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Substantial R &D efforts are currently directed towards the development of combined heat and power (CHP) systems that automatically and seamlessly connect to the power grid. In this paper we develop a real options model to assess the impact that the operational flexibility characterizing such systems will have on the optimal timing and capacity associated with investments in CHP plants. We take the viewpoint of a manufacturer operating in an energy-intensive industry who contemplates investing in CHP. We discuss and compare investments in two types of CHP systems: a standard one that is operationally rigid and a technologically advanced one that is operationally flexible. The interaction between temporal and operational flexibility under uncertainty and irreversibility is central to our analysis. We show that operational flexibility guarantees earlier investment but has an ambiguous effect in terms of capacity. In particular, when operational flexibility is very valuable the potential investor is opting for investing in a plant with larger productive capacity. The potential investor chooses a smaller CHP unit if otherwise. A numerical exercise calibrated using data from the Italian pulp and paper and electricity industries complements our theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry is critical to global industrial and economic development. Recently, India's pulp and paper industries have been facing severe competitive challenges. The challenges have impaired the environmental performance and resulted in the closure of several operations. Assessment and prediction of the performance of the Indian pulp and paper industry using various parameters is a critical task for researchers. This study proposes a framework for performance assessment and prediction based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Artificial Neural Networks, and Deep Learning (DL) to assist industry administration and decision-making. We presented a case study based on eight industries to demonstrate the methodology's applicability. This study analyses and predicts industry performance based on sample data observations over 30 years. The result suggests the DEA-DL-based efficiency prediction has an overall MSE of 0.08 compared with the actual efficiency. Furthermore, the efficiency rankings are compared between the three techniques. The results suggest that the integrated DEA-DL method is primarily accurate in most scenarios with the actual values. The findings of this study provide a comprehensive analysis of environmental performance for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production planning and scheduling in the pulp and paper industry can be very challenging. In most cases, practitioners address the production planning process manually, which is time-consuming and sub-optimal. This study deals with production planning encountered in a pulp mill company involving different wood species, parallel heterogeneous lines, inventory limits, sequence-independent setup times and preventive maintenance. To tackle the problem, an efficient mixed-integer formulation is proposed that optimizes when, where and how much to produce of different wood species and schedules preventive maintenance to minimize the total setup times. Several computational experiments are conducted to solve a case study in a pulp mill company in Chile. The results show the capability of the model to support the decision-making process in the pulp and paper industry, providing an efficient tool for practitioners to solve the problem in a reasonable amount of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laccases are multicopper-containing enzymes that have the ability to oxidize a wide variety of substrates with a single electron transfer reaction. These are environmentally benign versatile biocatalysts that have gained great interest in the biotechnological community since they utilize molecular oxygen as the last electron acceptor and only produce water as a byproduct. This family of enzymes has been widely used in a broad variety of applications, ranging from food additives and beverage processing to biological diagnostics and even as crosslinking agents in the furniture construction and manufacture of biofuels. Considering the benefits of enzyme immobilization, there has been a dramatic increase in applying immobilized laccases in recent years. Despite the impressive biotechnological promise, the use of laccases in the real world is still constrained by cost–benefit analysis, particularly in terms of practically large-scale production. The enzyme industry is booming research on laccase production, and use neglects to include the economic impact of the operations. Because of their ability to metabolize complex xenobiotics, they are also useful biocatalysts in enzymatic bioremediation processes, such as wastewater treatment. This study discusses the most important and recent breakthroughs in the biocatalytic attributes, sources, and exploitation of laccases in biotechnology for a sustainable industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry (PPI) has several opportunities to contribute to meeting prevailing climate targets. It can cut its own CO2 emissions, which currently account for 2% of global industrial fossil CO2 emissions, and it has an opportunity to produce renewable energy, fuels, and materials for other sectors. The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of the decarbonization prospects of the PPI. The study provides insights on the magnitude of needed annual renewal rates for several possible net-zero target years of industrial fossil CO2 emissions in the PPI and discusses decarbonization opportunities, namely, energy and material efficiency improvement, fuel switching, electrification, renewable energy production, carbon capture, and new products. The effects of climate policies on the decarbonization opportunities are critically evaluated to provide an overview of the current and future business environment of the European PPI. The focus is on Europe, but other regions are analyzed briefly to widen the view. The analysis shows that there are no major technical barriers to the fossil-free operation of the PPI, but the sector renovates slowly, and many new opportunities are not implemented on a large scale due to immature technology, poor economic feasibility, or unclear political environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Designing materials using rice-leaf-mimetic paper as a substrate. • Engineering rice-leaf-mimetic paper with hydrochromic dyes or biolubricants. • Processes based on mass-producible papermaking unit operations. Biomimetics has revolutionized materials innovation by drawing inspiration from biological systems. Cellulosic paper, a sustainable biomaterial, offers immense potential for biomimetic research. Paper-based biomimetic materials, which replicate the structures and functionalities of natural materials by utilizing the cellulosic fiber network as a substrate or skeleton, provide customizable functional properties, thereby enabling advanced applications. Here, we introduce rice-leaf-mimetic paper, inspired by the leaf's microstructure and biowax-based cuticle. This paper exhibits self-cleaning superhydrophobicity and showcases possibilities for additional functionalities, including antibacterial properties and food preservation, as evidenced in our prior research. We propose its utilization as a substrate for rewritable and biolubricant-infused surfaces. These somehow distinct surfaces draw inspiration from the chemistry and microstructure of the rice leaf. Although incorporating hydrochromic dyes enables rewritability, controlling the retention time of colors remains challenging. The biowaxy structure of the paper prolongs color maintenance by inhibiting water evaporation. Moreover, the hierarchically rough microstructure of rice-leaf-mimetic paper effectively stores biolubricant molecules, reducing friction and enhancing slipperiness. Surface microcavity ratio analysis provides insights into the paper's biolubricant-storability. The surface engineering of rice-leaf-mimetic paper using hydrochromic dyes or biolubricants holds potential for designing novel materials. Unveiling the vast potential of easily scalable papermaking processes alongside biomimetics and surface engineering opens new avenues for materials innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry is recognized as a well-established sector, which throughout its process, generates a vast amount of waste streams with the capacity to be valorized. Typically, these residues are burned for energy purposes, but their use as substrates for biological processes could be a more efficient and sustainable alternative. With this aim, it is essential to identify and characterize each type of waste to determine its biotechnological potential. In this context, this research highlights possible alternatives with lower environmental impact and higher revenues. The bio-based pathway should be a promising alternative for the valorization of pulp and paper industry wastes, in particular for bioproduct production such as bioethanol, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and biogas. This article focuses on state of the art regarding the identification and characterization of these wastes, their main applied deconstruction technologies and the valorization pathways reported for the production of the abovementioned bioproducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand for productivity and quality in the forestry sector, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is promising in the monitoring of wood properties, such as density. However, most predictive models are based on spectra acquired in wood at equilibrium moisture content using benchtop equipment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the NIR instruments in predicting the basic density of Eucalyptus grandis wood at different moisture contents. The wood chips were evaluated from saturated conditions (freshly felled) to hygroscopic equilibrium conditions using benchtop and portable NIR instruments. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to verify the behavior of spectral data, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to classify density categories, and partial least squares regression (PLS-R) to develop predictive models. The moisture gradient was not the limiting factor for the statistical modeling. PCA discriminated 99.50% of the variation in the data, while the PLS-DA correctly categorized in the range of 0–94% the density classes. The models developed by PLS-R with the benchtop instrument showed a prediction coefficient (R²) ranging from 0.79 to 0.85 and those with the portable instrument ranged from 0.77 to 0.82; the ratios of prediction deviation (RPD) were 2.20 and 2.45, respectively. Thus, NIR spectroscopy has shown potential application in wood under saturated conditions, regardless of the type of instrument. In the industrial context, the use of a portable NIR instrument could streamline wood characterization without the need for drying and transporting samples to the laboratories. • Density can be estimated independently of the moisture of the wood. • PLS-R models predict density with high accuracy (R²p = 0.83). • NIR sensors have similar predictive capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, the exergoeconomic analysis of a cogeneration pulp and paper plant under bi-operating modes at different environment temperatures of 290, 295, 305, 310, and 320 K was investigated. Two operating modes of the cogeneration system, i.e., a hybrid operating mode using a power boiler and a recovery boiler and a singular operating mode using a power boiler only, were considered. Natural gas was utilized as the main fuel in the power boiler, while black liquor with heavy fuel oil was employed in the recovery boiler. The total capital investment, total operating, exergy, unit exergy, and exergy destruction costs for each operating mode were evaluated. The results indicated that the total capital investment cost was 3420.27 $/h, and the total capital investment and the operation and maintenance costs in the hybrid and singular modes were 5853.27 and 6226.67 $/h, respectively. As well, the unit exergy cost and the exergy cost of steam introduced by the power boiler were 39.31 $/MWh and 2503.69 $/h, respectively. Where these values for the recovery boiler were 34.69 $/MWh and 554.30 $/h, respectively. Furthermore, the exergy destruction costs at an environment temperature of 320 K for the power and recovery boilers were 1436.6 and 213.63 $/h, respectively. In the hybrid mode, the soda at a 10% concentration was recovered, with a rate of 32 t per hour desired for the cooking process in the pulp mill. In addition, the use of black liquor as a bio-fuel in the recovery boiler saved 14% of the consumption of natural gas. • Exergoeconomic analysis was performed for the pulp and paper industry. • Hybrid and singular operating modes for different ambient temperatures were studied. • Unit exergy cost, exergy cost, and exergy destruction cost were evaluated. • Using black liquor as a bio-fuel in RB saved about 14% of natural gas consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption optimization belongs to the main agendas in sustainable industries. Here, cost‐saving opportunities in the pulp and paper industry as one of the largest industrial energy consumers worldwide are in the focus. Energy‐saving measures are proposed employing a large‐scale mathematical model of a paper machine based on mass and energy balances supported by real‐time experiments in paper machine operation. The presented measures are based on the optimization of paper stock pumping and a drying section operation. The total energy‐saving effect of the four proposed measures accounted for a reduction in specific heat and electricity consumption by more than 2 %. The proposed procedures require no or low investment costs with the overall simple rate of return of less than one year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a global environmental problem, plastic pollution has attracted worldwide attention. Plastic wastes not only disrupt ecosystems and biodiversity, but they also threaten human life and health. Countries around the world have enacted regulations in recent years to limit the use of plastics. Paper products have been proposed as promising substitutes for plastics, which undoubtedly brings unprecedented opportunities to the pulp and paper industry. However, paper products have some deficiencies in replacing certain plastic products. Research and development to improve paper properties and reduce production costs is needed to meet such challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp and paper industry in the world have been growing fast. As a result, there has been a massive request for pulp and paper raw materials. The raw materials used in papermaking can be classified into three groups: wood, non-wood, and recycled wastepaper. The Non-wood raw material is an important fiber resource in the regions where forest resources are limited. The current usage of non-wood plant fibers, as rice straws, corn stalks, cotton stalks, and bagasse would play a chief role in increasing papermaking raw materials. Using of non-wood plant fibers in the paper industry associated with some problems, including collection, transportation, storage and handling, washing, bleaching, papermaking, chemical recovery, supply of raw material and the properties of finished paper. Recently, a high-tech innovation in all the fields of papermaking has made non-wood more reasonable with wood as a raw material for papermaking. Although till now, use of non-wood fibers for pulp and paper manufacture was focused in countries with limited wood supply, it is now showing a growing effort even in countries with acceptable wood source due to environmental concerns. Consequently, the future of non-wood plant fibers as pulping and papermaking raw material looks bright. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main rule included in IPPC directive (Directive 96/61/EC) obligating installation owners to operate in the sustainable way in order to reduce the impact on the environment. Water resources are limited, therefore many industries, in particular in water-stressed areas, must invest in water-saving programs. In particular, this problem applies to paper plants, which should limit their consumption of fresh water. However, the main environmental consequence in the production of pulp and paper refers not only to the consumption of water resources, but also to the emission of wastewater resulting from the production process. This paper focuses on the concept of sustainable management of water and wastewater. The proposed approach is demonstrated with a case study. The different treatment facilities option has been tested to find the optimal solution to minimalize consumption of fresh water and reduce effluent loads. The optimal water-wastewater configuration was found by testing several configurations. We concluded that striving for a nearly full circulation loop closure is not always justified by sustainable development and should be assessed in an integrated way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We capitalize on access to plant-level data in examining the changes in emissions of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), and greenhouse gas (GHG) for a set of Canadian pulp and paper mills from 2005 to 2013. In particular, we investigate the roles played by changes in output, emission intensity, allocation of production among surviving plants, and plant closures. Output change is the main factor and improvement of emission intensity by surviving plants—the so-called technique effect—brings a small, yet positive contribution. However, there are no indications that market operations determining plant output and plant survival lead to lower emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has made a huge impact on the global industrial supply chains. Undoubtedly, COVID-19 is posing severe challenges to the pulp and paper industry worldwide. On the other hand, this pandemic may provide unprecedented possibilities for the pulp and paper manufacturers in areas such as the increasing demand for personal hygiene paper products, food packaging products, corrugated packaging materials, medical specialty papers, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp is the most important raw material in paper industries, whose fiber length stochastic distribution (FLSD) shaping directly determines the energy consumption and paper quality of the subsequent papermaking processes. However, the mean and variance are insufficient to describe the FLSD shaping, which displays non-Gaussian distributional properties. Therefore, the traditional control method based on the mean and variance of the fiber length is difficult to control the FLSD shaping effectively. In this article, a novel data-driven predictive probability density function (PDF) control method is proposed for the FLSD shaping in the refining process. First, the PDF of FLSD shaping is approximated by a radial basis function neural network (RBF-NN) and the parameters of each RBF basis function are tuned by using an iterative learning law. Second, the random vector functional link network (RVFLN)-based data-driven modeling method is employed to construct the prediction model of the weight vector. Consequently, the predictive controller is designed based on the constructed PDF model of the FLSD shaping in the refining process and the stability issue of the resulted closed-loop system is discussed. The experiments using industrial data are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Note to Practitioners—Pulp quality control in the refining process plays a critical role in the optimization of product quality and energy saving in the pulping and papermaking processes. Different from the conventional control method based on the mean and variance of the fiber length, a novel data-driven predictive PDF control method is proposed for the non-Gaussian stochastic distribution dynamic characteristics of the fiber length, which is used to achieve the desired PDF shaping of fiber length distribution. This kind of novel control method includes the control of the traditional mean and variance of the fiber length in some sense and has applications that are more extensive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is an indicator used in the management and continuous improvement of production systems, and is useful in identifying losses, thus reducing production costs. By analyzing the results of this indicator, the operation manager must make decisions to eliminate or reduce losses in the process. This study investigated the application of the OEE indicator in one production line in the pulp and paper industry. The implementation of OEE was performed in stages with a detailed analysis of the indicators that compose the OEE (quality, performance, and availability) to identify possible improvements. Thus, actions were implemented to improve the OEE quality index. This study provided important information that enabled the operation manager to diagnose and minimize the occurrence of failures and losses, which is often hidden and unknown to those involved in the production system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits the information obtained in Annual Survey of Industries during 1999–2010 to gauge the degree of value-added owing to the use of traditional inputs (capital, labor, energy, indigenous materials, and imported materials) and advanced industrial production technology (services, information and communications technology, and pollution control equipment) in two main sub-sectors of the Pulp and Paper (P&P) industry in India categorized according to use of different types of raw material. The panel data econometric exercise confirms that the use of traditional inputs and advanced industrial technologies, and industry level determinants of the two sub-sectors have varied effects on value-added within them. These findings are important for promoting higher value-added production in different sectors within the resource-based industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulases, a group of enzymes capable of degrading cellulose, play a crucial role in the bioconversion of cellulosic biomass, making them invaluable in various industries such as biofuels, textiles, paper, laundry, agriculture, textile, food, and beverage. The emerging trends in research and development of cellulase, such as the integration with other enzymes for biomass conversion, exploration of novel cellulolytic microorganisms, and development of improved enzyme engineering and immobilization techniques for improved activity, specificity, and reusability are some of the common highlights among the researchers. The review begins by exploring the structural and functional characteristics of cellulases, including the classification of cellulolytic enzymes based on their mode of action and mechanism. The optimization strategies for cellulase production, including genetic engineering, fermentation strategies, kinetics as well as modelling, and enzyme immobilization techniques, are also reviewed, providing insights into enhancing enzyme efficiency and stability. This review also includes the life cycle and techno-economic assessment of cellulase addressing the issues and challenges related to its scaled-up production and strategies to overcome them are discussed as future prospectives. [Display omitted] • Structural, mechanistic, and kinetics of cellulase were discussed. • Computational assessment and immobilization strategies for cellulase were presented. • Current cellulase applications along with future prospects were highlighted. • Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of cellulase were studied. • Industrial-scale fermentation and translational potential of cellulase were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • New industrially applicable strategy utilizes forest side stream spruce bark. • Recovery of stilbenoids and pectin is integrated with bark valorization. • Carbon footprint reduction of bark utilization is confirmed by TEA and LCA analysis. • This process aids designing greener and modern pulp and paper mills. Wood bark has exclusively been used for energy at pulp mills, while long-neglected, this huge biomass resource has great potential for valorization. To maximize its value in new ways, here we propose using both fresh (industrial) spruce bark and its bark-press effluents as sustainable sources of natural stilbenoids and pectin. Ultrafiltration removed approximately 90% of the high molecular weight polyphenols as well as enriched stilbenoids from bark-press effluents. Based on a techno-economic analysis, the forest industry would obtain greater revenue potential up to €100 per ton of bark by processing bark side streams compared to their traditional combustion-based strategy if implementing the improved debarking technology. Overall the valorization of stilbenoids and pectin from bark-press effluents or spruce bark offers a promising strategy to produce bio-based, high-value UV-filter ingredients as alternatives to fossil-based ones, and high-grade pectin in an economic feasible and potentially environmentally friendly bolt-on process to the existing mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has revealed the existence of an energy-efficiency gap – the difference between optimal and actual energy end-use, suggesting that energy efficiency can be improved. Energy management (EnM) is a means for improving industrial energy efficiency. However, due to various barriers, the full potential of EnM is not realised. Several studies have addressed drivers and barriers to energy efficiency but few to EnM. This study aims to identify EnM practices, the most important perceived drivers and barriers for EnM, and relations among them in the energy-intensive Swedish pulp and paper industry (PPI), which has the longest experience internationally of practising EnM systems, and has worked according to the standards since 2004. Our results show that, altogether, the PPI works regularly and continuously with EnM, with a clear division of responsibilities. The highest maturity for EnM practices was for energy policy, followed by organization, investments, and performance measurement. The study also shows that communication between middle management and operations personnel has potential for improvement. The most important categories of drivers were economic, whereas for barriers they were organizational. Nevertheless, knowledge-related barriers and drivers were amongst the most important, suggesting that the absorptive capacity for energy issues could be improved. Image 1029 • Energy is managed continuously, with clear policies and responsibilities. • The main drivers are economical while main barriers are organizational. • Knowledge related barriers and drivers are amongst the next most important. • Employees' absorptive capacity for energy issues could be improved. • Link between energy policy and performance measurement could be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Kraft Black Liquor (KBL) is an aqueous solution of lignin residues, hemicelluloses and inorganic chemicals produced during the pulping process. It is sometimes classified as waste even if this definition is wrong in most of the cases where the BL is reutilized (recovered) by using it as fuel in recovery boilers. In this process, the pulping chemicals are recovered and sent again to the cooking process of wood. BL has more than half of the energy content of the inlet wood. KBL is generally used as an energy source although recovery boilers are still quite thermally inefficient compared to coal or gas fired power producing ones. Among the various solutions, supercritical water gasification (SCWG) enables bio-fuels and value products to be obtained from KBL. The present study deals with the KBL SCWG by using a plug-flow reactor operating continuously at 250 bar pressure and variable temperatures in the range 500–700 °C. The objective was to identify the experimental conditions that lead to the development of operational problems and to document them accurately. In this study, real time visualization of online measurements has been conducted by means of the LabView software. In order to highlight the differences in behavior, tests were conducted on two different substrates, the sucrose and KBL. Results highlight how tests were carried out without problems at 500 °C resulting in a total gas yield of 18.31 g-mol/kg feed , consisting mainly of H 2 (7.87 g-mol/kg feed), CO 2 (5.84 g-mol/kg feed), H 2 S (2.29 g-mol/kg feed) and CH 4 (1.96 g-mol/kg feed). On the contrary, in the case of KBL SCWG the test was interrupted at 600 °C because of salt deposits and consequent clogging in the entrance of the reactor. The LabView software showed particularly rapid pressure drops which were not addressed to technical problems in the layout. However, the recording of the pressure drop was only the final symptom of this occurrence. The saline content in the investigated inlet KBL also suggested the need of a pre-treatment for the removal of the inlet salts in the case where a non-catalytic reactor would be used. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • The LabView software has provided continuous pressure and temperature monitoring. • The profile corresponding to operational problems showed rapid pressure drops. • The recording of the pressure drop was only the final symptom of this occurrence. • At 600 °C tests were interrupted due to precipitation of salts and consequent clogging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Superstructure of integrated biorefinery in pulp and paper industry was developed. • It includes pulping, biochemical production and black liquor utilization sections. • Lignocellulosic biomass extracted from eucalyptus and bagasse are the feedstocks. • Potential of integrated biorefinery process was illustrated in three scenarios. • Integrated succinic acid and lactic acid can improve profitability. Abstract This work aims at developing sustainable processes for pulp and paper industry by integration of the biorefinery concept to an existing pulp and paper process. A systematic methodology employing a superstructure-based process synthesis approach is employed with support from computer-aided tools to determine potential pathways for a long-term sustainable growth objective. A superstructure of the multi-product biorefinery process network for the pulp and paper industry is developed. It is divided into three sub-networks, a chemical pulping section, a biochemical production section and a black liquor utilization section. Superstructure optimization is performed with the objective to maximize profit to determine optimal integrated networks for three scenarios. The obtained results provide useful insights for further development of the optimal networks as sustainable integrated biorefinery combined with pulp and paper mills. Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic treatment of sedimented fibers collected from bottom of a bay that had been receiving pulp and paper mill wastewater for about 70 years were studied for the first time in semi-continuously fed continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR). Anaerobic treatment of the fiber sediment was shown to be feasible, without dilution and with nitrogen and buffer supplement, at organic loading rates (OLR) up to 2.5 kg VS/m 3 d and hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 60 d resulting in methane yields of 201 ± 18 L CH 4 /kg VS. Co-digestion of sedimented fiber with sewage sludge at an OLR of 1.5 kg VS/m 3 d and HRT of 20 d resulted in a methane production of 246 ± 10 L CH 4 /kg VS. The techno-economic feasibility of mono and co-digestion process together with several case dependent factors such as maximum operable OLR, digestate utilization needs to be evaluated before making further conclusions for larger scale remediation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Despite major improvements in recycling over the last decades, the pulp and paper sector is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental pressures. Further reduction of virgin material requirements and environmental impacts requires a detailed understanding of the global material flows in paper production and consumption. This study constructs a Sankey diagram of global material flows in the paper life cycle, from primary inputs to end‐of‐life waste treatment, based on a review of publicly available data. It then analyzes potential improvements in material flows and discusses recycling and material efficiency metrics. The article argues that the use of the collection rate as a recycling metric does not directly stimulate avoidance of virgin inputs and associated impacts. An alternative metric compares paper for recycling (recovered paper) with total fibrous inputs and indicates that the current rate is at just over half of the technical potential. Material efficiency metrics are found to be more useful if they relate to the reuse potential of wastes. The material balance developed in this research provides a solid basis for further study of global sustainable production and consumption of paper. The conclusions on recycling and efficiency should be considered for improving environmental assessment and stimulating a shift toward resource efficiency and the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the top emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. Pulp and paper industry is one of eight the strictly regulated industries about carbon emission in China. However, estimates of carbon emissions from China's pulp and paper industry have been suffered from remarkable uncertainty. It is summarized that is aroused by the inaccuracy of factors evaluating energy consumption, and the huge gap between the calculation standards for assessing energy consumption in the production process and the actual level recorded in the factories. This paper re-evaluated the carbon emission of China's pulp and paper industry from the perspective of life cycle assessment, and applied more accurate emission factors, taking account of the actual energy consumption of the production process in factories, to estimate the actual carbon emissions in maximum. It is found that the national standards about the energy consumption quota of China's pulp and paper industry is no longer applicable, and the actual energy consumption regulated in the production process is far better than the advanced level given by the national standards. The greenhouse gas emission have been seriously overestimated approximately 12.00%–56.17% by international organizations. • Life Cycle Analysis of the China's pulp and paper Industry is conducted thoroughly. • The pulp flow of China's pulp and paper Industry is analyzed. • Energy regulated in factory is far better than the national standards' required. • Carbon emissions of China's pulp and paper Industry are overestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swedish pulp and paper industry (PPI) must increase energy efficiency to remain competitive on the global market, which has experienced entries from countries with cheaper energy and raw material supplies. Interactions among variables for energy use, production, energy management, electricity price and firm characteristics (FC), in different types of mills, i.e., pulp, paper and integrated mills, in Sweden from 2006 to 2015 indicate that correlations among the studied variables were different in different types of mills. This difference between types of mills seemed to originate partly from varying accessibility to production residue that could be used for energy. For all types of mills, variation of electricity prices did not correlate significantly with energy efficiency during the study period. The studied FC were firm's age, number of employees, number of companies in company group, net sales and profit for the year. Energy efficiency was more affected by the variables characterizing energy and production compared to the variables representing FC. This study also suggested presence of possible discrepancies between FC that were perceived as barriers to energy management towards energy efficiency, according to previous studies, and what was shown by the data combining variables representing energy use, production and FC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to view innovation policy through the lens of policy mixes has gained momentum given the growing complexity, the dynamics of real-world policy and the wide array of difficulties to address the current great societal challenges, notably the increasing pressure on the ecosystems that support our society. One of the main challenges concerning the transition towards bioeconomy, is to gain a more in-depth understanding on the policy mix to stimulate innovation in sustainability transitions. Our paper aims at enriching the portfolio of empirical case studies on policy mixes for innovation and sustainable transitions, by investigating the development of the policy mix underpinning the sustainability transition of the pulp and paper industry in Sweden. We apply a case study approach which draws on event history analysis, semi-structured interviews with industry and policy makers, literature reviews, a participative workshop with stakeholders from the pulp and paper industry, as well as on the IEA databases on climate change and energy efficiency policies and measures. Our analysis emphasises coordination, timing and scale in policy mixes as important elements to understand how instruments interact to accelerate sustainability transitions. The mapping of the policy mix shows that destabilising policies were crucial for accelerating the transition process of the industry. Prior to novelty creation policies, destabilising policies (e.g. environmental policies) were needed for 'innovation policy instruments' to be effective. More specific instruments (e.g. carbon tax), targeting particular functions of the innovation systems, require 'on-the-ground' policy intelligence and benefit from close interaction with industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, the pulp and paper industry in Finland has resulted in the accumulation of fibres in lake sediments. One such site in Lake Näsijärvi contains approximately 1.5 million m 3 sedimented fibres. In this study, the methane production potential of the sedimented fibres (on average 13% total solids (TS)) was determined in batch assays. Furthermore, the methane production from solid (on average 20% TS) and liquid fractions of sedimented fibres after solid-liquid separation was studied. The sedimented fibres resulted in fast methane production and high methane yields of 250 ± 80 L CH 4 /kg volatile solids (VS). The main part (ca. 90%) of the methane potential was obtained from the solid fraction of the sedimented fibres. In addition, the VS removal from the total and solid sedimented fibres was high, 61–65% and 63–78%, respectively. The liquid fraction also contained a large amount of organics (on average 8.8 g COD/L), treatment of which also has to be considered. The estimations of the methane production potentials in the case area showed potential up to 40 million m 3 of methane from sedimented fibres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different undiluted liquid digestates from mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digesters of pulp and paper industry biosludge with and without thermal pretreatment were characterized and utilized for cultivating Scenedesmus acuminatus . Higher S. acuminatus biomass yields were obtained in thermophilic digestates (without and with pretreatment prior to anaerobic digestion (AD): 10.2 ± 2.2 and 10.8 ± 1.2 g L −1 , respectively) than in pretreated mesophilic digestates (7.8 ± 0.3 g L −1 ), likely due to differences in concentration of sulfate, iron, and/or other minor nutrients. S. acuminatus removed over 97.4% of ammonium and 99.9% of phosphate and sulfate from the digestates. Color (74–80%) and soluble COD (29–39%) of the digestates were partially removed. Different AD processes resulted in different methane yields (18–126 L CH 4 kg −1 VS), digestate compositions, and microalgal yields. These findings emphasize the importance of optimizing each processing step in wood-based biorefineries and provide information for pulp and paper industry development for enhancing value generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the pulp bleaching industry, enzymes with robust activity at high pH and temperatures are desirable for facilitating the pre-bleaching process with simplified processing and minimal use of chlorinated compounds. To engineer an enzyme for this purpose, we determined the crystal structure of the Xyn12.2 xylanase, a xylan-hydrolyzing enzyme derived from the termite gut symbiont metagenome, as the basis for structure-based protein engineering to improve Xyn12.2 stability in high heat and alkaline conditions. Engineered cysteine pairs that generated exterior disulfide bonds increased the k cat of Xyn12.2 variants and melting temperature at all tested conditions. These improvements led to up to 4.2-fold increases in catalytic efficiency at pH 9.0, 50 °C for 1 h and up to 3-fold increases at 60 °C. The most effective variants, XynTT and XynTTTE, exhibited 2–3-fold increases in bagasse hydrolysis at pH 9.0 and 60 °C compared to the wild-type enzyme. Overall, engineering arginines and phenylalanines for increased pK a and hydrogen bonding improved enzyme catalytic efficiency at high stringency conditions. These modifications were the keys to enhancing thermostability and alkaliphilicity in our enzyme variants, with XynTT and XynTTTE being especially promising for their application to the pulp and paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three different process types of heat supply for industrial production processes requiring low temperature heat at 140°C are analyzed and compared with each other. The thermodynamic and economic efficiency of a gas turbine process with a heat recovery boiler (GT), a gas and steam turbine combined cycle process with a back-pressure turbine (GT-CC) and a high temperature heat pump (HTHP) system recovering waste heat from humid exhaust air between 90°C and 50°C are assessed based on energy flows, exergy flows and costs of heat provided as 4 bar (abs) saturated steam. The economic analysis bases on the comparison of the consumptionrelated costs of heat, the capital-related costs of heat and the operation-related costs of heat. The payback-times are calculated for different HTHP investment cost levels (1000 EUR/kWQ, 750 EUR/kWQ, 500 EUR/kWQ and 250 EUR/kWQ). To evaluate the effects of fluctuating energy costs, a sensitivity analysis with varying gas and electricity prices has been carried out. The results show that the HTHP system, even with modest performance assumptions, has a higher exergetic efficiency than the GT or the GT-CC process. For the consumption-related costs, the economic calculation shows that the operation of a HTHP, working with a coefficient of performance (COP) of four and for a natural gas price of 25 EUR/MWh, is the cheapest way of heat production as long as the electricity price is lower than 45 EUR/MWh. An electricity price above 45 EUR/MWh makes a GT-CC process more favorable. For the period from January 2013 until June 2016, the total costs of heat and the payback times, based on real gas and electricity prices from the EEX, are calculated and analyzed. For overall cost-optimized heat supply, the results show that the share of heat provided by the HTHP system varies between 45% and 76% between January 2013 and June 2016. Especially in 2013 and 2014, the economic conditions for operating heat pumps were very good. Since October 2015, the natural gas prices have seen a decrease and the economic conditions shifted again favoring the industrial heat supply with combined heat and power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, a carbon emissions trading market will be launched nationwide by the China government. Calculating the enterprise carbon emissions is an important prerequisite and basis for trading. This paper discussed types of greenhouse gases, calculation boundaries and methods, energy consumption, carbon emissions, and intensity of a representative integrated pulp and paper mill in China based on China Guidance and Greenhouse Gas Protocol Tools. The results showed that there were 435,000 tonnes (t) of CO2 emissions from that mill in 2014 that did not contain emissions of biomass energy, which was 8 times higher than that of fossil energy. The pulp carbon intensity based on the mill was 0.230 t CO2/Adt, which accounted for 7.50% to 57.4% in other pulps' based on the product. Intensity based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 1.090 t CO2e/1000 USD and accounted for 56.8% intensity in the China paper industry. The intensity based on sales accounted for 52.6% in the firstclass enterprise in the developed country. It also showed that intensity was influenced by the species of raw material, energy, and products, which provided the mill with measures for energy saving and emissions reduction to obtain the redundant carbon emissions in the trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a thermodynamic analysis of a cogeneration system in a pulp and paper industry under different operating modes i.e., singular and hybrid with a variable ambient temperature is conducted according to actual operating data. For singular operating mode, the power boiler is only employed using natural gas while for hybrid operating mode, the power boiler with the recovery boiler is employed using natural gas and black liquor as main fuels, respectively. The results show that for hybrid operating mode in comparison with the singular one, the thermal efficiency of turbine and condenser is enhanced by 1.36 and 7.7%, respectively while it is reduced by 2.8% for the power boiler. In addition, the overall thermal efficiency under singular and hybrid operating modes is 87.4 and 53.7%, respectively. For hybrid operating mode, the exergy destruction of power boiler decreases by almost 10% compared with that for the singular operating mode. Also, at hybrid operating mode, the soda is recovered with a mass flow rate of 33 tons/hour that is required for the cooking process in the chemical pulp section and additionally the consumption of natural gas in the power boiler is reduced by 11.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the total factor productivity (TFP) of the pulp and paper industry in three Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec) and in three United States (US) states that are contiguously located south of the border (Washington, Illinois, and Maine) over the period of 1971 to 2005. We find that the industry in the three Canadian provinces had much higher TFP growth rates in the era following the Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) signed in 1988. In terms of productivity level, this relative TFP surge allowed the industry in Ontario and British Columbia to move ahead of Illinois and Washington, respectively; however, Quebec trailed further Maine, which is the overall leader in the sample. Our results in this particular case reveal that the Canadian pulp and paper industry did not contribute to the overall Canada-US productivity gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper unpacks resource mobilisation for biorefineries by studying investment decisions of incumbent pulp and paper firms in Sweden and Finland. The analysis highlights that the limited adoption of biorefinery technologies can be attributed to both insufficient abilities (lack of needed competencies and partnerships) and interests (preference for improving existing technologies) by pulp and paper incumbents. Drawing on the technological innovation system perspective complemented with insights from the management literature on the role of incumbents in technological change, four issues are empirically identified as important for improving resource mobilisation for biorefinery technologies: establishing loosely coupled divisions in pulp and paper firms; creating internal markets for new bioproducts aimed at further technological development; entering purchasing agreements with downstream actors; and investing in new managerial competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty has a great impact in the investment decisions, operability of the plants and in the feasibility of integration opportunitiesin the chemical processes. This paper, presents the steps to consider the optimization of process investment in the processes integration under conditions of uncertainty. It is shown the potentialities of the biomass cane of sugar for the integration with several plants in a biorefinery scheme for the obtaining chemical products, thermal and electric energy. Among the factories with potentialities for this integration are the pulp and paper and sugar factories and other derivative processes. Theses factorieshave common resources and also havea variety of products that can be exchange between them so certain products generated in a one of them can be raw matter in another plant. The methodology developed guide to obtaining of feasible investment projects under uncertainty. As objective function was considered the maximization of net profitablevalue in different scenariosthat are generated from the integration scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae have been suggested as a sustainable raw material for biofuel production in the form of methane via anaerobic digestion. Here, pretreatments at 60–80 °C were investigated, aiming to study the impact of algae culture media on biomethane potential and pretreatment efficiency. Chlorella vulgaris and mixed culture of native algae species (dominating by Scenedesmus sp.) were grown in synthetic medium, wastewater (sterilized and non-sterilized) and digestate from anaerobic digestion of pulp and paper biosludge (sterilized and non-sterilized). The biomethane potential for native microalgal biomass varied between 154 and 252 L CH 4 kg −1 VS depending on culture media. The efficiency of the low-temperature pretreatment (80 °C, 3 h) for solubilization (9–12%) of C. vulgaris and native algae biomass was similar for algae grown in sterilized and non-sterilized wastewater media. The pretreatment increased the biomethane potential of native algae biomass by 11–24%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past, subsynchronous cascade drive behavior at slips that are a multiple of 1/6 has caused controversy among researchers. A new approach for predicting and interpreting drive behavior at these slips is presented in this paper. With the help of the space vector theory, an analytical investigation that shows a specific synchronization of the induction motor with the diode rectifier is carried out. The method of analysis presented can also be generally applied when a specific symmetry of the space vectors of the motor electromagnetic quantities is imposed by a power electronic converter or other sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By employing historical case study methodology, this paper examines the transition towards renewable energy and increased energy efficiency in the Swedish pulp and paper industry (PPI) during the 1970s and 1980s. Between 1973 and 1990, CO emissions were cut by 80 % in this sector, and this was mainly achieved by substituting away from oil to biofuels in the form of by-products from the pulp manufacturing process. The CO reduction was also a result of energy efficiency improvements and increased internal production of electricity through back-pressure turbine power generation. Sweden was highly dependent on oil at the advent of the first Oil Crisis in 1973, and the increased oil prices put pressure on the Swedish government and the energy-intensive PPI to reduce this oil dependency. Of central importance for the energy transition was the highly collaborative strategy of the PPI, both internally among pulp mills as well as between the sector as a whole and the corporatist Swedish state administration. The Swedish government chose a proactive strategy by emphasizing knowledge management and collaboration with the industry along with the substitution of internal biofuels for oil. The transition was also characterized by a strong focus on unutilized potentials in the PPI; a previous waste problem now could be transformed into energy savings and improved energy efficiency. Energy taxes and fees also played an important role in Swedish energy policy during the 1970s and the 1980s. All in all, the study illustrates the central role of governments and their ability to push industrial sectors into new technological pathways through a wide palette of mutually reinforcing policy instruments. The results further point at the importance of a more holistic understanding of the interplay between different policies and their impacts in the longer run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of existing pulp mills with additional technology processing concepts to forest-based biorefineries implies high risks. A stakeholder-integrated strategy development is therefore more likely to open up such new business opportunities. Therefore, this paper aims to develop and verify a feasible approach. For this purpose, Porter's deliberate strategy was extended in context of a case study on the production of hemicelluloses for value-added food markets. Considering two different strategies based on technological approaches, the case of pre-extraction can be given preference considering the interests of involved stakeholders regarding food additive marketing. The implementation process of a forest biorefinery remains widely case dependent, but nonetheless this paper provides some guidance concerning realization steps. The study proved that vast concordance between three different stakeholder groups can be achieved in case of two complex options. Hence, coordination of stakeholder interests is feasible in context of technology implementation strategy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various organic and inorganic hazardous substances are commonly originated during the processing of virgin or recovered fibers (RCFs), when the pulp and paper (P&P) are produced. Hence, pulp and paper industry (PPI) strongly need to employ advanced waste treatment processes as a powerful tool to comply with the stringent environmental regulations in one hand, and to increase their profitability in the current declining P&P markets, on the other hand. Among the treatment alternatives, anaerobic digestion (AD), is an interesting cost-effective alternative with a small environmental footprint and has been increasingly adopted by the PPI to reach this goal. However, the application of AD to deal with wastes generated in P&P mills has been restricted due to a number of limitations, regarding the anaerobic reactor design and the operating conditions. Hence, the optimization of the AD performance would be a crucial step in order to increase the economic benefits, and also to satisfy the strict environmental protection standards. To this end, this paper presents an overview on the current state of the developments associated with AD treatment of P&P mill wastes to assess the applicability of this treatment process for the management of this type of complex wastes. In this context, suggestions are provided to maximize both biogas production and removal efficiency, focusing on the relationship between waste composition and reactor design and operational conditions, which will enhance methane capture and contribute to prevent global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has become the world largest paper and paperboard producer. However, pulp and paper industry has involved high resource consumption and severe pollution especially for water. This research has assessed the eco-efficiency of China's pulp and paper industry at the national level and provincial level. An overview regarding the cleaner production of China's pulp and paper industry was presented to reveal the measures for reducing environmental impact in the last two decades. Slacks-based measure was used to analyze the efficiency levels of 16 provinces' pulp and paper industries. To uncover the underlying causes of eco-efficiency performance, Malmquist–Luenberger index was calculated to discover the drivers of productivity growth of pulp and paper industries. Our results showed that the pollution treatment of China's pulp and paper industry has made progress in terms of water consumption and water pollution, although the absolute amount of pollution discharge is still large. Chemical oxygen demand emissions are still the first critical influencing factor of pulp and paper industry's inefficiency. Furthermore, efficiency progress was the dominating contribution of the industry's productivity growth between 2010 and 2013. The policies for adjusting the industrial structure of pulp and paper industry have resulted in the scale effects through eliminating backward production capacity and accelerating merger and acquisitions. Moreover, the productivity of pulp and paper industry was underestimated when the undesirable outputs were ignored. It indicates that the stricter environmental regulations have positive effects on paper companies to internalize environmental pressures in the production activities through environmental management. In the future, pulp and paper companies should further internalize the cost of pollution treatment through scale effects and technology improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumé: Tezaurus je vo všeobecnosti považovaný za nadstavbu existujúceho informačného systému v danej vednej oblasti. Celulózopapierenský priemysel SR aj ČR má v tomto regióne dlhodobú tradíciu. Absencia tezauru v danej vednej oblasti spracovávania drevnej hmoty je preto považovaná za nedostatok, keďže tezaurus je účinný podkladový materiál rešeršných a študijných prác pre výskumné, projektové a vzdelávacie aktivity. Cieľom daného projektu je vytvorenie jednojazyčného tezauru pre zjednotenie terminológie celulózopapierenskej problematiky. Prezentované prepojenie komplexného informačného systému s tvorbou tezauru má základ v silnom, efektívne využívanom informačnom fonde a jeho digitalizácie, v podkladoch, ktoré poskytuje vlastná báza dát a priebežné poskytovanie profesionálnych informácií pre výskum, univerzity a podnikateľskú sféru. Klíčová slova: priemysel celulózopapierenský, tezaurus, riadené slovníky, technické knižnice, interné siete, prenos dát Summary: Thesaurus is generally regarded as the extension of the existing information system in a specific field of science. Pulp and paper industry in the Slovak and Czech Republic in this region has a long tradition. The absence of a thesaurus in the field of science processing of wood is therefore considered to be a drawback, since the thesaurus forms an effective basis for information retrieval and study work in research, project and educational activities, project and as well as for the educational activities. The aim of the project is to create a monolingual thesaurus and unify the pulp and paper terminology.The presented comprehensive information system is interconnected with the creation of the thesaurus is based on strong, effective used of information funds, their digitization and in the own pulp and paper database and in the continuous provide professional information for research and development, universities and business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry accounts for approximately 5% of total industrial energy consumption and contributes 2% of direct carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from industries. World paper and paperboard demand and production are increasing significantly, leading to an increase in this sector's energy use and CO 2 emissions. Although current studies identify a wide range of energy-efficiency technologies that have already been commercialized for the pulp and paper industry, information is limited or scattered regarding new energy-efficiency technologies that are not yet fully commercialized. Development of emerging or advanced energy-efficiency technologies and their deployment in the market will be crucial for this industry's mid- and long-term energy saving and climate change mitigation strategies. This paper compiles available information on energy savings, environmental and other benefits, costs, and commercialization status for 25 emerging technologies to reduce the energy use and CO 2 emissions. The purpose is to provide a well-structured comprehensive review on these emerging energy-efficiency technologies for engineers, researchers, investors, policy makers, pulp and/or paper companies, and other interested parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an analysis of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the harmonized benchmark-based allocation procedures by comparing two energy-intensive sectors with activities in three Member States. These sectors include the cement industry (CEI) and the pulp and paper industry (PPI) in the UK, Sweden, and France. Our results show that the new procedures are better suited for the more homogeneous CEI, in which the outcome of stricter allocation of emissions allowances is consistent between Member States. For the more heterogeneous PPI – in terms of its product portfolios, technical infrastructures, and fuel mixes – the allocation procedures lead to diverse outcomes. It is the lack of product benchmark curves, and the alternative use of benchmark values that are biased towards a fossil fuel-mix and are based on specific energy use rather than emission intensity, which leads to allocations to the PPI that do not represent the average performance of the top 10% of GHG-efficient installations. Another matter is that grandfathering is still present via the historically based production volumes. How to deal with structural change and provisions regarding capacity reductions and partial cessation is an issue that is highly relevant for the PPI but less so for the CEI. Policy relevance After an unprecedented amount of consultation with industrial associations and other stakeholders, a harmonized benchmark-based allocation methodology was introduced in the third trading period of the EU ETS. Establishing a reliable and robust benchmark methodology for free allocation that shields against high direct carbon costs, is perceived as fair and politically acceptable, and still incentivizes firms to take action, is a significant challenge. This article contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges in effectively applying harmonized rules in industrial sectors that are heterogeneous. This is essential for the debate on structural reformation of the EU ETS, and for sharing experiences with other emerging emissions trading systems in the world that also consider benchmark methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion is a well-established biological process for converting biomass in waste streams into a renewable energy source, and it also contributes to the treatment of these waste streams. In this introductory mini-review, some fundamental aspects of anaerobic digestion for use in the pulp and paper industry and other sectors are briefly summarized. The contents include the basics of anaerobic digestion, feedstocks, key process parameters, and typical anaerobic digesters/reactors and their representative manufactures. Fostering the more efficient and widespread commercial use of anaerobic digestion technologies would be a critical strategy to address the issues of energy, the environment, and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of the sulfur emissions reduction directive for maritime transport has become a heavily debated policy issue in Northern Europe from the perspective of the future competitiveness of transport-dependent industries. The scientific value of this study is in its contribution to the scarce literature on the future of pulp and paper industry competitiveness from the tightening environmental regulation perspective, highlighting the complementary role of law-abiding and voluntary regulations. Using a Delphi-foresight method, the study evaluates the effectiveness of environmental regulation by identifying its positive and negative aspects for the future success of the pulp and paper industry, and uses the reduction of sulfur emissions as an example. From a business perspective, the panelists saw tightening regulation as both a threat and an opportunity, and stressed the role of the policy implementation in achieving actual environmental improvement. The strict regulatory measures were generally perceived as environmentally advantageous and more effective in the long term, but a rather divided view was seen in the ability of the sulfur emissions directive to effectively govern environmental sustainability. In discussion, the role of more voluntary alternatives to implementing command-and-control type policy measures is emphasized in complementing government legislation, to gain market benefits from greening the entire pulp and paper supply chain. To conclude, the development of sustainable transportation strategies has the potential to contribute toward long-term competitiveness in the pulp and paper industry, especially if new strategic innovation-oriented cross-sector partnerships develop in the production and use of transportation biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the strategic investment choices made in pulp and paper industry (PPI) within the last two decades. We first describe investments, initiated projects, and closures of pulp and paper mills and profitability of the 22 largest pulp and paper companies in North America, Western Europe and Japan. We then examine the development and impact of R&D investments by comparing the timing of R&D investments with changes in profitability. The results indicate that the relationship between R&D and profitability is company specific. Our findings indicate further that the logic of R&D investment differs across firms; in some companies, changes in profits cause changes in the R&D investment level, whereas in others the opposite holds. It also seems that the sample companies have not actively sought new market opportunities through innovation activity, but rather by geographical re-location of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research deals with the reverse logistics and Law 12.305. The problem that guides this paper can be placed with the question: what are the possible benefits that law 12.305 can bring to the pulp and paper industries, placed in the state of Paraná? The main objective of this research was to show the potential benefits that the observance of the Law 12.305 can bring to Paraná's pulp and paper industries. To achieve this purpose was prepared a literature review about the proposed theme, which is supported by articles and books. About 28 companies in the paper and pulp sector in Paraná were contacted to participate with the study (project CVMR fundings). The method adopted for collecting data was an on line questionnaire, getting 50% of answers return from the participants. As result, all benefits evaluated were proven right, in greater or lesser degree of concordance, but all above 50%. Although the benefits are understood by the companies, not all of them use it in their advantage, gaining with the positive marketing, which could bring benefits with the respect to the company's corporate image. On the other hand, support mechanisms to industries and entities dedicated to the reuse, treatment and recycling of solid waste produced in the country, as well as projects related to the responsibility for the life cycle of products provided by Law 12.305, have not yet been put in place by the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]