Norpac intends to recycle more than 400,000 tonnes per year of recovered waste paper into 100% recycled packaging grade papers
Image: Norpac to convert waste paper into recycled papers. Photo: Courtesy of Ben Kerckx from Pixabay.
North Pacific Paper (Norpac) has announced an expansion of its operations in Longview, Washington, to convert waste paper into recycled papers for boxes, bags, displays and other packaging products.
The expansion, powered by clean energy, is expected to help solve the environmental challenge due to changes in the ability of the state to export waste paper for recycling, which has sent voluminous material to landfills instead.
Conversion of the material to new paper will protect around 400 jobs at the mill and also create indirect jobs for Cowlitz County.
Norpac CEO Craig Anneberg said: “Today, our state faces an unprecedented environmental challenge from waste papers because of China’s new, more stringent restrictions on unsorted and high-reject content waste papers.
“By increasing our ability to produce 100% recycled packaging papers, our company will be able to help solve this challenge, transforming waste papers into much-needed packaging grade papers for local and export markets.
“We anticipate converting 1/3 of NORPAC’s production to packaging grades while solidifying NORPAC’s future as a successful independent producer of packaging and communication papers including super-bright and book papers, copy paper, and newsprint.”
China imposed restrictions on unsorted and high-reject content waste papers in January 2018, prohibiting imports from the US.
The change in waste paper markets has disrupted the Pacific Northwest recycling system. Consequently, the paper that was traditionally recycled is being sent to solid-waste landfills.
Norpac to recycle over 400,000 tonnes of recovered waste paper
Norpac intends to recycle more than 400,000 tonnes of recovered waste paper into 100% recycled packaging grade papers per year. This includes linerboard, heavy- and light-weight bag grades, corrugating medium, as well as speciality Kraft papers.
Norpac, which began producing packaging papers in 2018, has upgraded its product offerings, process, and raw material sourcing for the expansion.
The company expects to use the equivalent of available waste and mixed paper grades recovered in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Anneberg said: “NORPAC is applying our long history of innovation to create this broad range of quality recycled packaging papers. By doing so, we can address this regional environmental crisis while meeting global customers’ evolving needs for lighter-weight, higher recycled-content packaging papers with world-class printing.
“In addition, NORPAC can take advantage of the strong consumer preference for paper over plastic as more communities, states and countries ban plastic bags.”
Previously, the company produced sustainable Natural Choice Copy Paper, which has 90% less environmental impact than standard copy paper.