2008: Year-in-review, Part I

摘要

As 2008 began, many industries were dealing with a repeat of problems that plagued the previous year: a slowing domestic economy and rising energy and other costs. The price of gasoline still loomed above $3.00 per gallon in many areas across the country, hurting collection and deliveries of scrap and finished products. To combat rising costs, many companies using recycled materials, such as Rock-Tenn Co., Caraustar and Sonoco, raised prices on their finished products. Growth in demand for finished products from U.S. is predicted to be stagnant in upcoming years. The American Forest & Paper Association's 48th Annual Capacity Survey forecast that paper and paper-board capacity would decline 0.7 percent in 2008 and subsequently rebounding 0.2 percent in 2009 and 0.3 percent in 2010. The market for scrap fiber started to pick up in February and March, due to the export market picking up and domestic mills being low on material. Markets for other recyclables, such as aluminum and plastic scrap, appeared firm.