Recycled Board Production Ends Year on Down Note

Reflecting the doldrums the paper and paperboard industry has been in this year, recycled paperboard production ended a year on a down note. For December, production stands at 1.109 million tons, a decline from December 2000, as well as from November 2001.

Recycled board production for the year reached 15.471 million tons, a 2.1 percent drop from production figures for 2000.

While the figure is down from the previous year, it posted better figures than the overall paperboard industry, which saw production for 2001 decline by 4.4 percent for the year from 2000 figures.

Broken out by individual commodity groups, recycled linerboard production declined b y 2.6 percent for the year to 3.769 million tons, compared to total linerboard production, which declined by 4.5 percent.

Recycled corrugated medium posted an improvement year over year. For 2001, production of the grade stands at slightly more than 4 million tons, a 1.9 percent improvement from figures the same time in 2000. This compares favorably with total corrugated medium production, which declined by 3.5 percent between the two years.

Recycled boxboard was the biggest loser between the two years. According to the American Forest and Paper Association production of this grade declined by 5.2 percent from 2000 to 2001. For the year recycled boxboard production stands at 2.623 million tons. In comparison, total boxboard production declined a less severe 3.3 percent between 2000 and 2001.