Paper market on the move again
September 11, 2026 8:43 am
Paper prices increase again – gap between Virgin-kraftliner and recycled papers widens!
The European paper market continues to evolve rapidly. Major producers such as Smurfit Westrock, Saica and Stora Enso have already announced significant price increases of €80 to €100 per tonne. The main drivers cited are ongoing production and input costs, high transportation costs and increasing demand.
One month later, it is becoming clear how these increases are actually impacting the market. For September, we are seeing increases of €60/tonne for recycled grades (AP basis), €80/tonne for brown Virgin-kraftliner, €40/tonne for white Testliner and €60/tonne for white Virgin-kraftliner. TLWL prices remain unchanged for the time being.
What stands out in particular is that brown Virgin-kraftliner is increasing more sharply than recycled alternatives. As a result, the price gap is widening. We therefore expect interest in high-quality Virgin-kraftliner alternatives with a higher share of recycled fibres to continue to grow.
Virgin-kraftliner under pressure: time for smart alternatives
The continued increase in Virgin-kraftliners prices makes it increasingly worthwhile to take a critical look at the paper composition used in packaging. We therefore recommend that customers work with us to explore where Virgin-kraftliner can technically be replaced by high-quality alternatives based on first-grade recycled fibres.
This can largely offset the stronger price increases for Virgin-kraftliner, while also increasing the recycled content of the packaging. Rather than simply replacing the paper, we assess each packaging application individually to determine the right composition needed to maintain the required strength and performance.
This creates a smart balance between quality, cost and sustainability: less dependence on rapidly increasing Virgin-kraftliners prices, a higher share of recycled fibres, and the same technical performance of the packaging.
An attractive alternative that allows us to mitigate the impact of current price developments as much as possible!
Discover the possibilities for your packaging
Wondering where you can replace Virgin-kraftliner with a high-quality recycled alternative?
We are happy to help you find the right balance between price, quality and sustainability.