A major rebuild of Maxau Mill’s paper machine no. 6 has increased capacity and improved product quality. As part of this project, two de-inking lines have been rebuilt, leading to an increase in recovered paper consumption of about 30%.

In 2004, Langerbrugge Mill used about 516 000 tonnes of recovered paper. The mill’s newsprint machine has not reached its full capacity yet, however, and it will eventually consume about 700 000 tonnes of recovered paper per year. The newsprint line will be modified in the beginning of 2005 to minimise the dusting of paper, which occurs during printing. The machine will be closed down for about five weeks, which means a break in production, and a consequent reduction in recovered paper utilisation. In 2004, the utilisation rate for newsprint produced – recovered paper consumption in relation to total newsprint production – amounted to 61%.

At the end of 2004, Stora Enso acquired a majority interest in the Polish packaging producer Intercell S.A., whose operations include recovered paper collection and the manufacture of corrugated packaging. Intercell runs Poland’s largest recovered paper collection business, accounting for approximately 15% of paper recycling in Poland.