bvse: Recovered paper is the most important raw material in the paper industry

"The digital recovered paper day was an absolute premiere and it went very well. We received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, which was enthusiastic about the TV format we chose," explained Werner Steingaß, bvse Vice President and Chairman of the Paper Recycling Association.

It was also Werner Steingaß who provided the first impetus for the conference. In his contribution, he pointed out that the worldwide use of recovered paper has been increasing for years. More than 250 million tons of recovered paper are processed annually by the paper industry. Steingaß: "This development shows that recovered paper is the most important raw material in the paper industry." Click here for the YouTube video: Impulse video on YouTube with Werner Steingaß

Nevertheless, the last few years have not been easy for recovered paper companies, as the bvse vice president explained. For example, the industry had to adjust to the structural changes in the Asian markets. This was a major challenge for exporting companies in particular. "Currently, we are experiencing the effects of the Corona pandemic. We are noticing that the waste paper collection volume has dropped significantly. Along with this, this has led to a drastic drop in the supply of recovered paper and price movements that we have never seen to this extent. It is good that the industry is professionally positioned and has already learned in the past to adapt quickly to changes," says Werner Steingaß.

In order to continue to operate successfully, the recovered paper industry is dependent on the right political framework conditions. For example, it must be ensured that qualitatively processed and standardized recovered paper is removed from the definition of waste as an important secondary raw material. It must continue to be possible to trade recovered paper worldwide and, at the same time, bureaucracy in cross-border trade must be reduced.

Steingaß said it was important to improve waste paper collection structures worldwide. Waste paper must be collected separately from other materials, he said, because this is the basis for ensuring that the waste paper industry can adequately supply the paper industry worldwide with high-quality waste paper. The Chairman of the bvse Paper Recycling Association concluded by pointing out that not only the world's population but also the demand for packaging and thus for recovered paper will continue to rise. His conclusion: "Recovered paper has a future!"