Sustana shares with Paper360 the De Pere Mill Optimization for Production of Dry bales

The company reported operating income of $235 million in the quarter, compared to an operating loss of $101 million in the fourth quarter. The improvement reflects higher selling prices in all segments ($206 million) and the net favorable impact of the indefinite idling of pulp and paper operations at the Calhoun (Tennessee) mill ($7 million). This was partially offset by lower shipments as a result of logistics constraints ($29 million), as well as higher fiber ($25 million) and freight expenses ($8 million). The company recorded lower selling, general and administrative expenses ($7 million), mainly due to lower share-based compensation expenses in the quarter. The prior quarter results were unfavorably affected by charges related to the indefinite idling of pulp and paper operations at the Calhoun mill ($171 million).

UPM Raflatac is the first company in the world to invest in Ocean Bound Plastics (OBP) waste as label raw material in their new Ocean Action labels. The Ocean Action labels are made from ocean bound plastic using mass balance approach. Ocean bound plastic is abandoned plastic waste recovered from areas up to 50km inland from waterways, defined as “at risk of ending up in the ocean” by OBPCert. The new innovative label material is made possible by close collaboration with multiple partners in the product’s value chain. ”The new innovative Ocean Action label material is the latest step in our beyond fossils journey. It does not only help prevent the plastic waste from ending up in the oceans but also offers brand owners the possibility to meet their recycled content targets for packaging. The Ocean Action label material is an easy-to-use drop-in solution created especially for food and cosmetics end-uses as it has exactly the same performance as the current fossil-based labels,” says Eliisa Laurikainen, Business Development Manager from UPM Raflatac.

Chief Executive Officer John D. Romano commented, “Tronox’s second quarter performance was consistent with our previous guidance and demonstrated the continued recovery across both TiO2 and zircon. Our TiO2 volumes increased 8% compared to the first quarter, or 16% compared to the prior year quarter, as we continued to see demand increase across all regions, consistent with seasonal trends. Zircon demand remained relatively stable compared to the first quarter. Pricing for both TiO2 and zircon increased from the first quarter into the second, as expected, partially offset by unfavorable mix. We generated $84 million in free cash flow in the quarter and returned $41 million to shareholders in the form of dividends. “On the operations side, our average pigment plant utilization rate in the second quarter was lower than targeted, driven by short-term challenges relating to ramping up our assets. As a result, we incurred higher costs in the second quarter than anticipated and delivered Adjusted EBITDA at the lower end of our guided range. While this will impact the margins of pigment sold in the third quarter, the operating challenges we experienced during the ramp up in the second quarter are resolved, and our average pigment plant utilization rate for July was in the range of 80%.”