Paper

OCC COOLS

Sources report a relatively sure and steady recovered fiber market heading into the late days of summer. The market for old corrugated containers (OCC) has cooled off a bit since a spike in activity and pricing in July.

"OCC got pretty hot, but the luster is off now," one Midwestern recycler says of current market conditions. Prices remain relatively strong for OCC following a period of hot buying driven by high demand from mills in the Southeast. What one Southwest recycler describes as a bit of "panic buying" has now curtailed, bringing the market back into more of a balance. A Midwestern broker attributes the demand from the Southeast at least partly to the Fourth of July holiday, saying such long weekends usually lead to some kind of disruption in the market. "People are always worried about running out of paper" over holiday weekends, she says, and they "want to make sure they have their reserves."

Makers of cellulose insulation continue to drive strong demand for old newspapers (ONP). Midwest and Northeast sources report a slight increase in ONP prices this month.

Generation has been strong for all grades, and sources report that trend is likely to continue into the autumn months. Sources expect generation of ONP to increase in the coming weeks with the back-to-school season bringing more advertising and plumping up newspapers across the country.

In addition, sorted office paper (SOP) and coated book have also shown some renewed strength lately. One source attributes this to the particularly seasonal nature of that market. Companies and private individuals tend to do file purges at certain times of the year, like the beginning of the calendar year or just after tax season, which floods the market with office grades, dampening demand and prices. Now that tax season file purges are done, supply has tightened and demand has surged.

Mixed paper remains relatively unchanged since last month.

Sources report no great change in the patterns of recent export buying. China continues its pattern of quiet, steady purchasing, while mills in Mexico are also continuing to buy American recycled fiber. A Southwestern recycler reports that transporting material by rail to Mexico has been inconsistent, which has led to many Mexican mills looking to obtain material by trailer instead.

A Midwestern broker notes that transportation costs are continuing to chip away at margins and that the effect is particularly noticeable since this time last year.

Looking ahead to the beginning of the fourth quarter of the 2006 fiscal year, sources anticipate strength in the market, particularly for OCC, as the market prepares for the holiday season, which always brings a surge to the packaging industry and demand for OCC and other paper packaging materials.

(Additional news about paper recycling markets, including breaking news and pricing, is available online at www.RecyclingToday.com.)

DOW JONES OFFERS RECOVERED PAPER INDEX

Dow Jones has introduced the Dow Jones Recovered Paper Index, a transaction-based, volume-weighted measure of recycled paper prices representing actual mill pricing in various geographic areas.

The index began with old corrugated containers (OCC) No. 11 in the Midwest in February 2006. Since then, data for the New England and Southeast markets have been added, with additional regions coming on line as the year proceeds, according to the company.

The index will add old newspaper (No. 6) and deinked news (No. 8) and will consider adding sorted office paper and coated groundwood sections to its index, though Dow Jones has not announced when these commodities will be tracked.

Dow Jones publishes the data monthly on the 10th business day of the month at www.djindexes.com.

Readers interested in finding out more about the index can visit the Dow Jones Web site at www.dowjones.com.

EUROPEAN PAPER RECYCLING CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES PROGRAM

Cleveland-based Recycling Today Media Group, publisher of Recycling Today and Secure Destruction Business magazines, has announced the program for its second annual European Paper Recycling Conference, which is in Barcelona, Spain, Sept. 25-26.

The conference offers executives from leading European paper manufacturing, brokerage, recovery and equipment companies the opportunity to discuss industry trends and to network with colleagues.

Among the sessions for this year’s conference are:

Keynote Session—"Europe’s Place in the Recycling Universe," with Bill Moore of Atlanta’s Moore & Associates and Pira International moderating;

"The Opportunities and Limits of New Supply Sources," with Horst Menge of MYillkoski Continental, based in Germany, moderating;

"Retaining Quality in a Bustling Market," with Maarten Klkeiweg of the European Recovered Paper Association, based the Netherlands, moderating;

"Meeting Recycling’s Challenges," with Brian Taylor of Recycling Today Media Group moderating;

"Export & Domestic Markets—They Can Co-Exist," with Wade Schuetzeberg of ACN Europe, based the Netherlands, moderating; and

"Roundtable Discussion—The Mill Buyer’s Perspective," with David Barrio of ASPAPEL (Association of Spanish Pulp and Paper Manufacturers), moderating.

The European Paper Recycling Conference also includes a display area featuring equipment and service providers showcasing their latest products and service offerings.

Those interested in obtaining more information or in registering for the European Paper Recycling Conference should visit www.RecyclingTodayEvents.com or contact Congrex at +31 20 5040200.

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