Total U.S. Packaging Papers & Specialty Packaging Shipments Increased 5% in July 2025

Total boxboard production in June remained essentially flat (-0.1 percent) compared to June 2020. It was also essentially flat (-0.2 percent) when compared to the same six months of 2020. The boxboard operating rate was 92.7 percent, down 1.0 points from June 2020 and essentially flat (+0.4 pts.) year-to-date. Solid Bleached Boxboard production in June decreased eight percent compared to June 2020. It was down four percent when compared to the same six months of 2020. Recycled Boxboard production in June increased five percent compared to June 2020. It was down one percent when compared to the same six months of 2020. Unbleached Kraft & Gypsum production in June increased five percent compared to June 2020. It was up six percent when compared to the same six months of 2020.

Smurfit Kappa has completed a large-scale sustainability project at its Zülpich paper mill in Germany, which significantly reduces the plant’s CO2 emissions. The €11.5 million investment included a major redesign of the plant’s multi-fuel boiler to provide a more sustainable fuel source for the generation of steam and electricity. The mill, which produces approximately 500,000 tonnes of paper annually, is now powered by a combination of its own biogas, which is a by-product of its circular water treatment plant, natural gas, and the residual materials or so-called ‘rejects’ which occur in the paper recycling process that would otherwise be considered waste. The project reduces CO2 emissions at the Zülpich paper mill by more than 25% and saves 55,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, which represents a 2% reduction in Smurfit Kappa’s global CO2 emissions. Smurfit Kappa has the goal of achieving a 55% intensity reduction in fossil CO2 emissions by 2030 and at least net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The packaging leader has also had its 2030 emissions reductions targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative as being in-line with the Paris agreement.

In the journey towards sustainable development, the concept of a circular economy has gained significant traction. At the heart of this concept is the idea of reducing waste and continually reusing resources. In the paper industry, circularity is transforming how paper, paper-based packaging , and related products are produced, used, and recycled. Let’s look at the circularity of paper products, focusing on packaging, marketing, and consumer goods, highlighting the industry’s strides and challenges. In the journey towards sustainable development, the concept of a circular economy has gained significant traction. At the heart of this concept is the idea of reducing waste and continually reusing resources. In the paper industry, circularity is transforming how paper, paper-based packaging , and related products are produced, used, and recycled. Let’s look at the circularity of paper products, focusing on packaging, marketing, and consumer goods, highlighting the industry’s strides and challenges.