Pulp & paper

Introduction

Data on the pulp and paper sector are obtained from two sources:

• The UK Forest Products Association (UKFPA, now merged with the Confederation of Forest Industries,  Confor, www.confor.org.uk) provided figures on inputs to the integrated pulp and paper mills and
• the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI, www.paper.org.uk) provides figures on total UK pulp and paper production.

Integrated pulp and paper mills are paper mills that use UK roundwood to produce pulp (an intermediate product in the production of paper). Inputs for other paper mills are not covered in the input statistics reported. The figures for production cover all UK paper mills.

Figures are available at a total UK level only.

Data collected

The data collected on inputs cover the type of input (roundwood, sawmill products) and the type of wood (softwood, hardwood).

Production data covers wood pulp (mechanical or semi-chemical), recovered fibre pulp and paper & paperboard. Paper & paperboard production are available for the following categories: graphic papers, sanitary & household papers, packaging materials and other paper & paperboard. Data are also collected on UK “production” of waste paper, which is the amount recovered from the UK for re-use in the UK or for export.

From 2008, total employment at integrated pulp and paper mills is also requested, to complement the data collected on this topic from other primary wood processors.

Methodology

The data on inputs to integrated pulp and paper mills are collected by the UKFPA from all such mills in the UK. The number of integrated pulp and paper mills has fallen over recent years and currently stands at 2.

The CPI collects production and raw material data from members and non-members, which accounts for the majority of UK production. The remainder is estimated by CPI using a variety of sources.

Revisions

The statistics on pulp and paper are not normally revised after publication. On occasion, a provisional figure or estimate may be published, and replaced by the actual figure in a subsequent publication.

Figures for 2015 are final; provisional figures were previously released in “UK Wood Production and Trade: 2015 provisional figures”.

Figures for 2015 and earlier years have not been revised from those in “UK Wood Production and Trade: 2015 provisional figures”. Information on revisions made since “Forestry Statistics 2015” are provided in “UK Wood Production and Trade: 2015 provisional figures”.

Release schedule

Provisional figures for 2016 will be released on 18 May 2017 in “UK Wood Production and Trade: 2016 provisional figures”.

Final figures for 2016 will be released on 28 September 2017 in “Forestry Statistics 2017” and “Forestry Facts & Figures 2017”.