Call for Poster Papers

Appita Conference - Poster Session Proudly Sponsored by the Jasper Mardon Memorial Trust The Call for Poster Papers for the Appita Conference 2024 is now open! We invite you to submit a poster and showcase your innovations in process improvement and...

Matthew O’Connor

Matthew O’Connor Norline Manager, Boyer Paper Mill Limited Matthew is Norline Manager at Boyer Paper Mill. He has a wide range of experience in pulp and paper, including mechanical pulping, deinking, paper making, wet end chemistry & deposit control,...

Appita LR Benjamin Medal

for outstanding contribution to the scientific and/or technological development of the Australia and New Zealand pulp and paper industry. The contribution must be largely personal, and could be in research, development, engineering or management. This...

ABC of Pulp & Paper

2024 Appita Awards

for outstanding contribution to the scientific and/or technological development of the Australia and New Zealand pulp and paper industry. The contribution must be largely personal and could be in research, development, engineering or management. The...

Garth Weinberg, Senior Technical Officer, Scion New Zealand

Garth has been employed at Scion for 33 years and has been managing the commercial pulp and paper testing services since 2012. He is an expert in commercial fibre-based testing and corrugated board and packaging research and has built strong...

Lauren Wood

Environment & Sustainability Manager, Opal Lauren began her career as a Paper Machine Process Engineer at Australian Paper after earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Monash University. After 5 years, her passion for the environment led her to...

Warren Batchelor

including: CNF characterisation methods including serving on the TC6 and TC229 committees developing standards for CNFs. Paper mill biorefinery and CNF production. Methods for the rapid preparation of cellulose nanofibre sheets by spray coating and...

2026 New Speaker Competition

now open for the Appita New Speaker Competition Runoffs. This is an exciting opportunity for emerging voices in the pulp and paper industry to showcase their knowledge and presentation skills. KEY DATES RUNOFF New Zealand Runoff 2025 - 4 December, 2025,...

Lauren Wood, Environment & Sustainability Manager, Opal

Lauren began her career as a Paper Machine Process Engineer at Australian Paper after earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Monash University. After 5 years, her passion for the environment led her to roles with the Victorian Environment Protection...

Who We Are

Appita is the leading professional industry association that supports the advancement of the pulp, paper packaging and bioproducts industries. We have a broad-based membership with over 120 corporate members and over 1300 professional members and...

Nippon subsidiary Opal announces plan to cut 220 jobs in Australia, NZ

5 March 2024 | ABC Gippsland One of Australia's largest paper and packaging companies has told workers it plans to cut 220 jobs across its Australian and New Zealand businesses. Opal is the local subsidiary of Japanese paper giant Nippon and runs a...

Beyond China: Webinar Focusses on Asia

26 AUGUST 2020 IndustryEdge The Appita and IndustryEdge webinar series focussed on local, Asian and global pulp and paper markets continues to deliver insights. The second webinar, featuring a detailed interview from inside the Chinese paper market,...

Gloria Diaz Arenas

GENERATION OF HIGH-VALUE PRODUCTS FROM SIDE STREAMS OF THE FORESTRY, PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY Gloria Diaz Arenas Bioresource Processing Research Institute of Australia (BioPRIA), Monash University, Australia, ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub...

Max Taylor

areas of OEE are rate, availability, and quality. These act as levers for improvement that all impact the final OEE score. Paper Machine Three (PM3) is a 47-year-old machine that requires significant capital investment to increase the production rate of...

Kia Hau (Wesley) Chan

Treatment Plant Capacity with Increased Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) load Kia Hau (Wesley) Chan Mill Chemist, Visy Pulp & Paper 3&6, Smithfield Keywords : Wasterwater Treatment, COD, Anerobic, Aerobic, Sulphide The design of the Wastewater Treatment...

Moving beyond a stock approach

: Thilina Gunawardhana, Research Engineer, Opal Fibre Packaging Research & Technology Centre Based on experience in paper mills around the world, Russell Allan introduces new tools for judging and comparing the performance of your paper machine. Common...

Partnership with Detpak helping turn coffee cups into gift wrap

10 AUGUST 2021 Opal Australian Paper In partnership with Detpak, Opal Australian Paper is supporting a local recycling solution for coffee cups. Recovered paper fibres from RecycleMe™, a brand by Detpak, are used to produce Hallmark gift wrap,...

Spanish fashion retailer Alvaro Moreno to save 90 tonnes of plastic per year by switching to more sustainable packaging from Mondi

19 April 2021 Paper Advance Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has helped Spanish retail chain Alvaro Moreno to save almost 90 tonnes of plastic per year by switching from plastic to paper shopping, online delivery and gift bags. Read more

International Abstracts

China Pulp & Paper is a monthly publication and published jointly by China Technical Association of Paper Industry (CTAPI) and China National Pulp and Paper Research Institute (CNPPRI). As a service to Appita members abstracts of the peer reviewed...

Global Update On Food Contact Regulations

Food Contact Committee WATCH VIDEO For a presentation and discussion about recent updates on food contact regulation for paper and plastic. Hear the latest updates on: • Regulations for recycled content in packaging. • Covering paper, PET, HDPE, soft...

Testing for Food Contact Compliance - A Systematic Approach

Watch Now Presentation Overview In the company's beginning, ISEGA was established as a material testing institute for paper and pulp. Already in the early days, high polymers and further packaging materials were added to the list. After the term...

Opal is now open for business

01 MAY 2020 - Medianet Australasia’s newest fibre packaging and paper company has been launched today after Nippon Paper Industries confirmed it had successfully completed its $1.72 billion acquisition of the Orora Fibre Businesses which have been...

2020 Strategic Review – Now Available for Subscription

complex. Our most reliable tools are data, facts and comprehensive analysis. If you are engaged in considering the pulp, paper, paperboard, fibre packaging, paper products and tissue sectors in any way, IndustryEdge’s Pulp & Paper Strategic Review is...

Awards 2022 - program

outstanding contribution to the scientific and/or technological development of the Australia and New Zealand pulp and paper industry. The Brice Charles Landman Memorial Award Established in 2019, the Brice Charles Landman Memorial Award for the Young...

Terry McDonald

General Manager Preprint & Coatings, Visy Paper, Australia I moved to a career in Visy following 8 years in the pharmaceuticals industry where I held various manufacturing and project roles. At Visy, I spent several years managing the Coatings...

Press Releases

The Appita Fibre Revolution Conference 2023 has concluded, establishing a new standard for industry events in the pulp, paper, and packaging sector. This unique conference, spanning two days, stood out for its innovative approach to fostering dialogue...

Visy installs first ANDRITZ FibreFlow Drum pulping system in Australia

20 February 2023 | Papnews Visy Paper will install a FibreFlow Drum pulping system for its recycled paper mill in Coolaroo, Victoria, Australia. “The drum pulper is the first of its kind in Australia,” says Jean Yves Nouaze, Executive General Manager...

Geetha Arumugam

for printing and packaging industry. Synopsis: Presentation to be discussing on innovating a sustainable future with paper packaging with water based functional coatings to meet various packaging needs. Conversion to paper packaging depends on product...

Chris Rosser

CEO, R.Recycle, R.Group Chris Rosser has 30 years’ experience in leadership roles in the European and Australian recycling, paper and packaging industries most recently as the Chief Operating Officer with Opal / Orora and previously with the Flint Group...

Timo Arra

Sales Director Americas and Australasia Tietoevry Experienced Senior Adviser, over 35 years’ experience in serving Pulp and Paper Industry worldwide delivering mill process applications and user oriented applied information technology to Pulp and Paper...

Nathalia Leme

Industrial Internet Manager, Valmet, North America Nathalia is a Chemical Engineer with a post graduate degree in Pulp and Paper Production and also holds an MBA in Project Management. She has been working in the Pulp and Paper Industry for 11 years....

John Schroeder

John Schroeder, Global Industry Consultant, Digital in Pulp & Paper, ABB, USA John Schroeder is the ABB Global Industry Consultant for Digital in Pulp & Paper. He is located in Westerville, Ohio, USA. John joined ABB in 1988 and has worked in process...

Smurfit Kappa’s circular approach to benefit local community

5 August 2022 | Paper Advance The Smurfit Kappa paper mill in Nettingsdorf, Austria, has launched a sustainable district heating project that will benefit 20,000 homes across three communities when completed. The scheme will capture excess heat...

Monitoring losses with the digitalization solution OnView. MassBalance for more sustainability and transparency in stock preparation

16 August 2022 | Paper Advance The recycling process in paper production is complex. Fluctuations in fiber quality and the degree of contamination of the recovered paper bales have a direct influence on production output. At the same time, resource...

Warren Batchelor

including: CNF characterisation methods including serving on the TC6 and TC229 committees developing standards for CNFs. Paper mill biorefinery and CNF production. Methods for the rapid preparation of cellulose nanofibre sheets by spray coating and...

Tim Cleary, Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Forestry & Pulp and Paper, Forest Works

Tim Cleary is the Executive Officer of the NSW ITAB for Forestry, Wood Products and Furnishing. He has been in this role since 2015. Tim is also the Stakeholder Engagement Lead for ForestWorks.. Tim has experience in manufacturing, research and...

Brad Burton, Pulp and Paper Industry Lead, ABB Australia

A skilled professional with over 20 years of wide-ranging experience in control and automation in traditional and cutting-edge industries, serving in both an end-user and vendor capacity. Brad believes industrial electrification and control has...

Marco Zhong

He is now leading the team to draft various National legislations, which include Multilayer materials and articles, Paper and paper board, wood and bamboo, Inks, as well as various analytical methods on specific migration. In 2015, Mr. Zhong was...

Kate McGlynn

Panellist – Food Contact Regulation & Compliance Kate McGlynn Associate Executive Director – Recycled Paperboard Technical Association (RPTA) Kate McGlynn is responsible for all facets of the RPTA Comprehensive Program for ensuring RPTA member products...

Tim McLean

The eight wastes in the paper and packaging industry Tim McLean Managing Director, TXM Lean Solutions Email: tim.mclean@txm.com Tim McLean is Managing Director of TXM Lean Solutions, a leading global Lean and Operational Excellence consultancy. Prior...

PAPACKS® launches a partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper

16 March 2022 | Paper Advance Germany, Cologne (16 March 2022) - Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (NASDAQ: KDP) and sustainable packaging manufacturer PAPACKS, based in Cologne - Germany, today announced the start of a partnership to develop a fully recyclable...

Program at a glance

Professionals - Proudly sponsored by Solenis 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Session Break 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm TECHNICAL STREAM BREAK OUT 1 Paper Machine Operations - Proudly sponsored by UJL TECHNICAL STREAM BREAK OUT 2 Sustainability & Environment - Proudly...

Mike Meiring

for the marketing and sales function for all OjiFS pulp globally. Mike has over 34 years experience in the Pulp & Paper business, having started his career as a graduate Chemical Engineer with Sappi Ltd in South Africa. Mike has a Business Management...

Tsunehiro Ogawa

Long Term Vision 2050 Tsunehiro Ogawa President of Japan Paper Association Tsunehiro Ogawa currently hold the position of President of Japan Paper Association. Prior to this position, he had served in a variety of government posts including...

Scaling and Education: The Next Steps to Coffee Cup Recycling

21 January 2022 | Paper Advance For many, coffee is how we start the day, but what happens to our paper coffee cups after we dispose of them? Well, many of these coffee cups, along with other containers are shipped to landfills – representing both a...

Belinda Driscoll

largest sustainability innovations in the last 12 months, including Australia’s first Aussie-made 100% bamboo toilet paper, Kleenex Eco; 100% bamboo paper towel, Viva Eco, Huggies 100% biodegradable baby wipes; U by Kotex Thinx reusable period...

Martin Atkins

reduction. He also has interests in pumping and pulp pressure screening. He has close linkages with the dairy and pulp and paper sectors. Martin has collaborated in large research programmes examining energy and emission reduction potential in the diary...

Paul Watson

Pulp value proposition. CPI’s search and apply mandate resulted in significant collaborations with global pulp and paper research and technology providers and the implementation of initiatives including online technologies, novel fibre products, low...

Aurelia announces PSM-Q installation in Portugal

to announce a new installation scheduled for March 2023 in Portugal. The PSM-Q is a stand-alone device, mounted at the paper machine, that measures and estimates important paper properties. Read more

Valmet

May 2023 | Valmet Valmet introduces Mill-Wide Optimization for steering pulp and paper mill operations towards shared goals. Valmet introduces Mill-Wide Optimization (MWO) to enhance overall pulp and paper mill profitability. With Valmet MWO,...

Tim Lester

Mr Tim Lester joined the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) in May 2021 as Senior Policy Manager for Pulp, Paper & Bioproducts. AFPA is the peak industry body representing tree growers (indigenous forest and plantation), timber processors...

Tim Lester - Panellist

Mr Tim Lester joined the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) in May 2021 as Senior Policy Manager for Pulp, Paper & Bioproducts. AFPA is the peak industry body representing tree growers (indigenous forest and plantation), timber processors...

Monadnock Expands Alternative Fiber Offerings with Hemp Envi™ Performance Board

24 SEPTEMBER 2020 PaperAdvance Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., the oldest continuously operating paper mill in the United States, is pleased to announce the expansion of its alternative fiber offerings with Monadnock Hemp Envi™ Performance Board....

State of the Market: Keeping You Informed

Webinar 1: 23 July 2020, 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm AEST Overview: The Australian and NZ Paper Markets & Economic Update Presenter: Tim Woods, IndustryEdge What is the current situation in local paper markets? Where is demand strongest and which sectors are...

Woolworths, Detpak: local manufacturing in the bag

15 April 2021 PKN Woolworths’ national rollout of paper shopping bags manufactured by Australian paper packaging converter Detpak is hitting its straps and has seen the creation of 25 new jobs and investment in new machinery at Detpak’s South Australia...

Whakatāne Mill to continue operating after sale agreed to Smurfit consortium

Whakatāne Mill will stay open after its owner, SIG Combibloc, agreed to sell to a consortium of investors including Irish paper and packaging tycoon Dermot Smurfit and New Zealand private equity chief Ross George. The consortium is led by Smurfit who,...

Stora Enso and Pulpex partner to produce fiber-based bottles on industrial scale

11 MAY 2021 Paper Advance Stora Enso and packaging technology company Pulpex join forces to industrialize the production of eco-friendly paper bottles and containers made from wood fiber pulp. Read more

Super-cal: a fragile existence

28 JUNE 2021 IndustryEdge Australian consumption of super-calendered paper grades is crashing to the point of oblivion. In April 2021, the declines continued, with just 257 tonnes being imported, a record low in the near thirty years IndustryEdge has...

Nestle Purina adds bark to plastic waste battle

virgin nylon plastic, which can’t be recycled due to their size and weight. These have now been switched for either bespoke paper ties or recyclable ‘origami style’ folded paper. Read more

Advanced data visualizations made efficient: Introduction to Power Bi

& Technology, and he holds a PhD in chemical engineering from BioPRIA, Monash University. Thilina is experienced in pulp & paper properties, and biorefinery/biomanufacturing concepts in pulp & paper industry including microfibrillated cellulose. Thilina...

Ross Hampton

body representing tree growers (indigenous forest and plantation), timber processors (native and plantation) and the pulp, paper and bioproducts sector of Australia. Mr Hampton has worked domestically and internationally, in and with Governments, in the...

Dr. Martin Atkins

reduction. He also has interests in pumping and pulp pressure screening. He has close linkages with the dairy and pulp and paper sectors. Martin has collaborated in large research programmes examining energy and emission reduction potential in the diary...

Sahan Kumarasinghe

Panellist: Attracting & Retaining Young Professionals Sahan Kumarasinghe Assess Management Engineer, Opal Australian Paper, Maryvale Mill Email: sahan.kumarasinghe@australianpaper.com.au Sahan has worked in the pulp and paper industry since he...

Paul Nemes

Developing a Forest Bioeconomy Innovation Ecosystem Paul Nemes Deputy CEO and Process Leader, Paper Province, Karlstad, Sweden Paul Nemes is the deputy CEO of Paper Province. Paul has some 20 years' experience of strategic and operational planning and...

Announcement of the start of fluff pulp production for use in absorbent hygiene products such as disposable diapers

17 AUGUST 2020 Paper Advance Daio will rebuild an existing paper machine into a facility that produces roll pulp for conversion into fluff pulp (*), one of the main raw materials in the production of absorbent hygiene products such as disposable...

Peter Tomazic, Business Development Manager- Strategic Accounts, Rockwell Automation

Engineer and Drive Systems Application Engineer to Strategic Account Manager. His deep involvement in the Pulp and Paper industry across Australia and New Zealand has seen him contribute significantly to major Drive Systems and Distributed Control...

About the Forum

Function 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm) The 2025 Appita Industry Forum brings together leaders, experts, and innovators from the pulp, paper, and packaging industries in Australia and New Zealand to address critical challenges and opportunities. With a focus on...

Visy upgrades Brisbane mill for new box grades

11 September 2025 | PKN Visy has completed a $30 million upgrade to its 100 per cent recycled paper mill on Gibson Island in Brisbane, which will manufacture new grades of paper for corrugated boxes used by Queensland farmers and food and beverage...

Statement: Opal’s $402m Legal Claim for damages against the Victorian Government

22 September 2025 | Opal Melbourne, Victoria: In filings lodged today in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Paper Australia Pty Ltd (trading as ‘Opal’) commenced proceedings against the State Government of Victoria for $402 million in damages following the...

Mondi introduces white digital printing for corrugated packaging, unlocking new branding possibilities

17 September 2025 | Paper First Mondi, a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging, has expanded its six-colour digital printing range for corrugated packaging to include white ink. This innovation reflects the growing trend of white digital...

Stora Enso Turns Lignin into a European Battery Breakthrough

10 September 2025 | Paper Advance The pulp and paper industry is finding new ways to transform its by-products into solutions for the low-carbon economy. One of the most promising breakthroughs is coming from Finland, where Stora Enso is turning...

Awards

who are pursuing excellence in their careers and have made a valuable contribution to their organisation and/or the pulp and paper industry, by demonstrating an outstanding level of professionalism, integrity and leadership in their position either at a...