Recycled Paperboard Production Slips in January

The domestic production of recycled paperboard posted a modest 0.8 percent decline for January, compared to figures the same time last year. According to the American Forest and Paper Association, total production of recycled paperboard stands at 1.304 million tons for January, compared to last January’s figure of 1.314 million tons.

Although the figures for the month are down slightly, it is far better than the total paperboard market, which showed production down a much steeper 3.4 percent for the month.

While total production is down, recycled linerboard production posted a sharp improvement for the month. January’s total of 333,000 tons is a 6.1 percent improvement from figures the same time last year.

The improvement in recycled linerboard is also in sharp contrast to the total linerboard production level, which posted a 2.8 percent drop between the two months.

While recycled linerboard improved, recycled corrugated medium continued on the downward arc it has been seeing over the past year. For January, production stands at 345,000 tons, a 2.9 percent drop from figures the same time last year. While declining, recycled medium production has performed better than the overall corrugated medium market, which posted a sharper 4.2 percent drop between the two years.