Waste paper consumption in Germany will fall by seven percent in 2022

Despite the decline, waste paper consumption in 2022 was roughly at the same level as before the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. However, the development in the course of last year was divided into two parts. In the first half of the year, German paper mills consumed almost 9.3 million tonnes of recovered paper, three percent more than in the first six months of 2021.

From July onwards, and even more so from August onwards, waste paper consumption plummeted - the declines were in the double-digit percentage range in each case. At the end of the year, the situation came to a head due to many plant shutdowns. With only 1.0 million tonnes, one third less recovered paper was used in December 2022 than a year earlier and a long-time low was reached. In the course of this, concerns about the collection of recovered paper also grew and warnings of growing quantities of recovered paper in incineration became loud. In the second half of 2022, recovered paper consumption totalled only 7.8 million tonnes - a drop of 16 per cent compared to the previous year.

Price increases ensure strong sales growth despite lower volumes

"The German pulp and paper industry demonstrated relative strength last year in an extremely difficult environment," says the association, looking back on 2022 with overall satisfaction. With a total volume of 21.6 million tonnes of paper, cardboard and paperboard, production was back at the pre-crisis level of many years. The number of employees was maintained.

"Many companies had to adjust their production to the gas volumes still purchased at normal prices and the lower demand at the end of the year due to previous stockpiling by customers," says Winfried Schaur, president of the association, explaining the decline in volumes. However, the increased costs for energy and raw materials have had an impact on the product prices. This is also reflected in the 36 per cent increase in turnover to € 21.2 billion.

According to the association's statistics, total sales by German paper mills also fell by more than six per cent to 21.6 million tonnes. Domestic sales, however, fell by eight per cent to 11.1 million tonnes, which was somewhat more than the decline in foreign sales, which fell by just under five per cent to 10.5 million tonnes.

Strongest volume decline in graphic papers

Graphic papers were hit hardest by the volume slump last year. Here production and sales both fell by nine percent to just under 6.0 million tonnes. At almost twelve percent, the volume of press and catalogue papers produced fell particularly sharply.

In the case of paper, board and cardboard for packaging applications, the association shows a decline in production of six percent to 12.7 million tonnes in 2022. The production of paper and board for technical and special applications fell by almost four percent to just under 1.5 million tonnes. The volume of machine production of sanitary papers was similarly high. This sector was thus the only one to maintain the production level of the previous year.