Color Paper: Paper Supply Issues, Mill Closures, and the Printing and Packaging Industries
Portions of this article were published initially on PiWorld. View the original article here.
The price of paper is on the rise. Color stocks are becoming a thing of the past. That’s no real surprise to anyone in the printing and packaging industries. In 2022, we continued to see paper demand grow and supply sink, which immediately saw a continued rise in prices throughout the year—clearly the same example of the economics of supply and demand in action.
- Issues from 2022 — A few North American highlights: 9 closures. Closures didn’t stop. PaperMoney’s 2022 Closures and cutbacks article is just as long as the previous year.
- Issues from 2021 — A few highlights just from North America: 16 closures. Issues like raw pulp pricing increases and rising transportation costs — are also carried over into 2022. Paper and raw materials shortages were commonplace. Additionally, over the last several years, we’ve seen increasing numbers of paper mills shutter their doors, locally and worldwide. Early in 2021, PaperMoney outlined all the pulp and paper mill closures in 2021 — and it was sobering to see.
Many of these closures are also in small towns, significantly impacting local communities. Our communities! For example, in a report by WJHG/WECP in Panama City, Florida, nearly 450 employees were let go when the WestRock paper mill closed. For many Bay County residents, the Panama City Paper Mill was where many families worked for generations.
Paper companies are merging, converting to corrugated, and even closing doors. BMS has been transitioning away from these colored papers to secure supplies of paper that we must use with our print equipment to ensure we meet our client’s needs. Digital Inkjet enables the transition to all white paper stock driving efficiencies and reliability for mail service providers. It lowers client costs, allows quicker turn-times, and reduces inventory. A significant trend is that people need on-demand access to what they’re seeking. Inkjet printing allows you to quickly run personalized and targeted print campaigns at higher quantities than what would make sense for digital.
The marketplace is changing, inkjet technology continues to improve, and there are new print opportunities that can help you succeed. Here at BMS, we know how you can take advantage of inkjet.