<B>Recycled Board Production Up Slightly Through May</B>

Recycled paperboard production ended up the first five months of the year, according to the American Forest and Paper Association. The production total for Jan.-May stands at 6.749 million tons, a 1.6 percent increase from figures the same time last year.

Meanwhile, total paperboard production increased 1.6 percent to 40.303 million tons.

Broken out by individual commodity groups, recycled linerboard production moved up a slim 0.7 percent over the first five months of the year. On an annual rate, year to date, recycled linerboard stands at 4.048 million tons.

Total linerboard production, on an annual rate, year to date, stands at 21.378 million tons, a 0.4 percent increase from last year.

Recycled corrugated medium, on an annual rate, year to date, stands at 3.877 million tons, a 1.2 percent decline from figures last year.

Total medium production during the same time increased 2.1 percent to 9.818 million tons.

Recycled boxboard production increased from last year to this year. Total recycled boxboard production increased by 1.7 percent between the two years, with the production rate, on an annual rate, year to date, standing at 2.856 million tons.