For centuries, paper has been an integral part of the printing industry. However, despite the digital disruption the paper industry has bounced back with a vengeance as it is the best replacement for plastic worldwide across several segments. The paper industry has also taken a giant leap due to the growing eCommerce industry that heavily relies on packaging. The knowledge series had a great representation from some of the leading names in the industry like Sona Paper, GIMPEX, Orient Links and Dhara Paper among others.
The players within the large format paper and specialty paper segment continue to stay bullish on the growth of this category of paper. There is a huge demand for good quality multipurpose paper here in the GCC and also in the African region.
On the other hand, these prominent industry stakeholders also felt that the paper industry in this region is amongst the most unorganized and would need an index that monitors the prices. Unscrupulous pricing mechanism adopted by some players impacts the whole industry and it needs to be streamlined to protect the growth of this industry.
“Printing machinery is redundant without good quality paper. We have given special attention to the large format paper industry at our SGI 2020 show in order to address the challenges faced by them. We would like to support them and grow this industry. The future is promising for the players within this industry. We are expecting a massive turnout from the global and regional paper manufacturers at our show next year,” said Sharif Rahman, CEO, International Expo Consults.
The panelists also mentioned that there is a big myth that usage of paper destroys forests and there is a fair amount of education that needs to be imparted to both corporates and schools. It is true that paper requires cellulose pulp and fibers from trees, and trees remain the most popular source of cellulose for paper products. However, modern paper companies are totally different from the clear-cutting loggers of the past.
Paper companies definitely rely on the forest for the continued success of their business. But it would not be in their best interest to destroy forests without the intention of replacing the trees that are used to produce paper. The harvested areas for paper companies are also known as ‘managed forests’. Sustainability of harvestable areas is crucial to the long-term survival of any paper company, and that means that sustainable, managed forests are crucial to the business model of each and every paper manufacturer.
