below please find a selection of the latest news from the world of pulp and paper.

ipw news

Dr. Hans-Peter Sollinger, CEO of Voith Paper from 2005 to 2014, turns 70. In his more than 30 years of service at Voith, Sollinger played a key role in shaping the company and made a significant contribution to its success. “On behalf of Voith Paper, I would like to congratulate Hans-Peter Sollinger on his 70th birthday,” says Andreas Endters, current President & CEO Voith Paper. “As our former CEO, Mr. Sollinger had a massive impact not just on our organization but also on the people who worked with him. We would like to thank him most sincerely for his more than three decades of loyal service and wish him all the very best!”

Mondi has won the German Packaging Award 2023, which is awarded by the German Packaging Institute, in the category “material substitution" for Protector Bag ExpandForm. Developed in collaboration with Megaflex Schaumstoff, a family-owned manufacturer for flexible foams, mattresses and sleeping products, Protector Bag ExpandForm replaces the current plastic packaging for mattress rollpacking with a flexible and recyclable paper bag solution.

Peter Oswald, MM CEO, comments: “The development of the MM Group in the 1^st half-year reflects the continuing weak demand in the cartonboard and paper sector after the record year 2022. As already communicated in mid-June, the significant decline in results is mainly attributable to the weak volume development in the division MM Board & Paper. In contrast, the division MM Packaging was able to record an overall positive performance with the successful integration of last year's acquisitions in the resilient pharmaceutical packaging sector and factoring in one-off restructuring costs.”

International technology group Andritz has received an order from Stora Enso to optimize the fiberline at the Enocell pulp mill in Uimaharju, Finland. This will help the customer meet the growing demand for non-bleached renewable packaging materials while at the same time reducing its ecological footprint. Andritz technologies will provide the customer with the required flexibility. In parallel, operational costs will be optimized through improved operational reliability and minimimized chemical, freshwater and energy consumption. The modernization will be carried out gradually with completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024.

In mid-June, PM 16 from Chinese paper manufacturer Huawon successfully started up at the Ma'anshan site, Anhui Province, with leading solutions from Voith. With the PM 16, Huawon will produce high-quality, environmentally friendly décor base paper and thus strengthen its market position at home and abroad.

EcoVadis has recognised UPM with a platinum score based on the company’s sustainability performance in the following four categories: Environment, Labour and human rights, Ethics and Sustainable procurement. Only one per cent of the 100,000 global companies assessed received platinum. UPM’s score 87/100 was one of the highest in the Manufacture of Pulp, Paper and Paperboard industry.

Smithers' upcoming Specialty Papers Europe conference, taking place on 5-6 September 2023 in Vienna, Austria, is set to feature insights on sustainability in fibre-based materials from Nestlé and L’Oréal.

Holmen Iggesund launches Inverform PET 30, a 30 gsm version of its popular ready-made meal trays. This unique product will help customers lower their climate impact substantially. Compared to the 40 gsm version, the reduction is more than 25%.

bio-fibre news

As the focus of the packaging industry is continuously shifting to sustainability, innovations in fiber-based packaging are shaping a new ecosystem. Smithers has published a new white paper, 10 Recent Innovations That Are Changing the Landscape of Fiber-Based Packaging, which offers an in-depth insight into the strengths and limitations of fiber-based packaging formats.