Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Industry

The Pulp and Paper Manufacturing industry consists of two main sectors – pulp production and papermaking.

The industry produces a range of products such as newsprint, medicinal packaging, food packaging and sanitary products using pulp from both recycled paper and sustainably managed wood sources. Paper recycling rates in Australia are amongst the highest in the world with over 69% of all paper and paperboard consumed being recovered.

The two largest employers in the Pulp and Paper Manufacturing industry are located in regional towns in Victoria and NSW.

What does this industry cover?

The six sub sectors in the pulp and paper manufacturing sector are: pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturing, corrugated paperboard and paperboard container manufacturing, paper bag and other paper product manufacturing, paper stationery manufacturing, personal and family product manufacturing and paper product merchandising.

Job hunting information

Experience is not necessary as organisations in the pulp and paper manufacturing industry tend to train their staff in house and not through an apprenticeship or traineeship model.

Skills required are: language, literacy and numeracy (LLN), critical thinking, problem solving and communication.

Information for further research

Industry information is published by peak level associations, government and major employers. Accessing industry association sites, including member lists, is a good way of building up an understanding of an industry. Visiting employer websites and looking for careers or employment menus helps identify how employers recruit and the skills they are recruiting.