Metsä Tissue's Mariestad Mill to Curtail Production of Recycled Paper Due to Raw Material Shortage

Recycled material availability issues for tissue production are being experienced throughout Europe as a result of high newspaper (ONP) demand for the packaging industry and a steep decline in office paper usage due to the pandemic and increased remote work.

Oct. 21, 2021 - Metsä Tissue announced that its Mariestad Mill in Sweden has been forced to curtail production of recycled paper due to shortages of recycled fiber. The company said the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the availability and quality challenges in recycled raw material for tissue production.

Metsä Tissue said its paper portfolios produced from wood fiber, which is in good supply, will be prioritized and no wider delivery issues or tissue paper shortages are to be expected to end users.

In a press release, Metsä Tissue explained, "Similar recycled material availability issues for tissue production are being experienced throughout Europe as a result of high newspaper demand for the packaging industry and a steep decline in office paper usage due to the pandemic and increased remote work. The recycled raw material shortages for the tissue industry are expected to continue until further notice, leading to further temporary stops of the recycled production lines."

Jani Sillanpää, Senior Vice President, Nordics, Metsä Tissue, noted, "The challenges in recycled raw material availability are not coming as a surprise to us, but the situation is accelerating faster than anticipated. The good thing is that we are still able to secure good availability of high quality tissue papers made of fresh fibres, such as our Lambi branded products."

Metsä Tissue has previously announced that the company's strategy focuses on the use of fresh fibres as the main raw material for high quality, sustainable tissue paper products. The company is currently planning an investment in the expansion of its Mariestad mill in Sweden, focusing on fresh fibre production.

Metsä Tissue is one of the leading tissue paper suppliers in Europe to households and professionals and one of the leading greaseproof paper suppliers globally. Its brands are Lambi, Serla, Mola, Tento, Katrin and SAGA. To learn more, visit: www.metsatissue.com.

SOURCE: Metsä Tissue