midwest Region Partner at Dermody Properties. “We could not have scripted a better partner to kick off the park, and we look forward to working closely with WestRock and the Village of Pleasant Prairie to complete what we believe will be a best-in-class project.” The Village of Pleasant Prairie sits at the southern doorstep of Wisconsin and has witnessed considerable expansion in the past decade as local companies have grown. Businesses have been attracted to the state’s friendly business climate, availability of labor and high quality of living. LogistiCenter℠ at Pleasant Prairie—Wisconsin’s only rail-served, build-to-suit logistics park—is part of Dermody Properties’ growing portfolio in the thriving Midwest market.