UK recovered fibre exports hit multi-year high

CANTERBURY (Scrap Monster): The latest data released by the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) and HM Revenue & Customs indicates that recovered fibre exports from the UK increased significantly during the month of June this year. The exports also touched multi-year highs during the initial six-month period of the year. This is at a time when majority of fibre exporting nations have reported significant decline in overseas shipments.

The UK exported 505,116 tonnes of recovered fibre during the month of June this year. This was the best export figure reported by the country since 505,539 tonnes exported during January 2012.

The cumulative recovered fibre exports during the initial six-month period of the year totaled 2.491 million tonnes, 8% higher when compared with the exports during the corresponding six-month period in 2014. The UK recovered fibre exports had totaled 2.308 million tonnes during January to June last year. The exports during the half yearly period in 2015 were the highest since 2008. The recovered fibre exports had totaled 2.536 million tonnes during H1 2008.

The UK collected 747,813 tonnes of recovered paper during the month of June alone. The collection rates during the month were second only to 796,762 tonnes reported collection during January 2012. Meantime, domestic fibre consumption during the initial six-month period of the year totaled 1.673 million tonnes, almost 10% lower when compared with the consumption of 1.859 million tonnes during the corresponding half-yearly period in 2014.

Mill closures in European region have continued to affect the newsprint sector badly. The loss in this sector was aggravated with the unexpected closure of Aylesford Newsprint in the UK. Consequently, overall paper and board production by the UK dropped significantly by nearly 10% year-on-year to 1.984 million tonnes during first six months of 2015.

CPI is the leading organization working on behalf of the UK's Paper-based Industries. It represents the supply chain for paper, comprising recovered paper merchants, paper and board manufacturers and converters, corrugated packaging producers and makers of soft tissue papers.