Paper Products in Colombia

The industry of paper products in Colombia has refocused its strategy to maintain steady growth, despite the world´s digital trends. As the consumption of digital products has grown, Colombian paper manufacturers and paper distributors are finding new ways to adapt and stay in the market. Most changes are related to renewing production processes, turning them more sustainable and responsible. According to the National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI), paper and cardboard consumption in the country grew 4.5% from 2017 to 2018. This represented a 4.6% participation within the Industrial GDP for that year. Additionally, this market generated over 9.000 jobs and exported to countries like Ecuador, Peru, and Central America.

The Colombian paper industry has shown resilience during the last years. To supply the national and international market, Colombian paper companies are focusing on sustainability, process modernization, efficient use of resources, and positive impact on the communities. Some of these changes are in the materials used to produce paper products. 26.7% of the production derives from virgin wood fiber from forest plantations certified with responsible management, 12.42% comes from virgin sugar cane bagasse fiber and, 60.81% comes from recycled fiber collected from paper waste after consumption.

The data demonstrates the environmental compromise that the industry of paper products in Colombia has. This has led to the creation of many recycled products companies that transform paper products into recycled stationery supplies. By using recycled material, Colombian print companies create paper products like biodegradable straws, recycled notebooks, office items, and in general, eco-friendly stationery.