Verso Announce Price Increase for Ideal® Uncoated Freesheet Products

Neenah, a leading global manufacturer of specialty materials, is announcing that it has joined the Soteria Battery Innovation Group (BIG), a consortium of 100+ companies representing different developers and users across the lithium-ion battery ecosystem. The consortium is committed to using new technology to bring safer batteries to the market, which aligns directly with Neenah's passion for innovation and the company's emphasis on safety. Lithium-ion batteries continue to dominate the battery market, with projected growth from $41B in sales in 2021 to over $110B by 2030. Neenah will utilize its significant expertise in nonwovens to pursue fiber-based separator applications that can meet users' short and long-term needs.

UPM will suspend purchasing of wood in and from Russia as well as the UPM Chudovo plywood mill operations for the time being. The company is preparing a mitigation plan accordingly. UPM also informed on 3 March 2022 that it will cease deliveries to Russia. The suspension will be implemented with due consideration of UPM’s local employees, customers and stakeholders as well as the legislation in Russia. UPM continues to honour its obligations towards its employees in Russia. UPM businesses will keep their customers and suppliers informed of the situation. We also continue to monitor the development of the sanctions and will make further decisions accordingly. Today’s decision is in line with the recent analysis and positions by major forest certification bodies FSC and PEFC. They have excluded the wood originating from Russia and Belarus from their certification systems.

Stora Enso is today launching its latest lignin-based innovation, NeoLigno® by Stora Enso. NeoLigno is a fully bio-based binder system without formaldehyde and isocyanates, thus, providing healthier indoor and working environments. Hazardous chemicals aren't always visible to the naked eye, yet they may be in homes or products used every day. Stora Enso is on a mission to replace such products with renewable materials. The new binder NeoLigno demonstrates the unique properties and potential of lignin. Lignin is nature's second most common macromolecule after cellulose. It is found in all plants and makes up to a third of the composition of wood. Lignin is a renewable raw material free from toxic substances and fully traceable to its area of origin. NeoLigno is a bio-based, high-performing alternative for industries currently using fossil-based binders or hazardous chemicals. Initial target applications for NeoLigno are in particleboards and insulation materials used in the building and construction industry.