World record tissue machine is running in China, Solutions! December 2004, Vol. 87(12) (111KB)
In many areas, China has begun to follow
hard on the heels of Western industrial
nations, with some companies now already in
the fast lane. One example is Chinese sanitary
paper producer Gold Hong Ye, where the
world’s fastest tissue machine is running.
China is a promising market in more than
one respect. Its huge population—nearing
1.3 billion—and strong economic growth will
lead to rapid expansion in the tissue market.
Annual growth rates for tissue consumption
of up to 14% have brought China to the
forefront of the global tissue market. Since
the early 1990s, Chinese tissue production
has increased five-fold. China is second to
the United States in production and consumption
even though per capita Chinese
consumption is only 2.1 kg per year. U.S. per
capita consumption is 24 kg while Western
European countries average 13.6 kg.
Since household and sanitary paper consumption
is closely linked to the standard of
living, per capita consumption in the well-todo
coastal regions—especially in and around
Shanghai and Beijing—is considerably
higher (up to 7.5 kg). In the poorer regions in
southwest and northwest China, per capita
consumption is 1 kg and less.