The Aylesford Newsprint Story

The Aylesford Newsprint Story
An Introduction

CONTENTS
History 02
Recycled Fibre 04
Making Paper 08
Wrapping Up 12
Moving On 13
Sales and Marketing 14
Technical Services 15
Research and Development 16
Environment 16
Specification
IBC
Alan McKendrick Chief Executive
Mission Statement
Aylesford Newsprint aims to be the natural
choice for buyers of premium quality newsprint
in Europe.
Let’s start at the beginning
Its product is made exclusively by recycling
paper, using skilled, highly trained people
and the most advanced technology available.
Aylesford Newsprint strives to provide
an unrivalled service to customers and seeks
to work in partnership with local authorities
and communities in the collection of used
paper for recycling.
Did you know...
Aylesford Newsprint
supplies 1% of the
worlds newsprint -
by only using
recovered paper.
Darryl Jackson Apprentice
Aylesford Newsprint | 01

Newsprint has been manufactured
in Aylesford since 1922. The site, now
synonymous with Aylesford Newsprint
Limited, was acquired in 1917 with building
work commencing in 1920. Within a few
years the mill was employing some
1500 people.
During the second world war, because pulp
could not be imported, waste paper was
used, but this ceased after the war was over,
but in the 1960s work recommenced with
the use of recycled fibre.
In 1968 20% recycled fibre was first used
in the production of newsprint, gradually
increasing to 100% in 1984. Since that time
Aylesford Newsprint has continued to be
a leader in newsprint production.
In 1990 the site was purchased by the
Swedish paper making group SCA and
in 1993, following formation of the joint
venture company by SCA Forest Products
and Mondi, Aylesford Newsprint Limited was
incorporated to invest over £300 million in
an industry leading development.
The new mill at Aylesford, was built to house
the state of the art paper machine PM14
to manufacture Renaissance newsprint,
produced exclusively from 100% recycled
fibre, in conjunction with our existing paper
machine PM13.
The company strives to maintain its ongoing
commitment for optimum operational
standards, which is supported by a
dedicated sales team, working alongside
our professional and highly experienced
technical service department.
Aylesford Newsprint is underpinned by
a formal and recognised environmental
policy embracing a commitment to
continuous improvement in its manufacturing
and production processes. Up to date training
for all is provided and a strong safety culture
is maintained for its employees and visitors,
all with the aspiration of sustaining a safe
and secure future for the company, its
employees and the production of Renaissance.
Our History
Aylesford Newsprint is a joint venture company
owned by two blue chip companies, SCA Forest
Products and Mondi, and is steeped in the
tradition of innovative paper making.
Liz Williamson Sales Administrator Jo Mason Sales Administrator David Lansdowne Sales Administrator
Did you know...
Aylesford Newsprint recycles
over 90% of the water
it uses in the process.
02 | Aylesford Newsprint Aylesford Newsprint | 03

Recycled Fibre
Did you know...
Our RCF store has a capacity
of 10,000 tonnes. The suppliers
include local authorities, waste
management companies
and community groups.
Chris Chapman RCF Operator
04 | Aylesford Newsprint Aylesford Newsprint | 05

The demand for recycled newsprint continues
to increase, encouraged not only by statutory
legislation, but also by incentives of the U.K.
Government to increase and enhance public
awareness in all aspects of recycling; taking
into account the shortage of landfill sites.
Public involvement is sought by seeking
co-operation in the drive to preserve energy,
water and other materials. The recycling
of waste paper is a vitally important aspect
to this programme and we at Aylesford
Newsprint continue to support such an
initiative with the production of our 100%
recycled newsprint branded Renaissance.
In another life Renaissance newsprint could
have originated from completely different
publications. We recycle one in seven of the
U.K.’s newspapers and magazines –
a staggering total of 500,000 tonnes
recovered each year.
At present we have 2,000 blue banks for
collection of newsprint and magazines in
the southern part of England and we work
in partnership with over 100 Local Authorities
to support the collection of waste paper.
The old adage Waste Not Want Not brings
a new meaning to used newspapers and
magazines as this can provide us with the
raw material necessary for our process. Major
source of supplies are the kerbside collections
made directly with Local Authorities and
through Waste Management Companies
and Paper Merchants. A high percentage
of the 500,000 tonnes we recycle comes
from household collection. Amongst other
sources is the collection made of publishers
returns and pressroom rejects which makes
a significant contribution in maintaining the
best balance of material reprocessed in the
mill towards the continuance of recycling
waste paper.
Kerbside collections, Greenford
Newspapers and magazines conveyed to Fibre Preparation Plant
Recycled Fibre
Yesterday’s news can still make tomorrow’s
front pages.
Gemma Barratt Recycling Area Manager
Did you know...
We have 2,000 blue banks
for collection of newsprint
and magazines in the
southern part of England
Flotation Cells
Aylesford Newsprint | 07

Making paper
Did you know...
Paper Machine 14 produces
500,000 miles of premium
quality Renaissance
newsprint each year.
08 10 | Aylesford Newsprint Aylesford Newsprint | 09 11

The quality and mix of the raw material
determines the quality of our final
manufactured product and is an important
factor in sourcing material. We do not accept
paper from any collection where there is a
risk of glass contamination as glass fragments
causes damage to our paper fibre cleaning
and screening process. The quality of paper
resulting from co-mingled collections simply
does not meet our minimum standards.
The 30/70 mix of used magazines and
newspapers (PAMs) used by Aylesford
Newsprint is one of the key constituents
which go towards making Renaissance
a premium quality newsprint. Only strong
fibres are used in the manufacture of
Renaissance and we maintain an ongoing
analysis of the consistency of the fibres in
recycled paper to ensure that our paper
achieves the best properties required for
printing in today’s modern pressrooms.
The raw material is mixed with water and
soap in our high consistency pulpers where
contaminants such as CD cases, flip flops and
other magazine “freebies” are removed.
We are working continually to find better
solutions for the disposal of such items.
After the pulpers the raw material travels
through to our Fibre Preparation Plant for
a 14 stage screening and cleaning process,
initially removing any staples, adhesives
or other substances which can cause the
phenomenon of “stickies” in the finished
product. The pulp then passes through
our flotation cells to remove the ink and
then progresses through various cleaning
stages before being sent through to our
paper machines to begin the process of
manufacturing Renaissance newsprint.
Soft calendaring surface treatment ensures
that the roughness of the newsprint
is controlled to minimise the problems
associated with low and high roughness.
Low roughness inhibits ink absorption and
increases the potential of “rub-off”.
Our final product is newsprint produced
on 9.4 metre wide 40 tonne jumbo reels
for cutting to customer requirements.
Renaissance newsprint offers customers
a bright, clean and strong sheet, qualities
essential for printability, endurance and
customer satisfaction, in weights of between
42.5gsm and 55gsm.
The ultimate test for any newsprint is the
way it looks, its brightness and its ability
to reproduce excellent quality colour images
on both sides of the sheet.
We at Aylesford Newsprint believe that
Renaissance newsprint can meet this criteria
knowing that each process has been designed
to maximise its performance on the presses,
and offer the end user a product to achieve
excellent printability.
Making Paper
The ultimate test for any newsprint is the
way it looks, its brightness and its ability
to reproduce good quality colour images
on both sides of the sheet.
Checking forming fabric
Keeping an eye on the process
Paul Redsell Production Planner
Did you know...
Barry Williamson Senior Production Planner
Our secondary product can be
used in aggregates, cement
replacement, compost and even
animal bedding.
Stranger than Fiction:
Some of the more bizarre objects detected in our recovered
paper have been a sheep’s head, live ammunition, a family
of live hamsters, engine parts, wedding rings, umbrellas,
training shoes, golf balls, shoes etc., to the more normal
things such as beer cans, carrier bags and bin liners.
Taking quality control samples
10 | Aylesford Newsprint Aylesford Newsprint | 11

At the end of the advanced manufacturing
process reels are wound to customer
specification and automatically wrapped and
bar-coded. The reels then travel by conveyor
belt to the high bay warehouse, operated
and maintained by sophisticated technology.
By the use of automatically guided cranes
each reel is stored in its own bay. This method
of storage avoids contact stacking of the reels
and they remain untouched by human hand
until delivery is required.
Reel stock and retrieval is fully automated
and no suction or clamps are used during
the handling at these stages. The controlled
environment ensures humidity levels are
kept constant to maintain moisture levels
during storage.
The entire system is computer controlled
using a sophisticated bar code reading system.
Situated in the South of England and
connected to the continent by an integrated
distribution network of road, rail and sea,
Aylesford Newsprint is perfectly placed for
delivery throughout Europe. The Channel
Tunnel is only 35 miles away and we can
deliver newsprint to anywhere in Northern
Europe. Smooth running delivery is
guaranteed by our fully automated despatch
system, which uses computerised handling
devices to select reels and load them
automatically onto the specialised fleet
of lorries. Aylesford Newsprint can offer
a flexible just in time delivery with reel sizes
adjusted at short notice giving increased
flexibility, with customers enjoying the
knowledge that they do not have to waste
capital by maintaining large stocks of
newsprint.
Did you know...
In 2006 we travelled
1,710,540 miles delivering
our product in the UK
and Europe.
Dual purpose vehicles
are used to improve the
environmental effects
of our transport
system.
Tracy Edwards Logistics Coordinator
Wrapping Up
The wrapping station
Moving On
Reels are moved into the high bay warehouse
Reels ready for despatch
Aylesford Newsprint | 13

The Sales & Marketing department
of Aylesford Newsprint embraces the
administration and planning of customers’
orders. We have an ongoing commitment to
our customers to provide an efficient, friendly
and helpful service in the areas of both sales
administration and technical service.
The support we give is just a phone call or visit
away and our valued customer relationships
are regarded most highly and take priority
in the day to day and future considerations
of our business.
The Sales Team
Customer service is a key element of the
business at Aylesford Newsprint.
This bespoke service starts from the
experienced and dedicated sales office
team who control orders during each stage
– from the initial order being received,
right through to final delivery. Using the
sophisticated mill wide computer system they
monitor every aspect of the order process
and our Sales Team pride themselves on the
excellent customer relationships and service
they provide on a daily basis.
Aylesford Newsprint ensures that staff
dealing with customers are highly trained,
experienced and qualified to deal with
any query.
From our customers’ perspective, we believe
that this commitment is evident from their
first contact with the Sales Department who
act at the heart of the organisation, with its
contiguous sales administration, production
planning, and customer technical service team
endeavouring to ensure that the customers’
requirements remain paramount throughout
each process.
The marketing side of the department
is responsible for all promotional material,
embracing the imagery and branding
of the company.
Our highly competent team are experienced
in all printing processes being technically
proficient in every aspect and area of paper
manufacture, providing an efficient and
effective technical support system.
Responding to any questions, they can give
advice on all areas of practice from routine
information on the technical properties of
a particular reel to specialist assistance on
the best way to use Renaissance newsprint
in conjunction with different presses and
inking systems.
The Customer Technical Service Team is fully
supported by a flexible management system,
skilled technicians and a highly experienced
Research and Development Department.
With the experience and ability to make
immediate decisions on behalf of the
company, members of this team are able
to give a quick reaction to any customers’
needs with response times shortened
by the use of our in house Research and
Development Department.
Within the mill, control of the manufacturing
process is maintained through Aylesford
Newsprint’s innovative operating system –
Paper Quality Management System (PQMS)
providing all the answers to any query from
product specification to planned delivery
time. Information stored on the individual
barcode printed on each wrapper, allows the
Customer Technical Service Team to retrieve
all relevant data by reference to any particular
order or isolated reel.
PQMS provides technicians with the facility,
when having analysed paper manufactured,
to place detailed reports directly onto the
system. An immediate follow up by Research
and Development allows decisions to be
made swiftly and efficiently to maintain the
continuous process of paper production.
Sales & Marketing
Customer service is a key element of the
business at Aylesford Newsprint.
Terry Worby Marketing Manager
Mike Pankhurst Technical Service Manager
Bruce Lord Customer Technical Service
Technical Service
Support with technical advice is always
available at any hour of the day or night
and is a fundamental component of the
quality of service available for all of our
Renaissance customers.
Tom Sefto Customer Technical Service
Bob Boast Sales and Marketing Director
14 | Aylesford Newsprint
Mike Pankhurst with Duncan Gray - Operations Director, Kent Messenger Group
Control room at Trinity Mirror Printing, Watford
Aylesford Newsprint | 15

Research and Development
Research and Development people work
closely with our customers to continuously
improve quality and efficiency.
• Environmental management system
• Technical claims investigations
• Contacts with research organisations such
as SCA-Research, PIRA, UMIST and STFI
• Chemical safety research
• Newsprint quality specification
• Product & Process Development
• Consultations and contacts with regulatory
authorities
The Environment
From raw material to delivered finished
product, every production and delivery
aspect is monitored from an environmental
perspective.
• Renaissance is made from 100% recycled
fibre, with the benefit of reducing landfill
• The Aylesford Newsprint mill uses 60% less
energy per tonne than producing newsprint
from virgin fibre
• We recycle over 90% of water used in
manufacturing newsprint
• Our modern water treatment process
provides high quality treated water
• Our process residues are combusted in a
purpose designed boiler fitted with modern
emission controls, producing up to 30%
of the Mill’s thermal energy requirement
• Our secondary product can be used in
aggregates, cement replacement, compost
and animal bedding
• We are using dual purpose vehicles
to improve the overall efficiency and
environmental effects of our transport
system
Accreditations
• Environmental Standard ISO 14001
• Quality Standard ISO 9002
• Investor in People
Site Information
• 100 acre site at Aylesford, Kent
• Paper Machine 14 (PM14) -
120 metres long, 10 metres wide and
operating at 1650 metres per minute.
Capacity 300,000 tonnes per annum
• Paper Machine 13 (PM13) -
90 metres long, 5.4 metres wide and
operating at 900 metres per minute.
Capacity 90,000 tonnes per annum
• Gas-powered combined heat and power
plant (owned by Npower Cogen, part
of the RWE Group) situated on mill land
and operated by our people
• De-Inking and pulping plant 500,000 tonnes
per annum capacity of recovered paper
• Biological Water Treatment Plant
TARGET VALUES
Grammage (gm 2 )
Caliper (µm)
Density (kg/m 3 )
Moisture Content (%)
Filler Content (%)
Parker Print Surf (µm)
Air Permeance (µm/Pas)
Tensile Strength MD (kN/m)
Stretch MD (%)
TEA (J/m 2 )
Opacity (%)
Luminance (%)
Purity (%)
42.5
64
660
10.0
8.5
4.0-4.5
4.5
2.5
1.0
15.0
93.5
64.0
4.5
45.0
68
660
10.0
8.5
4.0-4.5
4.0
2.7
1.0
17.0
94.0
64.0
4.5
48.8
74
660
10.0
8.5
4.0-4.5
3.3
3.0
1.0
19.0
95.0
64.0
4.5
52.0
74
700
10.0
8.5
4.0-4.5
3.0
3.1
1.1
22.0
96.0
64.0
4.5
55.0
79
700
10.0
8.5
4.0-4.5
2.5
3.4
1.1
25.0
96.5
64.0
4.5
Dominant Wavelength (nm)
575
575
575
575
575
Additional Information
Specification
The values given are set values and variations occur. Optical
values measured by Elrepho 2000, calibrated against master
STFI Elrepho (authorised by ISO).
Designed by 2Cs Communication +44 (0)1473 622263
Photography by Roddy Paine Photographic
Studio +44 (0)1892 534825
Printed by Dexter Graphics +44 (0)1322 2888 880
Printed on Greencoat Plus Velvet
• 80% recycled post-consumer fibre
• 10% TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) virgin fibre
• 10% ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) fibre
• FSC certification
• NAPM recycled certification
Water Treatment Plant

Aylesford Newsprint Limited
Newsprint House
Bellingham Way
Aylesford
Kent ME20 7DL
T: +44 (0) 1622 796000
F: +44 (0) 1622 796001
Sales Administration:
An experienced team is available to
respond to all your enquiries regarding
the purchase, administration and delivery
of newsprint.
Sales enquiries:
T: +44 (0) 1622 796000
F: +44 (0) 1622 796001
Customer Technical Service:
Our technical service team is available 24
hours, 7 days a week to respond to any
technical enquiry or problem.
Hotline:
T: +44 (0) 1622 796002
Environment report:
For a copy of our latest environment report, please call:
T: +44 (0) 1622 796002
Alternatively download a PDF from our website
www.aylesford-newsprint.co.uk