Pulp and paper industry
The pulp and paper industry comprises companies that use wood as raw material and produce pulp, paper, paperboard and other cellulose-based products.
The pulp is fed to a paper machine where it is formed as a paper web and the water is removed from it by pressing and drying.
Pressing the sheet removes the water by force. Once the water is forced from the sheet, a special kind of felt, which is not to be confused with the traditional one, is used to collect the water. Whereas, when making paper by hand, a blotter sheet is used instead.
Drying involves using air or heat to remove water from the paper sheets. In the earliest days of paper making, this was done by hanging the sheets like laundry. In more modern times, various forms of heated drying mechanisms are used. On the paper machine, the most common is the steam heated can dryer.
Pulp
History of the paper industry
The commercial planting of domesticated mulberry trees to make pulp for papermaking is attested as early as the 6th century. Due to advances in printing technology, the Chinese paper industry continued to grow under the Song dynasty to meet the rising demand for printed books. Demand for paper was also stimulated by the Song government, which needed a large supply of paper for printing paper money and exchange certificates.The first mechanised paper machine was installed at Frogmore Paper Mill, Apsley, Hertfordshire in 1803, followed by another in 1804. The site operates currently as a museum.
Environmental effects
The pulp and paper industry has been criticized by environmental groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council for unsustainable deforestation and clearcutting of old-growth forest. The industry trend is to expand globally to countries like Russia, China and Indonesia with low wages and low environmental oversight. According to Greenpeace, farmers in Central America illegally rip up vast tracts of native forest for cattle and soybean production without any consequences, and companies who buy timber from private land owners contribute to massive deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. On the other hand, the situation is quite different where forest growth has been on the increase for a number of years. It is estimated for instance that since 1990 forests have grown in Europe by a which has been supported through the practice of sustainable forest management by the industry. In Sweden, for every tree that is felled, two are planted.The pulp and paper industry consumes a significant amount of water and energy and produces wastewater with a high concentration of chemical oxygen demand ; recent studies underline as an appropriate pre-treatment of the wastewater is cost-effective solution for the removal of COD and the reduction of the pressures on the aquatic environment.
Use of surfactants and anthraquinone have reduced alkali consumption in Pulp Cooking and use of Xylanase enzymes in bleaching operation is effective to decreasing AOX discharges in Pulp mill effluent.
Current production volumes and sales
The industry is dominated by North American, northern European and East Asian countries. Australasia and Brazil also have significant pulp and paper enterprises. The industry also has a significant presence in a number of European countries including Germany, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. The United States had been the world's leading producer of paper until it was overtaken by China in 2009.List of main countries by production quantity
According to statistic data by RISI, main producing countries of paper and paperboard, not including pulp, in the world are as follows:| Rank 2011 | Country | Production in 2011 | Share 2011 | Rank 2010 | Production in 2010 |
| 1 | 99,300 | 24.9% | 1 | 92,599 | |
| 2 | 75,083 | 18.8% | 2 | 75,849 | |
| 3 | 26,627 | 6.7% | 3 | 27,288 | |
| 4 | 22,698 | 5.7% | 4 | 23,122 | |
| 5 | 12,112 | 3.0% | 5 | 12,787 | |
| 6 | 11,492 | 2.9% | 8 | 11,120 | |
| 7 | 11,329 | 2.8% | 6 | 11,789 | |
| 8 | 11,298 | 2.8% | 7 | 11,410 | |
| 9 | 10,159 | 2.5% | 10 | 9,796 | |
| 10 | 10,035 | 2.5% | 9 | 9,951 | |
| World Total | 398,975 | 100.0% | 394,244 |
List of main company groups by production quantity
The world's main paper and paperboard company groups are as follows. :| Rank | Company Group | Country | Production in 2015 | Rank by Sales |
| 1 | International Paper | 23315 | 1 | |
| 2 | Nine Dragon Paper Holdings | 12630 | 18 | |
| 3 | WestRock | 12487 | 4 | |
| 4 | UPM | 9771 | 5 | |
| 5 | Stora Enso | 9188 | 8 | |
| 6 | Oji Paper Company | 9115 | 3 | |
| 7 | Sappi | 7306 | 15 | |
| 8 | Smurfit Kappa | 7000 | 9 | |
| 9 | DS Smith | 6802 | 13 | |
| 10 | Nippon Paper | 6542 | 11 |
List by net sales
In 2008, the top 10 forest, paper and packaging products companies were, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers:| Rank | Company | Country | 2008 Net Sales | 2008 Net Income |
| 1 | International Paper | 24,829 | ||
| 2 | Kimberly-Clark | 19,415 | 1,690 | |
| 3 | SCA | 16,965 | 857 | |
| 4 | Stora Enso | 16,227 | ||
| 5 | UPM | 13,920 | ||
| 6 | Oji Paper | 12,788 | 114 | |
| 7 | Nippon Unipac | 11,753 | 55 | |
| 8 | Smurfit Kappa | 10,390 | ||
| 9 | Metsä Group | 9,335 | ||
| 10 | Mondi Group | / | 9,466 |