WRAP Publishes Feasibility Study On North South Paper Mill

A major North-South Study on the feasibility of establishing a paper mill on the island of Ireland has been published.

Funded jointly by the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland through the Waste & Resources Action Programme, and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the Republic of Ireland, the study assesses the contribution a new paper mill could make to delivering a dynamic recycled paper market on the island of Ireland.

The study was welcomed by DOE Minister David Cairns and Dick Roche, the Republic’s Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. David Cairns said:

"I welcome the publication of the study on the feasibility of an all island paper mill. The study provides valuable research and information for businesses interested in investing in this field. I hope that the report will help pave the way for the possibility of greater paper recycling through increased efficiency and added market value on the island of Ireland."

Dick Roche described the study as an excellent example of North/South co-operation and added:

"The potential for additional reprocessing capacity should be explored and evaluated. This study will provide an excellent basis for going forward. It provides invaluable analysis and data for this industrial sector. What we are trying to achieve here is very much in line with the brief given to the Market Development Group to explore ways in which stable markets and possibilities for reprocessing recyclable material can be identified and developed."

A tissue mill was found likely to present the best opportunity as; sufficient quantity and quality of supply can be sourced locally; there is a local market; there is no existing mill on the island; and a mill capacity of approximately 40,000 metric tons per year could be financially viable.

"WRAP is pleased to have funded this project, which has provided a very clear picture of the paper recycling opportunities on the island of Ireland. The work contributes to WRAP’s ongoing remit to support the development of commercially viable and sustainable recycling infrastructure," said David Powlson, WRAP’s Paper Technical Manager.

To view the full report click on the following link -- Paper Mill Report.

In the Republic of Ireland, a total of 821,903 metric tons of paper (including cardboard) for both the household and commercial sector was generated in 2004. The national recovery rate is 45.7 percent, compared to less than 15 percent in 1998. The levels of household waste paper being recovered has increased significantly in recent years up from 13.3 percent in 2002 to 34 percent in 2004. The recovery rate for paper and cardboard in the commercial sector was 55 percent in 2004.