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Top 10 Companies in the Paper and Pulp Industry (2025): Global Leaders Fueling Sustainable Fiber Production

In Business Insights
January 04, 2026


The Global Paper and Pulp Market was valued at USD 67.5 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 94.1 Billion by 2032, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.0% during the forecast period (2024–2032). This growth is primarily driven by the rising demand for sustainable packaging materials, expanding tissue and hygiene product consumption, and significant advancements in pulp processing technologies that enhance efficiency and environmental performance.

As the industry navigates a complex landscape of sustainability mandates and digital transformation, the strategic direction is increasingly set by key producers who are innovating in recycled fiber utilization, biorefinery development, and resource-efficient manufacturing. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Paper and Pulp Industry—a combination of integrated forest product giants, specialty paper manufacturers, and sustainability leaders shaping the future of global fiber production.

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🔟 1. International Paper

Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Key Offering: Corrugated Packaging, Pulp, Printing Papers

International Paper is one of the world’s leading producers of fiber-based packaging, pulp, and paper, with manufacturing operations across North America, Europe, and Latin America. The company serves a diverse range of industries, including e-commerce, food and beverage, and industrial goods, leveraging its extensive recycling network that processes over 5 million tons of recovered paper annually.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Committed to sustainable forestry with 100% certified fiber sourcing goal by 2030

  • Investing $150 million in water reduction and recycling technologies

  • Achieved 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2010


9️⃣ 2. Suzano S.A.

Headquarters: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Key Offering: Eucalyptus Pulp, Paper, Bioproducts

Suzano is the world’s largest market pulp producer, with an annual capacity exceeding 11 million tons of eucalyptus pulp. The company’s vertically integrated operations span from tree farming to pulp and paper production, capitalizing on Brazil’s favorable climate for fast-growing eucalyptus plantations that yield higher productivity than global averages.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Pioneering the world’s first commercial-scale lignin production for bio-based chemicals

  • Committed to removing 40 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere by 2025

  • Zero deforestation commitment across its 2.4 million hectares of forest land

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8️⃣ 3. Stora Enso

Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
Key Offering: Packaging Materials, Biomaterials, Wood Products

Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, and wooden construction. The company operates integrated mills that transform wood into pulp, paperboards, and innovative biomaterials, with a strong emphasis on circular economy principles and carbon-neutral operations across its value chain.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Transforming traditional pulp mills into advanced biorefineries for lignin and tall oil

  • Targeting 100% regenerative operations by 2050

  • Developing fiber-based alternatives to plastic packaging


7️⃣ 4. UPM-Kymmene Corporation

Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
Key Offering: Graphic Papers, Pulp, Label Materials, Biocomposites

UPM is a global leader in forest-based bioindustries, operating six business areas that span from pulp production to advanced biofuels. The company’s strategic focus includes transforming its traditional paper operations toward higher-value renewable and recyclable products, with particular strength in labeling solutions and specialty papers.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Operating the world’s first biorefinery producing wood-based biofuels in Uruguay

  • Committed to 100% certified纤维 sourcing and 65% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030

  • Developing novel biochemicals from tall oil and other pulp byproducts


6️⃣ 5. Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Sinar Mas

Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia
Key Offering: Pulp, Paper, Packaging, Tissue Products

APP is one of the world’s largest pulp and paper companies, with extensive operations across Indonesia and China. The company produces a comprehensive range of products from packaging boards and tissues to stationery and office papers, serving both domestic Asian markets and international customers through its global distribution network.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Implemented Forest Conservation Policy with zero deforestation commitment

  • Investing in community development programs supporting sustainable livelihoods

  • Developing innovative recycled fiber technologies for packaging applications

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5️⃣ 6. Metsä Group

Headquarters: Espoo, Finland
Key Offering: Pulp, Paperboards, Tissue Papers, Wood Products

Metsä Group is a leading European forest industry group whose core operations focus on wood supply and forest services, pulp, paperboards, and tissue and cooking papers. The company’s innovative bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, Finland, represents one of the most modern pulp production facilities globally, serving as a model for resource efficiency.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Pioneering the circular economy with 100% utilization of wood raw material

  • Developing textile fibers from pulp as sustainable alternative to cotton

  • Targeting fossil-free mills and 100% recyclable products by 2030


4️⃣ 7. Sappi Limited

Headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa
Key Offering: Dissolving Pulp, Graphic Papers, Packaging & Speciality Papers

Sappi is a global leader in dissolving wood pulp and graphic papers, with manufacturing operations on three continents. The company has strategically shifted toward higher-value dissolving pulp used in textiles (lyocell, viscose) and specialty packaging papers, reducing its exposure to declining graphic paper markets while leveraging its technical expertise.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Leading producer of sustainable dissolving pulp for textile applications

  • Implementing water stewardship programs reducing consumption by 30% per ton

  • Developing bio-based barrier coatings to replace plastic in packaging


3️⃣ 8. WestRock Company

Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Key Offering: Corrugated Packaging, Consumer Packaging, Pulp

WestRock is a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, serving customers across consumer and corrugated packaging markets. The company’s extensive recycling infrastructure processes approximately 7 million tons of recovered fiber annually, supporting its position as a key player in the North American packaging ecosystem.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Targeting 100% recyclable, compostable or reusable packaging by 2025

  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 27.5% through energy efficiency investments

  • Developing innovative fiber-based packaging with enhanced barrier properties


2️⃣ 9. Nippon Paper Industries

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Key Offering: Paper, Pulp, Building Materials, Biochemicals

Nippon Paper is Japan’s premier comprehensive paper and pulp manufacturer, with diversified operations spanning printing papers, packaging materials, and emerging bio-based businesses. The company maintains technological leadership in advanced paper grades for digital printing and high-barrier packaging applications, particularly in the sophisticated Japanese market.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Developing cellulose nanofiber (CNF) technologies for advanced materials

  • Expanding biomass energy generation at mill sites

  • Investing in biorefinery projects for hemicellulose and lignin valorization


1️⃣ 10. Smurfit Kappa Group

Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland
Key Offering: Paper-based Packaging, Containerboard, Pulp

Smurfit Kappa is one of the leading integrated producers of paper-based packaging products, with operations across Europe and the Americas. The company’s vertically integrated model combines paper recycling, containerboard production, and corrugated packaging manufacturing, creating a closed-loop system that maximizes resource efficiency and minimizes environmental impact.

Sustainability Initiatives:

  • Operating Europe’s largest paper recycling business with 6.8 million tons annual capacity

  • Developing innovative paper-based alternatives to plastic packaging

  • Targeting 55% reduction in fossil CO2 emissions by 2030

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Paper and Pulp Market – View in Detailed Research Report


🌍 Outlook: The Future of Paper and Pulp is Sustainable and Innovative

The paper and pulp market is undergoing a profound transformation driven by sustainability imperatives and technological innovation. While traditional paper products face challenges from digitalization, the industry is successfully pivoting toward packaging applications, tissue products, and advanced biomaterials that offer significant growth opportunities and align with circular economy principles.

📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:

  • Rapid expansion of recycled fiber capacity and advanced de-inking technologies

  • Regulatory push for plastic packaging alternatives driving paper-based innovation

  • Integration of biorefining technologies creating new revenue streams from pulp byproducts

  • Digital transformation optimizing fiber utilization rates and production efficiency

Get Full Report Here:
Paper and Pulp Market – View in Detailed Research Report

The companies profiled above are not only producing essential paper and pulp products—they’re pioneering the sustainable transformation of the global forest products industry.


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