IP to close two recycling facilities

International Paper (IP), headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, has announced plans to permanently close its recycling facilities in Denver and in Memphis, Tennessee, by the end of the first quarter of 2015. The closings will affect about 25 employees at each facility.

IP says the decision to shut down the two facilities followed thorough analyses and reviews of the company’s operations.

“We recognize the significant impact on our team members and their families,” says Tom Cleves, IP vice president and general manager of containerboard and recycling. “We will work to assist affected team members with a search for other opportunities within our company and with outplacement services, severance pay and other benefits.”

IP says its other operations in Memphis will not be affected by the closure.

Following the closures, IP Recycling will operate 18 recycling plants in the United States. The company says it recovers, processes or facilitates the sale of more than 6 million tons of recovered fiber per year in the U.S.