McKinley Paper Co. Brings Sustainable Model to WA Mill

The McKinley Paper Co., a subsidiary of Mexico-based Bio Pappel, will bring its model of producing paper without cutting trees to its new mill in Port Angeles, Washington. The mill will create containerboard using recycled cardboard.

Housed in a 98-year-old factory originally build to produce Nippon Paper Industries’ newsprint and telephone directory paper, the mill will begin operations by September, 2019, according to The Peninsula Daily News. The new mill was originally expected to open before the end of 2018, but in March, McKinley pushed back the date, saying that “things are happening in the market” to cause delays, wrote Recycling Today.

The Port Angeles plant will allow Bio Pappel to double its production capacity in the US, the company said when it purchased the building in March, 2017. McKinley said the mill will produce 250,000 tons of containerboard, bringing its total annual capacity to 2 million tons in Mexico and the US (via The Daily World).

In addition to avoiding the use of trees in paper production, the company’s operations will maximize its energy use and water consumption, as well as reduce landfill disposal. Its ability to run in a sustainable manner is the result of “combining the best technology with an efficient integration of our raw materials, eco-friendlier processes, an efficient ‘zero effluents’ closed circuit system, more resistant and lighter high-performance products, and highly experienced people,” the company says.

McKinley is also improving maritime infrastructure to minimize costs of the input and output of freight at the new mill.

Bio Pappel operates 30 production facilities and 13 recycled fibers collections centers in the US, Mexico and Columbia.