PaperFIRST

Gold, gold, silver: DS SMITH wins three awards at the Shop! D-A-C-H AWARDS 2026

DS Smith, an International Paper company, was recognized at the Shop! D-A-C-H Awards 2026 for its innovative, sustainable and impactful point-of-sale solutions. On June 16th, the leading global provider of sustainable, fibre-based display and packaging solutions, was once again honoured for three Point-of-Sale (POS) concepts across different award categories. The judging criteria focused on design, functionality, brand presentation, and sustainability.

Fibre Excellence: Pigasse's Buyout Offer Rejected, Saint-Gaudens Granted Last-Minute Reprieve

The Commercial Court of Toulouse issued its highly anticipated ruling today in the critical case of Fibre Excellence, France’s last market kraft pulp producer.

European Commission approves Saica Group's acquisition of Thimm Group

Saica Group is pleased to announce that the European Commission has approved the acquisition of Thimm Group’s plants located in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania, effective July 24, 2026. This includes all operations across these four countries: nine corrugated board plants situated in Alzey (Germany), Wolnzach (Germany), Eberswalde (Germany), Castrop-Rauxel (Germany), Northeim (Germany), Tychy (Poland), Skarbimierz (Poland), Všetaty (Czech Republic), and Sibiu (Romania), as well as a pre-print plant in Ilsenburg (Germany).

Change in Valmet’s Executive Leadership Team: Pia Aaltonen-Forsell appointed Chief Financial Officer

Valmet initiates a strategic review to evaluate a potential separation of its two segments

The Board of Directors of Valmet Oyj has decided to initiate a strategic review to evaluate a potential separation of its two core businesses, Biomaterial Solutions and Services, and Process Performance Solutions, into two standalone publicly listed companies. The review will focus on assessing whether a separation of the two businesses and their operation as separately listed companies on Nasdaq Helsinki would create additional value for shareholders compared with the current combined structure.

Change in Valmet’s Executive Leadership Team

Sami Riekkola, Executive Vice President, Pulp, Energy and Circularity business area, and a member of Valmet’s Executive Leadership Team, has decided to leave Valmet to pursue an opportunity outside of Valmet. His last day at Valmet will be January 22, 2027, at the latest. The recruitment process for his successor will be initiated immediately.

Huhtamaki appoints Thomas Morin as President, Fiber Packaging, and member of the Global Executive Team

Huhtamaki has appointed Thomas Morin as President, Fiber Packaging and member of the Global Executive Team, effective September 1, 2026. He will report to President & CEO Ralf K. Wunderlich and will be based in Espoo, Finland.

Mondi enables Büromodel to cut operational packing costs by 20%

Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, has collaborated with furniture manufacturer Büromodel to develop a tailor-made corrugated packaging solution for shipping acoustic office cabins across Europe and beyond, delivering significant gains in operational efficiency.

Valmet to deliver wood handling line to The Price Companies to secure reliable, high-quality wood chip supply

Valmet will deliver a new wood handling line to The Price Companies in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA. The investment will increase chipping capacity and support an efficient wood chip supply for pulp and paperboard operations.

Adestor Plays Key Role in Production of Panini's Official FIFA World Cup 2026™ Sticker Collection

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada is drawing to a close, but Adestor has already played a key role behind the scenes.

A Slow Drift, New Statistics Report Shows Why Europe’s Paper Industry Needs Attention Now

Cepi’s 2025 Key Statistics Report highlights a European paper industry that is increasingly exposed to a slow and sustained erosion of its industrial base at a time when its contribution to Europe’s circular economy, climate goals, and strategic autonomy remains critical.

Planmeca collaboration marks Woamy's expansion into healthcare technology and medical devices

Woamy is proud to announce a collaboration with Planmeca, one of the world's leading manufacturers of dental equipment and software; marking Woamy's entry into healthcare technology and medical device packaging. The result of this collaboration demonstrates how fibre-based packaging materials can deliver the protection and reliability required for high-precision medical devices.

International Paper Announces Changes to Its Board of Directors

International Paper is pleased to announce that Katherine Collins and Lori J. Ryerkerk have been appointed to the company's Board of Directors, effective October 1, 2026.

Palm converts its paper mill in King’s Lynn (UK) to corrugated case material

Palm sets the course for the future of its paper production: due to the structural decline of the market for newsprint, the paper machine PM 7 at the King’s Lynn (UK) site will be converted to produce corrugated case material (CCM) in the first quarter of 2027.

New ETS proposals risk undermining investment in one of Europe’s most climate-friendly industries Brussels, 17

The European pulp and paper industry had already raised urgent concerns over the European Commission's recently adopted benchmarks for free allocation and installations’ exclusions, warning they could lead to a loss of approximately €1 billion annually in planned decarbonisation investments. The sector argues that conditionality for free allocation and the 95% biomass threshold should be removed from the ETS framework unveiled today, as infrastructure and decarbonisation technologies are not yet sufficiently available, and while the new EU ETS plans already give green investors cold feet.

Negative earnings in the second quarter, clear action to strengthen competitiveness

Södra posted negative earnings for the second quarter of 2026. The quarter was characterised by weak market conditions and depressed demand that persisted throughout the period, as well as an ongoing imbalance between the raw materials market and the markets for Södra’s products.

Paperworld Middle East partners with FSC to champion responsible sourcing across the region's paper and stationery industry

The Forest Stewardship Council, the leader in sustainable forestry, will bring globally recognised responsible sourcing expertise to Paperworld Middle East 2026 reinforcing the event's commitment to sustainability and sector transformation.

International Paper to Close Carrollton South, Texas Packaging Facility

International Paper, a leader in sustainable packaging, today announced it will close its Carrollton South packaging facility located in Carrolton, Texas by the end of the third quarter of 2026. The decision is part of the company's ongoing work to align its manufacturing footprint with customer demand and strengthen the long-term competitiveness of its North America packaging business.

Adestor: an independent company shaping its own strategy

Adestor, previously named Lecta Self-Adhesives, takes another step forward in its evolution, strengthening its position as an independent company fully dedicated to the self-adhesive materials market.

Fastmarkets Forest Products Latin America Conference 2026 returns to São Paulo as the key meeting point for deals and supply chain strategy

São Paulo, August 10–12 – two and a half days of market intelligence and senior-level networking

Siemens Energy begins preparations for the launch of an independent brand

Following the spin-off from Siemens AG in 2020 and the company’s successful development, Siemens Energy is now beginning preparations for the transition to an independent brand. This move is based on the time-limited licence agreement governing the use of the brand.

Canfor announces closure of Northwood Pulp Mill in British Columbia

The Canadian pulp producer Canfor announced this week the permanent closure of its Northwood pulp mill in Prince George, British Columbia.

IBS Group eliminates film press stability issues with innovative applicator beam technology

The IBS Paper Performance Group, a technology leader in paper machine optimization, has successfully completed a quality improvement project for a customer in Germany. Thanks to cutting-edge metering technology, the manufacturer of corrugated base paper was able to achieve significant improvements in the production process as well as a perfectly uniform CD profile in starch application. The modernization focused on the machine’s film press, which had previously struggled with significant stability issues.

Ahlstrom expands its global offering for Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) labeling with new release paper manufactured in Brazil

Ahlstrom announced this week the launch of MaxLiner™, a new high transparency and high-density release paper for pressure‑sensitive adhesive (PSA) labeling.