Ahead of the Curve Archive

5 Trends Changing the Future of Corrugated Packaging

27 Feb 2019 The global corrugated packaging market is growing faster than expected, confounding some predictions that forecast a slowdown in corrugated consumption, although recently grounded expectations are not as bullish as some fringe predictions circa mid-2018. A downturn in demand in China and the banning of contaminated recycled paper stocks has not fully materialized yet, either.

Can gribble nibble waste into biofuel?

06 Feb 2019 According to the University of York, researchers and scientists—led by University of York professors Professor Simon McQueen-Mason and Professor Neil Bruce—have discovered a new enzyme that could prove an important step in the quest to turn waste, such as paper, scrap wood and straw, into liquid fuel. As reported on the university's website, the research centers around the destructive power of the tiny, wood-boring marine isopods called "gribble," which historically attacked the timber hulls of seafarers' ships and continue to wreak damage on wooden piers and docks in coastal communities around the world.

Domtar's Safety Journey

30 Jan 2019 Editor's note: This article is an excerpt from a feature in the just-released Jan/Feb 2019 issue of Paper360°. It is offered here for Ahead of the Curve readers who may have missed it. For the full article, and to access the entire Jan/Feb issue plus additional online content, visit www.paper360.tappi.org.

Digital or Paper? Campaign Fights for Right to Choose

23 Jan 2019 Do you prefer to receive important documents digitally or on paper? It may be a strange question to ask in an electronic newsletter like Ahead of the Curve! Yet—as reported recently in TAPPI's Over the Wire (which is also an e-newsletter)—the right for consumers to choose a preference is important for our industry.

OSHA, EPA, USDA: How Are They Affected By The Government Shutdown?

16 Jan 2019 At midnight (EST) on Saturday, December 22, the United States began what has become the longest government shutdown in US history. Until the shutdown ends, the pause in funding will affect about a quarter of government activities, with about 800,00 employees on furlough or working without pay. These include Federal corrections officers, FDA food inspectors, NASA employees, TSA staff, Border Patrol staff, census staff, National Park Service staff, members of the Coast Guard, and Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers. How will this affect some of the agencies most familiar to those in the forest products industries?

Europe Aims for 74 Percent Paper Recycling

09 Jan 2019 According to a press release from The European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC), Europe's paper industry is targeting an ambitious new goal: 74 percent paper recycling in the EU by 2020.

Outlook 2019: The Trade War Threat Looms

03 Jan 2019 Editor's note: This article is an excerpt of a feature in the upcoming issue of Paper360°, which will be available later this month. It is offered here as a special "sneak peek" for Ahead of the Curve readers. For the complete article and more, visit paper360.tappi.org.

Make PAPER Part of the Celebration

19 Dec 2018 Throughout the year, the editors of Ahead of the Curve strive to bring you articles about paper technologies, trends, scientific developments, new markets and products—a variety of interesting news to help you succeed in your career.

Will Sustainability Disrupt Barrier Coating Manufacturing?

12 Dec 2018 According to a recent Smithers Pira report, sustainability efforts are having a major effect on barrier coating technologies.

Looking back and looking forward: Paper physics and the paper industry

05 Dec 2018 Editor's Note: This article is excerpted from a guest editorial that appeared in the October issue of TAPPI Journal, which is available free to TAPPI members, and is used with permission.