BillerudKorsnäs has within the scope of the recently launched group-wide program for improved production efficiency decided to implement measures with the aim of strengthening the workplace efficiency and environment at several of the Group’s mills. In total, a provision of approximately SEK 450 million will be made, of which approximately SEK 200 million will impact cash flow over a three-year period. The provision will have a negative effect on the result in the second quarter of 2018.

The measures to strengthen the workplace environment will be taken during the ordinary maintenance shutdowns, starting after the summer, and continue through two to three maintenance cycles, depending on the work carried out. The measures will include demolition of old buildings and decontamination.

As the final stage of the consolidation of Billerud and Korsnäs, it has also been decided to implement unified accounting principles regarding spare parts and consumables at the mills, which will lead to impairment losses with effect in the second quarter.

In total, a provision of approximately SEK 450 million, of which approximately SEK 200 million will impact cash flow over a three-year period, will be made in the second quarter of 2018.

The provision will be reported as an item affecting comparability under unit Other. The interim report for the period January-June 2018 will be published on 18 July 2018.

For more information, please contact:
Susanne Lithander, CFO, +46 (0)8 553 335 07
Christopher Casselblad, Investor Relations, +46 (0)8 553 335 08

Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) has just announced it has acquired a majority interest in Prisma Renewable Composites, LLC, a company focused on developing advanced materials from lignin and other natural resources.

With its investment, Domtar will help commercialize the process of using lignin to make engineered plastic compounds such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and other high-value fiber and lignin applications.

"Innovation is core to Domtar Biomaterials' growth strategy," said Domtar Biomaterials vice president, Mark DeAndrea. "We're pleased to have the opportunity to partner with an industry leading renewable composite company. Domtar Biomaterials is a bridge between science and commercialization. This investment leverages Prisma's scientific research capabilities and unique product development strategy with Domtar's commercialization and lignin production expertise."

"We are excited about this partnership with Domtar," Prisma CEO Adam McCal said. "We believe their commercialization plans and capabilities give Prisma an incredible advantage in establishing a robust supply chain from lignin to the final material production."

Lignin – the natural glue that holds wood fibers together – is a byproduct of the Kraft pulping process that has traditionally been burned to provide energy to a mill. However, it also has the potential to be used in a wide range of industrial applications as a sustainable and bio-degradable alternative to petroleum and other fossil fuels. Domtar is a leader in lignin separation and the development of lignin-based materials. The company recently installed a demonstration plant in Ontario, Canada, to show how lignin pellets can potentially be used as a bio-alternative to plastic, chemicals and other petroleum-based products.

A number of global companies have replaced or are doing trials to replace the material in their gift cards – from plastic to paperboard. Sweden’s largest cinema chain, SF Bio, has taken the plunge and is now replacing all its cards.

“When our card supplier, Megacard, suggested we could make our gift cards from paperboard and thereby drastically reduce their environmental impact, it was self-evident to us to switch,” explains Anna Marcusson, product manager for gift cards at SF Bio.

:“When we could have just as impactful cards in paperboard as in plastic we didn’t hesitate to switch – for the environment’s sake,” says Anna Marcusson, product manager for gift cards at SF Bio.

“In plain language, it means we’re phasing out the use of 10 tonnes of PVC a year by phasing out the plastic and replacing it with cards made of Invercote from Iggesund Paperboard,” she continues.

Replacing plastic with a non-fossil material is a clear trend, not least in the packaging industry. Switching from fossil plastic to an alternative material such as paperboard reduces companies’ climate impact. Changing an established infrastructure takes time, though, especially if it means that the packaging must be redesigned, the packing equipment modified or replaced, and the distribution from manufacturer to consumer is affected. The UK food company Iceland has attracted widespread attention with its pledges to eliminate plastic in its packaging within five years. Many people with packaging experience say five years is a fairly short time given the challenges faced by Iceland.

In light of these factors, the switchovers by IKEA and SF Bio have occurred very quickly, and there is reason to believe that many more companies will follow their example.

“Because the cards’ format is identical, it’s easy to make the switch. Apart from the actual production process for making the cards, very few other components of companies’ existing equipment need to be modified. So this is a very simple step to take compared with redesigning a plastic packaging solution, where complex and fully automated packing lines must be modified,” explains Johan Granås, Head of Sustainability at Iggesund Paperboard, who was closely involved in developing the solution that IKEA finally chose.

Another example of this packaging industry trend is Apple, where packaging developers are focusing on reducing the use of plastic. This is clear from Apple’s Paper and Packaging Strategy, which the company published in October 2017. Among other things, the report details how Apple succeeded in reducing the plastic content of the iPhone 7 packaging by 84 per cent compared with that of the iPhone 6s.

The cord holder for Apple’s smart speaker HomePod, which was launched at the beginning of 2018, is a clear example of the trend to replace plastic with paperboard. Ten years ago plastic would have been the obvious choice – but not today.

Apple’s smart speaker, HomePod, launched at the beginning of 2018, is a clear example of this approach. An incredibly complex paperboard construction with closures holds the speaker cord in place and there is also a setup to secure the plug.

“Ten years ago, any manufacturer would have solved this issue with plastic,” Granås says. “But now we’re seeing time and again how companies are investing strongly to create alternative solutions in paperboard – not only Apple but many, many others.”

Granås is careful to say that plastic is still an important material in both today’s and tomorrow’s packaging market. Traditional paperboard packaging for food often needs a plastic barrier to create a seal that protects against grease, moisture and aromas. Making the packaging’s construction out of paperboard and then creating the barrier with the thinnest possible plastic coating is already a good example of good materials management.

“The development of fossil-free plastic materials is happening very quickly and I predict we will soon have bioplastics with less and less fossil content, which will significantly reduce the climate impact of food packaging in particular,” Granås concludes.

Iggesund

Iggesund Paperboard is part of the Swedish forest industry group Holmen, one of the world’s 100 most sustainable companies listed on the United Nations Global Compact Index. Iggesund’s turnover is just over €500 million and its flagship product Invercote is sold in more than 100 countries. The company has two brand families, Invercote and Incada, both positioned at the high end of their respective segments. Since 2010 Iggesund has invested more than €380 million to increase its energy efficiency and reduce the fossil emissions from its production.

Iggesund and the Holmen Group report all their fossil carbon emissions to the Carbon Disclosure Project. The environmental data form an integral part of an annual report that complies with the Global Reporting Initiative’s highest level of sustainability reporting. Iggesund was founded as an iron mill in 1685, but has been making paperboard for more than 50 years. The two mills, in northern Sweden and northern England employ 1500 people.

Sonoco has just announced it is implementing a 4 percent price increase for all composite cans and corresponding metal ends in the United States and Canada, effective with shipments beginning August 1, 2018.  

“Sonoco’s global sourcing power and commitment to supply security have allowed us to effectively mitigate historic inflationary pressures,” said Robin Gordon, division vice president of sales for Sonoco’s U.S. and Canada composite cans and metal ends. “However, the recent trade announcements assigning tariffs on the steel and aluminum supply, along with strong regional demand, have placed unprecedented stress on our suppliers’ feedstocks and corresponding input costs. While we will continue to monitor the domestic and global sourcing landscape to find ways to mitigate inflation, we do need to recover our current cost exposure. We will continue to work with our suppliers to ensure supply security and find ways to bring input costs down over the coming months.”

About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE:SON) is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $5 billion, the Company has 21,000 employees working in more than 300 operations in 33 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is committed to Better Packaging. Better Life., and ranked first in the Packaging sector on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2018 list. For more information, visit www.sonoco.com

Argynnis Group AB acquires the French company Solaronics SA. Consequently, the Group can now offer its customers a complete range of products and services in the non- contact drying based on infrared (IR) heating technology.

Argynnis Group AB, formerly Binar AB, develops niche companies with unique products and technologies for professional customers. One of the companies is Ircon Drying Systems AB, which expertise is in industrial heating based on infrared and microwave technology.

Ircon is today one of the world's leading companies in non-contact drying based on electric IR technology. The products are, for example, used in the paper and board industry, contributing to both increased capacity and improved quality of the customers’ products.

Solaronics is a global leader in gas driven infrared drying combined with air technology for a wide range of industries: Paper & Board, Metal, Glass processes and other applications. Solaronics develops and markets infrared products and has been active for more than 50 years.

With this acquisition, Argynnis Group can now offer an enriched range of products and services in

Paper & Board and all other markets where both companies are active.

"As many large paper and board mills around the world have access to gas, we are happy to complete our range with gas driven IR products. Now our customers have access to non-contact drying based on IR heating - regardless of their energy supply” says Leif Gustavsson, Deputy CEO of Argynnis Group AB.

Solaronics is located near Lille in the North of France and has about 60 employees. The company previously belonged to the Bekaert Group, a global market and technology leader in steel wire transformation and coatings.

“We are very happy to have found in Argynnis an acquisition partner who by combining Solaronics’ leadership in gas IR drying with Ircon’s outstanding competence in electric IR drying will create new opportunities for future successful growth” says Oliver Forberich, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President Stainless Technologies of Bekaert.

Argynnis Group now forms a new business unit that works with industrial heating and drying, including both Ircon and Solaronics.

"This is an acquisition that feels very logical and fits well with our acquisition strategy. Since previously we have operations in France and our experience from working with French companies is that it works very well for us” says Jan Bardell, CEO, Argynnis Group.

For further information, please contact:

Leif Gustavsson, Deputy CEO, Argynnis Group AB, tel: +46 702-630158

Argynnis Group (formerly Binar AB), with headquarters- in Trollhättan Sweden develops niche companies with unique products or technologies for professional customers. We operate within four main areas: First Responder Technology (FRT), Binar Handling, Industrial Solutions and Heating & Drying. The group has around 330 employees in Sweden, Germany, France, and Finland.

Greycon is the world’s leading provider of production planning, forecasting, scheduling and manufacturing execution systems that have been designed specifically for roll-based and flat sheet industries.

Greycon was recently appointed by the APRIL Group, one of the largest, most technologically advanced and efficient makers of pulp and paper products in the world, to further optimize its sales and operations planning by integrating Greycon sales and operations solution “opt-Studio” with APRIL’s

Enterprise Resource Planning and Manufacturing Execution Systems. Greycon worked together with the APRIL Group and Accenture to deliver this solution.

Praveen Singhavi, President, APRIL Group, said: “In order to continue to meet customer demand and deliver high levels of customer service, we have integrated opt-Studio with our existing solutions.

“opt-Studio has improved end-to-end visibility of our sales orders, while being able to better optimize paper production (block planning) and finishing area scheduling.”

Vassilis Gkamouras, Senior Consultant at Greycon said: “APRIL Group is one of the most efficient pulp and paper mills in the world. The project was divided in three phased roll-outs to enable quick deployment of capabilities and took 14 months to complete.”

“The roll-out required expertise in global project management, change management, supply chain enablement and systems integration. The project was delivered on-time, in-full and within budget due to excellent team work between the partners involved.”

About APRIL Group

APRIL Group is a leading producer of fibre, pulp and paper with manufacturing operations in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau Province, Indonesia. APRIL is a pioneer in the implementation of sustainability best practices in Indonesia’s pulp and paper industry, including the elimination of deforestation from its supply chain. APRIL Group is working towards conserving, protecting and restoring one hectare of high value conservation forest for every hectare of renewable plantation concession. Today, APRIL Group conserves more than 250,000 hectares with a further 150,000 hectares undergoing ecosystem restoration. For more information, visit www.aprilasia.com and follow twitter @aprilpulp.

About Greycon

Greycon is the world’s leading provider of production planning, forecasting, scheduling and manufacturing execution systems that have been designed specifically for roll-based & flat sheet industries. Greycon

operates throughout the world. Greycon’s strength is the extensive range of specialist software solutions for Plastic Films & Flexible Packaging, Nonwovens, Metals, Converting, Paper and Board industries supported by powerful optimisation algorithms and a highly experienced team of consultants.

www.greycon.com

Toscotec launched its latest innovations during iT’s Tissue 2018. The advanced technologies it presented at its NOWNEXT open house include: Toscotec’s S-Crescent Former and the new TADVISION^® machine. 

The S-Crescent is a high efficiency forming section, which significantly increases dryness before the pressing area, through optimized dewatering. The aim is to reduce the burden of water removal for the press and consequently the drying section, by boosting dewatering in the wet section of the tissue machine.

Drawing on the experience of its successful installation in the U.S. market in 2004, Toscotec entirely redesigned its TAD machine to achieve superior tissue properties, including bulk and absorbency, and outstanding results in energy consumption. The new TADVISION^® ensures improved runnability and machine efficiency thanks to its unique serpentine TAD section, composed of three TAD honeycomb coated drums. A detailed Computational Fluid Dynamic analysis ensures a highly optimized airflow in the air-system ducts leading to the TAD section and Yankee hoods. Overall, TADVISION^® ensures a more effective use of energy, bringing consumption down to 4.5-5.5 MWh/ton, a significant decrease compared to the consumption of current TAD machines, which is estimated in the range of 6.0-7.5 MWh/ton. Toscotec is continuing its energy reduction program and is committed to further reducing the overall consumption to less than 4.5 MWh/ton for a plant of the same production capability over the next few years.

The other advanced technologies presented at Toscotec’s NOWNEXT open house include new upgrades of Toscotec’s rewinding line, TT WIND-H and TT WIND-L, and an overview of Toscotec’s excellence in tissue drying, with TT SYD and the Yankee Hood and Air System plants. In particular, Toscotec’s rewinders feature improved performances through a newly perfected automatic web tension control, fast cycles, operator friendly automation and the automatic shaft handling system. The Energy and Environment department presented the most comprehensive range of drying configurations presently available in tissue making, designed to suit all needs and operating conditions, with state-of-the-art heat recovery technology, including up to six energy recovery stages in one single plant.

Finally, Toscotec’s YES (Your Expert Service) division launched its 24/7 service catering for customers round the clock all over the world, with a very special tool, YES – CONNECT-VISION, the new helmet enabling fully integrated communication and problem-shooting excellence.

This year visitors concluded their experience of NOWNEXT open house in the newly inaugurated canteen, a brand-new building within the expanded perimeter of Toscotec’s headquarters, which includes recreational space for employees, such as a fitness center and two lounges.

Resolute Forest Products Inc. is pleased to announce that the United States Department of Commerce is formally revoking the countervailing duty order on supercalendered (SC) paper from Canada, retroactive to August 3, 2015. Collection of cash deposits on imports of SC paper from Canada will cease, and all cash deposits that have been collected from importers of record since August 3, 2015, will be returned with interest. 

Resolute's cash deposits as of June 30, 2018, total $60 million. The company will also receive accumulated interest on these deposits. The precise timing of the refund will be set out in a Federal Register Notice to be published in the upcoming days.   

Revocation of the countervailing duty order is pursuant to issuance today of a final determination in the Changed Circumstances Review that the Department initiated on May 14, 2018. The Department initiated the Changed Circumstances Review after Verso Corporation, the principal remaining producer of SC paper in the United States and the only remaining petitioner, wrote to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on March 21, 2018, that it was no longer interested in the continuation of the countervailing duty order. All other interested parties in the SC paper proceedings, including the federal and provincial governments in Canada, notified the Department that they supported Verso's request for a Changed Circumstances Review. 

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical results, performance, financial condition, or other historical information of Resolute Forest Products Inc. are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. They include, for example, statements regarding the anticipated revocation of the countervailing duty order on supercalendered paper from Canada and return of cash deposits associated therewith. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words "will," "expect" and other terms with similar meaning indicating possible future events or potential impact on our business or our shareholders.

The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are based on Resolute's management's current assumptions, beliefs and expectations, all of which involve a number of business risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in this press release. Some of the potential risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual future performance or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in this press release include, the potential risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

All forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements set out or referred to above and in the company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

About Resolute Forest Products

Resolute Forest Products is a global leader in the forest products industry with a diverse range of products, including market pulp, tissue, wood products, newsprint and specialty papers, which are marketed in close to 70 countries. The company owns or operates some 40 manufacturing facilities, as well as power generation assets, in the United States and Canada. Resolute has third-party certified 100% of its managed woodlands to internationally recognized sustainable forest management standards. The shares of Resolute Forest Products trade under the stock symbol RFP on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Resolute has received regional, North American and global recognition for its leadership in corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, as well as for its business practices. Visit www.resolutefp.com for more information.

SOURCE Resolute Forest Products Inc

With the world’s attention focused on finding greener solutions and cleaner technologies, opportunity is ripe for young scientists and engineers in the forest product and paper sectors to step up to the challenge.

The International Council of Forests and Paper Associations (ICFPA) invites students and young researchers to submit their work for the 2018-2019 edition of the Blue Sky Young Researchers and Innovation Award. The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) is co-ordinating the local leg of the competition which has now opened for entries. The entry deadline is 31 August 2018.

Only three candidates from around the world will have the chance to travel to Canada in May next year to present their ideas to global CEOs in the forestry and paper industry.

“In the new age of the bioeconomy, we want to stimulate competition among students and young researchers under the age of 30 who are doing exciting things with wood, paper and the process waste,” says PAMSA executive director and ICFPA president Jane Molony.

“The sky is the limit with wood fibre,” she adds. 

Projects could include a wide range of activities relevant to forest-based science, products using forest-based raw materials, process improvements and other innovations throughout the value chain. 

Layered theme

“The theme for the 2018-2019 award is centred on disruptive technologies that are revolutionising the future for forest-based products and services,” says Molony. 

The overarching topic has been divided into two categories: ‘future generation forestry’ and ‘innovations in wood-based industries’. “However projects are certainly not limited to these two categories,” she explains.

• Future generation forestry could encompass forest tree breeding and biotechnology; precision forestry and measurements and inventory.
• Innovation in wood-based industries could cover the analysis and properties of pulp and paper; facilities, instrument and process control; bioproducts and wood chemistry; recycling, deinking and the environment; timber for construction; and material substitution with wood and recycled paper fibre.

The SA round

In the lead-up to next year, all countries represented in the ICFPA will hold their own regional round and selection process. PAMSA will receive local applications, carry out a selection process and then nominate up to three candidates to compete internationally. The national finalists will submit a short video clip describing their work,” adds Molony. 

The online application process

South African applications are open till 31 August and can be made on www.thepaperstory.co.za under The Research Story or here.

The international selection process

After a transparent and objective selection process, the winning submissions from around the world will have the opportunity to present their projects in front of an audience at the global CEO Roundtable.

Travel expenses to Canada and accommodation will be sponsored by the ICFPA.

Our 100 percent recycled paper mill and adjacent box plant in Valparaiso, Indiana received a visit from Indiana’s Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch this week. Then Indiana Governor Mike Pence officially opened the mill in 2016 with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

The mill at capacity produces 500,000 tons of the industry’s best 100% recycled paper and supplies our rapidly expanding Midwest box-making operations. As part of Crouch’s mission statement to, “Strengthen Indiana’s rural economies and communities through capacity building, advocacy and innovation in agriculture, small business, tourism, defense development, housing, and community economic development,” she is committed to supporting growing organizations, like Pratt Industries, within her state. With 500 happy employees working at the Valparaiso campus, Pratt fulfilled its original promise to create more jobs with the addition of the new paper mill.

With an emphasis on the importance of the need for cleaner recycled paper, site leaders Paul England and Jay Hennessey did a great job incorporating a strong message of sustainability into the tour, showcasing Pratt’s commitment to the environment.