There are many advantages to creating your own paper and paper products, but you have to start off by purchasing the raw materials, especially wood pulp. A high-quality wood pulp fiber creates a much stronger end product, so it pays to shop around and buy wood pulp that's sturdy and eco-friendly.
Learning more about the wood pulp industry and the processes involved in making your wood pulp can take you a long way when it comes time to choose a vendor for your business. You need to learn about things like:
1. How the wood pulp is created-- specifically if the company uses chemical or mechanical pulping. Chemical pulping results in longer, stronger fibers, which may be best for certain applications.
2. Where the wood pulp mill obtained the raw wood: is it local or was it shipped in?
3. Whether the wood is from a sustainable source.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Buy wood pulp responsibly
As a producer of paper goods, you have a responsibility to look at different types of wood pulp and choose something that's eco-friendly. Either buy wood that's sustainable, which means that they replant to replace the trees that are destroyed, or purchase wood pulp that's created from already recycled products. Taking the extra step to purchase sustainable wood pulp can go a long way to protecting our natural resources.
I recommend: Evaluate different sources of wood pulp before deciding on one.
Boise Cascade, for example, adheres to strict sustainability practices and procedures to protect wildlife and future trees and forests.
Wausau Paper includes 30% recycled materials in many of its products, so you can rest assured that you're helping do your part to save the environment.
Gather all the information you can about the wood pulp industry
Major breaking news like forest fires and technological developments can mean big things for your business. By staying abreast of the latest news, you can make predictions about what that means for your business and the industry as a whole.
I recommend: Follow the developments in the wood pulp industry. You can stay current on what's happening in the industry and how it may affect you as a manufacturer by reading news updates from
Forestry USA and
Forestry News.
Compare wood pulp prices and services
After you've gathered all the wood pulp information you can, it's time to look at the prices and services that each vendor offers. Ask for volume pricing, and find out exactly what you get for the money. Many mills not only sell you the wood pulp, but they may also offer different treatments to further prepare the wood for production, such as dyeing or bleaching.
I recommend: Find the wood pulp that fits your needs and budget.
Bowater offers several different types such as fluff pulp, which is used for tissue and other applications; softwood, which is great for writing paper; and hardwood pulp, which is used for packaging and specialty papers.
Bennett Lumber is another mill that offers a wide variety of woods to choose from.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- When looking for wood pulp mills, try to find one that's local. Buying locally not only saves you money in transportation costs, but helps stimulate the local economy and helps out other small business owners like yourself.
The official source of Wood Pulp is the Wood Pulp page at Business.com
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