Containerboard production was essentially flat compared to September 2016. The month-over-month average daily production compared to August 2017 was 3.8% lower. The containerboard operating rate for September decreased from 97.2% to 95.9%, which was 0.9 percentage points lower than September of last year. Year-to-date production of containerboard for export is up 2.2%, with the September volume falling 13.6% below the same month last year.

The Biodegradable Products Institute is focusing on bringing more clarity to compostable packaging’s future in California, dually advocating for rulemaking at USDA as well as new state legislation. At a meeting last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Standards Board recommended against unanimously against adding synthetic compostable materials as compost feedstocks to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. How the board got to that vote was a multi-year process. USDA determinations on what’s allowed in organic compost would hold notable weight in California. Under California’s 2021 compostables law AB 1201, products labeled “compostable” would have to be an allowable agricultural organic input under the requirements of USDA’s National Organic Program.

Metsä Board, a leading European producer of premium lightweight paperboards and part of Metsä Group, is glad to announce that its paperboards have now achieved DIN CERTCO certificates in industrial compostability complying with DIN EN 13432 and ASTM D6400 standards. In addition, Metsä Board’s eco-barrier paperboard MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB also holds a home compostability certificate. As one of the leading companies, Metsä Board provides certification across its product line helping customers choose packaging materials that comply with their requirements. “In order to enhance circular economy our main target is that our paperboards are recycled after use. But recycling is not always possible – the paperboard may be contaminated due to its contents and cannot be recycled. In this instance compostability is the next best alternative,” says Helena Moring-Vepsäläinen, Product Safety Manager at Metsä Board.