Consumption, Inventory of Recovered Fiber Dips in January

The consumption of recovered fiber dipped 0.6 percent for January, compared to figures the same time last year. According to the American Forest and Paper Association, paper stock use by domestic mills reached 3.135 million tons in January, compared to last January's figure of 3.154 million tons.

While the figure is down slightly from the previous year, it is a modest increase from figures the previous month.

While showed a modest decline for the month, the inventory of recovered fiber at paper and paperboard mills continues to decline. At the end of January the inventory level stands at 984,000 tons, close to a 15 percent drop from figures the same time last year. Additionally, the inventory is down roughly the same amount from the previous month.

The continued decline in inventory levels has been a step many paper and paperboard mills have been taking in attempt to prevent tying up too much capital with recovered fiber.

The decline in inventory levels has taken hold throughout the paper industry, with market pulp, most grades of printing and writing paper, newsprint and most grades of paperboard all reporting sharp declines in inventory levels from figures the same time in 1999.