Investigating Wisconsin Natural Resources to Supply Tissue Industry

Abstract

The paper industry plays a vital role in Wisconsin economy. The recent decline of the pulp manufacturing industry in Wisconsin has had major impacts on local economies that have depended on this industry for decades. The decline of wood use as well as manufacturing facilities has led to a decrease in economic stability in these local communities. Meanwhile, paper mills, especially tissue mills, import more than half of pulp from oversea, i.e. eucalyptus from Brazil. The logistic disturbance during COVID and incoming tariff threat push the paper mills to seek alternative supply, or local source. This research investigates the possibility to revive the industry in Wisconsin by evaluating the viability of locally grown wood species when compared to eucalyptus pulp. Locally sourced wood chips were pulped with TAPPI standards, strength and optical properties were analyzed to determine the competitiveness of Wisconsin grown wood. Further research was done using lab-scale bleaching to get a more direct comparison to some commercially sold pulps. Results indicate that local species performed comparably, and in some cases exceeded, the performance of commercially utilized species in strength and optical properties. These findings provide evidence that reinvesting in Wisconsin’s pulp and paper industry could be economically advantageous to local communities and investing companies.