From January to October of 2017, pulp exports rose 2.9% in comparison with the same period of the previous year, reaching 16.0 million tons sold; exports of wood panels increased by 29.4%, with 1.1 million cubic meters directed toward foreign markets, and paper exports grew 0.4% with almost 1.7 million tons traded. This positive performance propelled export revenues past the US$ 7 billion mark in the first 10 months of the year, growth of 10.9% over the same period in 2016. This created a US$ 6.15 billion surplus in the trade balance for the sector, an increase of 12.7%.

Continue reading below about the performance indicators for the planted tree industry in the 42nd edition of Cenários Ibá, the monthly bulletin of the Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá).

Export revenues – In the first ten months of 2017, pulp exports reached US$ 5.2 billion (+13.7%), while paper exports were US$ 1.6 billion (+1.7%) and wood panel exports reached US$ 242 million (+20.4%).

Export destination – For the combined period spanning January to October of this year, China continued to be the main destination for Brazilian pulp, with a share of 39.7%, representing revenues of US$ 2.1 billion (+18.0%). The second largest destination for pulp was the European countries, which during this period accounted for 31.4% of exports and more than US$ 1.6 billion (+5.6%). Latin American countries continued to be the main markets for paper and wood panels during the first ten months of the year, with export revenues exceeding US$ 1.0 billion (+11.6%) and US$ 126 million (+16.7%), respectively.

Production – The productive sector utilizing planted trees presented positive results in 2017. From January to October of this year, pulp production surpassed 15.9 million tons (+2.9%), and paper reached 8.7 million tons (+0.9%).

Domestic Sales – For the first ten months of 2017, the wood panel section showed positive results, with sales of more than 5.3 million cubic meters on the domestic market (+2.5%); at the same time, the paper industry reached the 4.5 million ton mark (-0.4%) during the same period.

ABOUT IBÁ

The Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá) is the association responsible for institutionally representing the planted tree production chain, from the fields to the factory, with its main stakeholders. Launched in April 2014, it represents 55 companies and nine state entities for products originating from planted trees (wood panels, laminate floors, pulp, paper, energy forests and biomass) in addition to independent producers of planted trees and institutional investors. Learn more at www.iba.org

Alchemy is an ancient practice that blends science with spiritual belief. Practitioners of early Greek alchemy believed that nature’s four basic elements, air, fire, water and earth were the basis of all matter. The practice later became more scientific, often used in attempts to magically transform lesser-valued metals into precious gold. Today’s idea of alchemy has evolved into the broader philosophy of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Neenah embraces this concept of combining and transforming in its newest promotion The Alchemy of Design.

“This is an inspiration book that reinterprets the meaning of alchemy within the realm of print design, where the four essential elements are audience, message, paper and print. The Alchemy of Design demonstrates ways to creatively combine those elements to amplify everyday design projects. Even those projects that have lower design budgets are still expected to have high impact. Throughout the book, the designs explore mixing and mingling of paper colors and textures, inspiring designers to think outside of that one swatchbook,” says Auburne Gahlman, Marketing Manager, Neenah.

Designed by Willoughby Design, The Alchemy of Design blends three very different brands — ROYAL SUNDANCE®, ASTROBRIGHTS®, and ENVIRONMENT® Papers — in unexpected ways. Presented in a beautiful die-cut slipcase, the 9 x 11 double-sided accordion fold book takes deep dives into four different branding projects (for a total of 20+ printed pull-out samples) each using the three different Neenah grades to add layers of color and texture and impact.

For example, Earth | Worth is a handcrafted ceramic home goods brand featured in Alchemy. Knowing that a brochure is the single printed piece most handled by its loyal and potential customers, the brand uses the toothy texture of ROYAL SUNDANCE to evoke the weighty and natural essence of its products. The brand package extends to the smooth touch and natural shades of ENVIRONMENT, coupled with an accent of ASTROBRIGHTS, Terra Green™, to create a hangtag system. Using three complimentary papers for a hangtag system, and printing them all in one print run with one color, is a low-cost/high ROI idea for expressing the brand personality at the point of sale.

This is a promotion that has to be explored page by page to fully appreciate the idea-generating combinations of print and paper. Get your free copy of The Alchemy of Design, valued at $10.99, through your Neenah representative.

About Neenah, Inc.
For more than 100 years, Neenah, Inc. (NYSE: NP) has been the market leader in the creation and manufacturing of papers for premium writing, text, cover, digital, packaging and label applications.  The Neenah signature portfolio includes market leading brands such as CLASSIC®, ENVIRONMENT®, and ROYAL SUNDANCE® Papers. The company also offers envelopes in thousands of unique colors, finishes and styles. Neenah Packaging provides unique and sustainable packaging papers, boards and labels as well as custom solutions for premium and luxury packaging. With multiple manufacturing facilities, prime importance is also placed on recycled and alternative fiber products through the Neenah Green initiative. For more information on Neenah call (800) 558-5061. Follow Neenah on Twitter: @neenahpaper; subscribe to the Neenah Facebook page; or visit Against the Grain, Neenah’s blog for designers, printers and paper-lovers.

Industrial software provider, COPA-DATA UK, is inviting plant managers and engineers to register for its upcoming webinar ‘Smart Factory solutions with COPA-DATA and Microsoft Azure’. The webinar, created in collaboration with Microsoft, will be held on Thursday 7 December at 10am. Participants are invited to register for the free smart factory webinar in advance via the  COPA-DATA website.

zenon, COPA-DATA’s industrial automation software, provides seamless integration with Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. In fact, the company was named 2017 Microsoft Partner of the Year in the ’Internet of Things’ category. The webinar will be hosted by Lee Sullivan, Regional Manager at COPA-DATA UK and expert in zenon implementation. Sullivan will discuss how ambitions of a smart factory can be made a reality by combining zenon and Microsoft Azure.

The webinar is recommended for existing zenon customers, plant managers and engineers curious about the potential of the software for smart factory implementation. COPA-DATA will explain how manufacturing intelligence, such as predictive analytics and preventative maintenance, can be easily achieved with the collaboration of these two systems.

The free webinar follows on from COPA-DATA’s industry speech at the Smart Factory Expo 2017, where the company demonstrated how its software can be used to connect factories and supply chains, improve efficiency and increase profits.

“Storing manufacturing data in the cloud allows organisations to access their information anywhere at any time — which means that they don’t need to eat away at their own infrastructure,” explained Lee Sullivan, Regional Manager at COPA-DATA UK. “That said, the integration of Azure and zenon can provide a greater benefit than simply saving on- premises storage.

“In the webinar on December 7, we will demonstrate how effective supply chain management, global benchmarking and real-time key performance indicator (KPI) calculations can be put into practice using the combination of this technology.”

COPA-DATA has been an active member of the Microsoft Partner Network since 2005. Its software, zenon, is based on Microsoft’s latest technology, so data collected by the system can be easily integrated into the Azure cloud platform. More information on zenon can be found on the COPA-DATA website.

To register for the free webinar, visit:  http://www.copa-data.com/copa-data-and-microsofts- azure-smart-factories/?lang=en.

On COPA-DATA

COPA-DATA is the technological leader for ergonomic and highly dynamic process solutions. The company, founded in 1987, develops the software zenon for HMI/SCADA, Dynamic Production Reporting and integrated PLC systems at its headquarters in Austria. zenon is sold through its own offices in Europe, North America and Asia, as well as partners and distributors throughout the world. Customers benefit from local contact persons and local support thanks to a decentralised corporate structure. As an independent company, COPA-DATA can act quickly and flexibly, continues to set new standards in functionality and ease of use and leads the market trends. Over 100,000 installed systems in more than 90 countries provide companies in the Food & Beverage, Energy & Infrastructure, Automotive and Pharmaceutical sectors with new scope for efficient automation.

On zenon

zenon is a software system from COPA-DATA for industrial automation and the energy industry. Machines and equipment are controlled, monitored and optimized. zenon’s particular strength is open and reliable communication in heterogeneous production facilities. Open interfaces and over 300 native drivers and communication protocols support the horizontal and vertical integration. This allows for continuous implementation of the Industrial IoT and the Smart Factory. Projects with zenon are highly scalable.

zenon is ergonomic, both for the engineer and for the end user. The engineering environment is flexible and can be used for a wide range of applications. The principle of “setting parameters instead of programming” helps engineers to configure projects quickly and without errors. Complex functions for comprehensive projects are supplied out-of-the-box to create intuitive and robust applications. Users can thereby contribute to increased flexibility and efficiency with zenon.

AURELIUS Equity Opportunities SE & Co. KGaA (ISIN DE000A0JK2A8) (“Aurelius” or “the Group”), the listed mid-market pan-European investor, today announces the acquisition of Abelan Board Industrial S.L. (“Abelan” or “the Company”), a major producer of core board and solid board packaging products operating out of Southern Europe, from PHI Industrial. The deal represents AURELIUS’ third acquisition in the European packaging sector since 2015 and will further strengthen the Group’s operations in this market. The financial terms of the deal are undisclosed; completion of the transaction remains subject to clearance of customary conditions.

• Deal represents Aurelius’ third acquisition in the European packaging sector since 2015
• Three manufacturing facilities in Spain and France
• Projected revenues of c.€70m in 2017
• Closing expected for end December 2017

Founded in 1911, Abelan has grown to be one of Europe’s leading providers of core board and solid board packaging solutions. The Company is headquartered in San Andrés in northern Spain and employs c.250 people across three manufacturing facilities in Spain and France. It is projected to generate revenues of approximately €70m in 2017. Abelan has two key areas of expertise: the production of core board, for cardboard tubes, boxes and other applications within packaging, and its solid board packaging division, which supplies a large variety of boxes and trays to major distribution brands in the European agricultural, meat, flower and various other industries.

Managing Director of Abelan, Simón Roda, will continue to lead the Company. Following completion of the deal, the operations of Abelan will be combined with those of AURELIUS investee company Solidus Solutions (“Solidus”), one of Europe’s leading producers of solid board, graphic board and solid board packaging with c.1,000 employees. Solidus already has significant market share in Europe with production facilities in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK, having integrated its sites after AURELIUS acquired the Northern European activities of Abelan in June 2016, as well as dedicated sales offices in France and Norway. AURELIUS’ acquisition of Abelan, and the integration of its production facilities and customer base into Solidus, will create significant synergies across both companies’ production, purchasing and sales. In addition, it will strengthen Solidus’ access to Southern European markets and establish Solidus as a leading player in the areas of solid board, graphic board and core board.

AURELIUS board member Gert Purkert commented, “We are extremely pleased to be announcing AURELIUS’ acquisition of Abelan, a company performing impressively in a sector in which AURELIUS has previously invested. This strategic acquisition will enable Solidus to further diversify its operations geographically, realise significant synergies, accelerate its growth into a leading pan-European mid-market business and establish itself as a true champion in the areas of solid board, graphic board and core board. Following the successful investment in Tavex Europe, this deal also highlights AURELIUS’ continued commitment to the Iberian Peninsula, supported by its local office in Madrid.”

WWF today presents the results of the Environmental Paper Company Index 2017, a WWF tool to promote transparency and continual improvement in the global pulp, paper and packaging sector. Compared to 2015, BillerudKorsnäs has increased their scores by 5 percentage points in the subcategories Responsible Fibre Sourcing and Clean Manufacturing, leading also to a better overall score.

BillerudKorsnäs is since 2011 a participant in WWF’s Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI) and has during this period demonstrated transparency and continuous improvement. This year, in the product category Packaging, 73.9 percent (70,6)* was achieved, an improvement of 3.3 percentage points. In the subcategories Responsible Fibre Sourcing and Clean Manufacturing, 74 percent (69) respectively 70 percent (65) were achieved, corresponding to an improvement of five percentage points each. As in the 2015 index, BillerudKorsnäs scores high in terms of transparency with 78 percent (78) in the subcategory Reporting & EMS.

“Transparency is crucial for promoting sustainability in the value chain and also an important tool in providing stakeholders with information for their evaluation of BillerudKorsnäs performance” said Louise Wohrne, Sustainability Manager at BillerudKorsnäs. “It is very gratifying to see that our company´s efforts to improve are reflected in WWF´s evaluation and our scores on responsible sourcing and clean production.”

“Paper is a renewable, recyclable material, with a potentially lower footprint than substitute materials if managed and produced responsibly. However, the sector's size and impacts are expanding”, said Cecilia Alcoreza, WWF´s global lead on Sustainable Paper and Packaging. “This is why it is crucial for companies to demonstrate leadership in transparency and a commitment to continual improvement, reducing the sector´s forest, climate and water footprint.”

About WWF´s Environmental Paper Company Index
Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI) is a WWF tool to promote transparency and continual improvement in the global pulp, paper and packaging sector. EPCI tracks how a company´s performance on responsible sourcing, clean production and EMS/reporting changes over time. The Index is based on voluntary data disclosure by invited participants on over 50 indicators that WWF considers important for a company´s ecological footprint. WWF publishes collated results company by company and shows a historical timeline since 2013. https://epci.panda.org

Read the full report at https://epci.panda.org/results/billerudkorsnas

* Figures in brackets refer to WWF Environmental Paper Company Index 2015

BillerudKorsnäs provides packaging materials and solutions that challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future. We are a world-leading provider of primary fibre based packaging materials and have customers in over 100 countries. The company has 8 production sites in Sweden, Finland and the UK and about 4300 employees in over 13 countries. BillerudKorsnäs has an annual turnover of about SEK 22 billion and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. www.billerudkorsnas.com

WWF presents the results of the Environmental Paper Company Index 2017, a WWF tool to promote transparency and continual improvement in the global pulp, paper and packaging sector. The Index is published for the fifth time. Together, the EPCI 2017 participants from Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and North America disclose the environmental performance of 26% of the world´s tissue, 23% of the world´s graphic paper, 17% of the world´s newsprint, 9% of the world´s packaging and 15% of the world´s pulp. South America has taken a leadership role in participation this year with the disclosure of over 50% of the total volume of pulp and paper produced in the region.

“The willingness by many companies to participate every two years in WWF’s Environmental Paper Company Index, many for the third time, is an important signal that transparency is increasingly valued across the globe and that the EPCI is positively received as a voluntary mechanism to encourage this transparency” said Alistair Monument, Leader, WWF Forest Practice.

WWF´s EPCI tracks how a company´s performance on responsible sourcing, clean production and EMS/reporting changes over time. The Index is based on voluntary data disclosure by invited participants on over 50 indicators that WWF considers important for a company´s ecological footprint. WWF publishes collated results company by company and shows a historical timeline since 2013. By doing so, the Index helps track companies’ and also the sectors’ journey towards sustainability. Find the results of all participating companies on epci.panda.org.

“WWF´s EPCI is a valuable tool for companies to reflect on their operations,” said Trevor Walter, WWF´s Pulp and Paper Southern Alliance Coordinator. “Given the scale and footprint of the industry in our region, it is heartening to see more South American companies participating in the EPCI than ever before, and we hope this will encourage further transparency in the sector.” 33% of the pulp purchased globally comes from South America. Over half of all pulp and paper exports from the region go to China and the EU and demand as well as production continue to increase.

“Paper is a renewable, recyclable material, with a potentially lower footprint than substitute materials if managed and produced responsibly. However, the sector's size and impacts are expanding”, said Cecilia Alcoreza, WWF´s global lead on Sustainable Paper and Packaging. “This is why it is crucial for companies to demonstrate leadership in transparency and a commitment to continual improvement, reducing the sector´s forest, climate and water footprint.”

The bi-annual Environmental Paper Company Index started in its current form in 2010 and has since increased in scale and global reach.

The 2013, 2015 and 2017 Index results are comparable and allow assessments of continual improvement over time. Due to some changes in the methodology, the results of 2010 and 2011 are not fully comparable to the later evaluations. Company scores are not ranked.

WWF’s Living Forests Report 1 projects paper production and consumption may double in the next three decades, and overall wood consumption may triple.

About WWF

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Clearwater Paper Corporation (NYSE:CLW) has just released the company's latest corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, building on a history of sustainable commitment to our customers, employees, communities and the environment. The report shares data from the past two years, providing a comprehensive update on the company's performance on environmental, social and governance topics that matter most to Clearwater Paper stakeholders involved with or impacted by our company.

"At Clearwater Paper, we look at sustainability as a continuous improvement journey that reflects our strong commitment to being part of the solution in a changing and challenging world," said Linda Massman, president and CEO. "As such, we are pleased to present this CSR report, which was developed using current Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidelines."

Highlights from the report include:

• 68 percent reduction in waste to landfill since 2012
• 10 percent reduction in water usage since 2012
• 23 percent reduction in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) since 2012
• 9 percent reduction in recordable safety incidents since 2012

This latest report is the company's first using GRI principles and policies. GRI helps businesses and governments worldwide understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, governance and social well-being. This enables real action to create social, environmental and economic benefits for everyone. The GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards are developed with true multi-stakeholder contributions and rooted in the public interest. https://www.globalreporting.org.

The report can be found at http://www.clearwaterpaper.com/environmental-performance/csr.

ABOUT CLEARWATER PAPER

Clearwater Paper manufactures quality consumer tissue, away-from-home tissue, parent roll tissue, bleached paperboard and pulp at manufacturing facilities across the nation. The company is a premier supplier of private label tissue to major retailers and wholesale distributors, including grocery, drug, mass merchants and discount stores. In addition, the company produces bleached paperboard used by quality-conscious printers and packaging converters, and offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting and cutting. Clearwater Paper's employees build shareholder value by developing strong customer partnerships through quality and service.

Source: Clearwater Paper Corporation

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), in collaboration with the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and FPInnovations issued Product Category Rules (PCR) for Market Pulp, Paper and Paperboard, Containerboard and Tissue products manufactured in North America.

The PCR provides rules and requirements for conducting paper product life cycle assessment (LCA) reports as well as developing Type III Environmental Product Declarations that communicate the environmental footprint of products to customers. The PCR development process included the participation of a broad stakeholder group including manufacturers, trade associations, government agencies, non-government organizations, retail representatives, independent parties, academia and other Environmental Product Declarations program operators.

“This PCR has been approved by an independent peer review panel of recognized LCA experts,” said Debbie Steckel, Executive Director of the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment.  “It conforms to the requirements of ISO International Standards, providing consistent and transparent environmental evaluation standards with the highest degree of credibility.”

Lal Mahalle, project leader for FPInnovations, said, “Paper buyers can feel confident that product sustainability documentation using our PCR guidance covers the environmental impact categories that are published in recognized scientific literature and are most relevant to pulp and paper products made in North America”.

The PCR is available on the FPInnovations website:

PCR for North American Pulp Market Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Products, Tissue and Containerboard

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. AF&PA member companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry’s sustainability initiative - Better Practices, Better Planet 2020. The forest products industry accounts for approximately four percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufactures over $200 billion in products annually, and employs approximately 900,000 men and women. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 states. Visit AF&PA online at www.afandpa.org or follow us on Twitter @ForestandPaper

In January 2018, the Cham Paper Group will simultaneously start two architectural study assignment procedures for the first two partial stages of the development of the Papieri site (papieri-cham.ch). With these two stages, around 80 owner-occupied and 130 rented apartments as well as 30 budget-priced residential units will be realized over a staggered period of time, which - together with approx. 9,000 m2 of service and commercial space - are expected to be ready for occupancy from 2021 onwards.

For each of the two partial stages, five invited architectural offices will draw up concrete project proposals. After the summer holidays 2018, the best submissions will be selected so that appropriate building applications can then be prepared and submitted to the authorities.

The preconditions for this next step in area development were created by the approvals of the zoning plan and the rezoning of the Papieri site, which were granted by the government council of the Canton of Zug in October 2017.

At the beginning of October 2017, Cham Paper Group Schweiz AG additionally transferred the entire real estate business with asset transfer agreement to its subsidiary Cham Immobilien AG, Cham.

Cham Paper Group
The Cham Paper Group is a leading manufacturer of coated speciality papers. Surface finishing lends papers properties that generate value added for its customers.

The company, which was founded in 1657, has three sites, one in Switzerland (Cham) and two in Italy (Carmignano and Condino), and a global sales network.

The decision to focus on development and sales and discontinue paper manufacturing in Switzerland has made way for a new project on the factory site in the centre of Cham.

The Cham Paper Group is developing an eleven-hectare quarter there called the Papieri site.

The Cham Paper Group (stock exchange symbol: CPGN) is listed on Switzerland's SIX Swiss Exchange.

DS Smith UK partners with Laithwaites to bring indulgent, on-trend wine and beer advent calendars to consumers this festive season.

To maximise sales around the Christmas period and continue to innovate its offer, Laithwaites – the UK’s number one destination for buying wine online – approached DS Smith UK’s packaging division to design advent calendars for its wine and new craft beer ranges.

Wine Advent Calender

The design, which won the Corrugated: Online Retail and Consumer Goods accolade at the 2017 UK Packaging Awards, needed to be robust enough to meet the demands of the e-commerce supply chain yet stand out in the competitive advent calendar marketplace. Laithwaites required a model that was easy to assemble and pack on site, presented the drinks in a way that reflected a more traditional advent calendar, and incorporated simple-to-follow instructions for the consumer. The print also had to be the highest quality to bring the pack to life and capture a real festive feel.

DS Smith embraced this challenging brief and worked closely with Laithwaites to create an innovative design that was attractive to look at, but could also protect the glass bottles in transit and support the 9kg and 13kg weight of the packs. DS Smith were able to achieve this by using its industry-leading technology DISCS™ – which replicates each part of the product journey for testing (Drop, Impact, Shock, Crush, Shake) to ensure the packaging was up to the rigours of the real-world supply chain.

Rob Carle, Head of E-commerce sales at DS Smith UK, said: “Laithwaites is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible with online shopping and is keen to give its customers a sense of theatre in the home – something our packaging can deliver. Our DISCS™ technology provided invaluable insights, which enabled us to create a pack proven to best protect the fragile cargo and deliver a beautifully-designed premium product to consumers. We’re absolutely delighted that the design was recognised at the UK Packaging Awards.”

Beer Advent Calendar

Andy Hawker from Laithwaites commented: “The final design is just what we hoped for and the award win is just the cherry on top! We knew DS Smith were the right people to design a pack that would both protect the bottles and appeal to our customers. We expect this year’s sales to exceed 2016 and that wine and beer lovers across the country will be having a very merry advent season thanks to these innovative new products!”

The Laithwaites Advent gift pack won the Corrugated: Online Retail and Consumer Goods Award at the UK Packaging Awards, which took place on 22 November 2017.

About DS Smith

DS Smith operates in over 36 countries and employs around 26,000 people. Using the combined expertise of our four divisions – Packaging, Recycling, Paper and Plastics – we work with customers to deliver solutions that reduce complexity and deliver results throughout the Supply Cycle. For more information, visit www.dssmith.com.

DS Smith is the UK’s leading supplier of corrugated packaging. Our comprehensive product range includes retail ready packaging, transit cases, consumer units, packs printed for gift and POS applications, and heavy duty packaging for industry. DS Smith’s national network of manufacturing plants service thousands of customers, from multinationals to local businesses.

Using PackRight^®, our unique way of working, our highly-skilled people work closely with customers to specify packaging that achieves real results. Typically our customers achieve sales growth, or reductions in cost, waste and carbon at every stage of the Supply Cycle. For more information, visit

www.dssmithpackaging.co.uk