Spain's paper consumption, industry investment on the rise, ASPAPEL says
The Spanish Association of Pulp and Paper Manufacturers (ASPAPEL) reports that Spain’s paper industry has experienced renewed growth in the second quarter of 2015 (4.6 percent in April and 5.7 percent in May), after recovering in 2014, when the industry posted a 2.8 percent increase in paper consumption, after several years of declines.
According to ASPAPEL, the 2014 recovery followed a period of annual declines in paper consumption, after reaching a record high of 7.9 million metric tons in 2006.
Increased consumption was reported for all types of paper in 2014, except hygienic and sanitary types which fell by 2.6 percent. In the packaging paper category, cartonboard increased in 2014 by 2.9 percent and corrugated papers by 3.3 percent The use of other packaging had the highest growth of 5.7 percent.
The association also reports that the paper industry has opened a new investment cycle, growing by 23 percent in 2014. This compares with European Union paper industry investments up by 2.2 percent in 2014. According to ASPAPEL, 2014 investments totaled €183 million, which were primarily aimed at increasing production capacity, cost reduction and technological innovation.
“We’re industry and we lay claim to industry, the real economy, that generates added value and wealth, that creates jobs, that invests and innovates,” states Eduardo Querol, chairman of ASPAPEL.
The growth of exports, along with reduced imports in recent years have also helped the Spanish paper industry, ASPAPEL says. During the “crisis” period from 2007 to 2013, Spanish paper production fell only half a million metric tons, thanks to the growth of exports and reduced imports. The association says that Spain’s paper industry sells half of its production to foreign markets.
Further good news for the sector, ASPAPEL says, is that accident rates in the paper industry have been reduced to less than half since 2006, according to the association’s Fourth Paper Industry Sustainability Report published in July 2015.
According to the report, the collection of paper for recycling increased 4.1 percent in 2014.
In addition, 80 percent of the wood and 72 percent of waste paper used as raw materials by the Spanish pulp and paper industry are locally sourced. The report also finds that 81 percent of process waste is recovered either for energy recovery in the mill itself, for direct agricultural use, for composting and/or for use as raw materials in other industries.
ASPAPEL’s fourth annual sustainability report can be downloaded at http://www.aspapel.es/en/sustainability/report.
Source: Recycling Today
The Spanish Association of Pulp and Paper Manufacturers (ASPAPEL) reports that Spain’s paper industry has experienced renewed growth in the second quarter of 2015 (4.6 percent in April and 5.7 percent in May), after recovering in 2014, when the industry posted a 2.8 percent increase in paper consumption, after several years of declines. According to ASPAPEL, the 2014 recovery followed a period of annual declines in paper consumption, after reaching a record high of 7.9 million metric tons in 2006. Increased consumption was reported for all types of paper in 2014, except hygienic and sanitary types which fell by 2.6 percent. In the packaging paper category, cartonboard increased in 2014 by 2.9 percent and corrugated papers by 3.3 percent The use of other packaging had the highest growth of 5.7 percent. The association also reports that the paper industry has opened a new investment cycle, growing by 23 percent in 2014. This compares with European Union paper industry investments up by 2.2 percent in 2014. According to ASPAPEL, 2014 investments totaled €183 million, which were primarily aimed at increasing production capacity, cost reduction and technological innovation. “We’re industry and we lay claim to industry, the real economy, that generates added…