Paper

A specialist papermaker has been handed a £1m fine after an employee suffered serious injuries when attempting to free a jammed paper reel.

High energy prices and economic woes contributed to a 6.1% fall in European paper and board production last year, although multi-year trends for the sector “remain positive”.

Sappi has said it will commence a consultation process on the possible closure of its Stockstadt mill in Germany, after a planned sale of the site fell through earlier this year.

A historic French papermaker has become the latest European mill to be shuttered in a seismic period for the trade.

UPM has permanently closed paper machine 6 at its Schongau site in Germany and paper machine 4 at Steyrermühl in Austria, taking out 485,000 tonnes of graphic paper capacity in Europe.

Antalis UKI has appointed Nicholas Thompson as its new managing director, due to take up the post following current MD David Hunter’s retirement in July 2023.

The European Commission has decided to close its antitrust investigation into potential anticompetitive practices in the wood pulp sector.

Denmaur Independent Papers claims to have become the first national paper and board merchant to have a science-based target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Lecta is set to cease production on PM4 at its​ Condat mill due to “the strong decline in the graphic paper market”.

Stora Enso is planning a restructure that, combined with previously initiated negotiations in its Packaging Materials division, would result in around 1,150 job losses.