Nonmetallics

BIR PAPER REPORT

Midway through the fourth quarter of 1997, financial crises in major importing countries such as Indonesia and Korea were the primary cause of a dramatic fall in U.S. exports of recovered paper, according to a recent Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) report. It is anticipated that final first quarter figures will reveal that the trend continued into the first quarter of this year and it may possibly continue into the second quarter.

Fortunately, the U.S. recovered paper industry enjoyed sustained business from domestic mills throughout 1997 in addition to steady orders from Canada and Mexico. The BIR report notes that those orders have kept prices of de-ink wood-free grades firm. Mixed paper remains fairly stable while there is continued strong demand for OCC. Serious weakness in the market for news grades is attributed to the fall in orders from Korea and Indonesia.

NEW PACKAGING BARRIER

A new packaging material, called Ensobarr, is being introduced by Enso Paperboards of Karhula, Finland. The company says the packaging board offers superior protective qualities compared to other plastic-based barrier layers.

Ensobarr has a comparable performance to aluminum foil and makes packages easier to recycle than conventional ones made of thick polymer or aluminum laminates, the company claims. “The Ensobarr coating has only three layers instead of the normal four or more,” says Tapani Penttinen, development manager at Enso Paper-boards. “This means lower overall weight and more of the coating can be concentrated at the actual sealing. The result is a more effective gas, aroma and grease tight coating. This extends shelf life and improves hygiene of the product.”

The juice, soup, yogurt, cooking oil and liquid detergent packaging markets are among those Enso will target.