Paper firm to reduce mill output

A Canadian paper making firm is adjusting to the limited availability of affordable waste paper by reducing the production of recycled newsprint at one of its sites by 5,500 tonnes.

Catalyst Paper said the move is also in reaction to a dip in demand, so that inventory levels can be checked to ensure the amount being produced matches quantities ordered.

Work at the Snowflake Mill in Arizona will be reduced for a total of six days, spread over a number of weeks, including a full shutdown for three days.

During that time Catalysts plans to conduct maintenance work on the mill, and has said in a statement that the move will mean no employees are laid off.

The mill is capable of supporting the recovery and recycling of more than 480,000 tonnes of waste paper every year, and can produce 337,000 tonnes of recycled newsprint annually.

Falling production demand has been balanced out by the industry with increasing publication paper prices, offering paper companies a respite.

But the growing popularity of tablets, smartphones and e-readers could cause more trouble for firms and trigger a further fall in the demand for paper .

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