HOPING FOR STABILITY

摘要

Recycled paper mill leaders recently weighed in on the factors behind market shifts, how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting generation and demand, and where markets are headed in the future. A discussion in the "New Normal" online series from Resource Recycling featured Linda Leone of WestRock, Jay Simmons of North Pacific Paper Company (NORPAC), and Ron Sasine of Crossroads Paper. The three discussed recent expansion projects and fielded questions on recovered fiber market trends. WestRock, which operates recycling facilities and paper mills across the U.S., saw "significant change" with a shift from away-from-home packaging to at-home packaging as the pandemic took hold this spring. There was substantially more material going into curbside bins, noted Leone, who serves as vice president of recycled fiber supply at the company. The shift from commercial to residential generation carries its own impacts for fiber feedstock. Residential material typically includes more contamination, and the OCC often comes in the form of smaller cardboard boxes used for e-commerce sales.