Sept 24 (Reuters) - Danish Toymaker Lego has abandoned its effort to ditch oil-based plastics from its bricks after finding that its new material led to higher carbon emissions, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.Lego found that bricks made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET), would lead to higher carbon emissions."We tested hundreds and hundreds of materials. It's just not been possible to find a material like that," Lego Chief Executive Niels Christiansen told the Financial Times.Reuters was not able to independently verify the details of the FT report. Lego did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.Lego had earlier pledged to replace oil-based plastic bricks with ones made from sustainable materials by the end of the decade.The company had kicked off efforts in 2020 to replace its plastic bricks by sustainable materials. The difficulty was to find a material that would be environment friendly but give the same color, shine and sound of an oil-based plastic bricks.Reporting by Shubhendu Deshmukh in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa ShumakerDeclaration: This article comes from the reuters.com. If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

In recent years, Beihai proposed in Tieshangang (Linhai) Industrial Zone to Sun Paper, Nine Dragons Paper and other global paper giants as a leader, accelerate the introduction of downstream packaging and printing, carton production and other application of industrial projects, to build and improve the whole industry chain of high-end paper clusters, and is committed to building the world's largest and most complete high-end paper production base. 2022 Beihai high-end paper industry output value increased by 212.2%, accounting for 6.9% of the city's total industrial output value, pulling the city's total industrial output value of 5.4 percentage points of growth, the development of high-end paper into the "fast lane". In 2022, the output value of high-end paper industry in Beihai increased by 212.2% year-on-year, accounting for 6.9% of the total output value of the city's regulated industrial output value, pulling the city's total output value of the regulated industrial output value of the city increased by 5.4%, and the development of the high-end paper industry stepped into the "fast lane".Located in Tieshangang (Linhai) Industrial Zone, Guangxi Sun Paperboard Co., Ltd. production and operation of steady operation, the first half of this year to achieve output value of 2.18 billion yuan. Right now, the enterprise production line at full power hot production, towards the annual production growth of 10% to 15% of the target.Guangxi Sun Paper Co., Ltd. general manager Ma Lin said: "This year our company will further improve the effectiveness, adjust the structure, expand exports, increase output value, while accelerating the construction of the third phase of the packaging paper project."The stationing of industry leaders, led to the development of logistics, chemical, packaging, design and other industries, Guangxi Sun Paper plans to drive dozens of upstream and downstream enterprises stationed in Beihai, 15 have landed in the operation, an industry chain around the paper industry chain in Beihai has been initially formed.Guangxi Tianxi Packaging Material Co., Ltd. general manager Ma Hongye said: "Our enterprise is 2021 to follow the sun paper to do packaging materials supporting enterprises, basically is specialised in the service of the sun paper, according to the order of the sun paper, we are quality and quantity to ensure that the production of the sun paper. Our entire output value last year was 36 million yuan, and this year's business goal is to grow 10% over last year."In recent years, Beihai proposed to create a high-end paper base in Beihai according to local conditions, formulate industrial aggregation and development programmes, prepare a panoramic view of the industrial tree, through the industrial chain, in the middle and downstream to carry out accurate investment, and constantly build and improve the high-end paper industry whole industry chain clusters, the high-end paper industry into the development of accelerated period, showing the potential of large, strong enough obvious advantages.Beihai Industry and Information Technology Bureau Deputy Director Chen Di said: "The next step, I will further enhance the active service consciousness, adhere to the front service, focus on high-end paper industry to strengthen the base to expand the chain of efforts, go all out to promote the Sun Paper three phase of the construction of the Nine Dragons Paper the first production line construction and put into production, and at the same time, in-depth tapping into the potential of the paper industry supply chain, to speed up the coordination and promotion of the Dongsheng new materials, Tenglong New materials, gold leaf high-end paper processing and other paper industry upstream and downstream projects of the preliminary work, and strive to achieve before the end of this year to start construction."Declaration: This article comes from the Chinapaper.net. If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

Recently, Sun Paper, Chenming Paper, Bohui Paper and many other paper companies issued a price increase letter, announcing a price increase for their paper products. Shanghai Securities News reporter was informed that a number of paper companies and research institutions are more optimistic about the performance of the paper industry in the second half of the year. In the first half of this year, the overall performance of the paper industry has been sluggish due to the slower-than-expected recovery of downstream consumer demand."We initially predicted a faster recovery of market demand in the first half of the year, but in reality it was slower, so the industry as a whole performed poorly." A staff member of Chenming Paper told reporters that "the second half of the year is the peak season of the paper industry, superimposed on the price increase factor, the company's second half of the probability of better performance is still relatively large". Deppon Securities believes that the industry is currently in the active de-inventory stage, and the first half of the cycle is bottoming out, in alignment with the interpretation of the inventory cycle logic. Additionally, due to unexpected cost improvement, the pulp prices have exceeded expectations this year. However, these prices will gradually reflect in the later stages, and the overall performance of the paper industry is expected to improve quarter by quarter. Paper companies have sparked a surge in pricesFollowing the price hike of corrugated paper roses last month, white cardboard, whiteboard, coated paper, double-glued paper and other paper types have also experienced increased prices. This is part of the company's September price increase plan, as outlined in a letter released in advance. August 25th marks Nine Dragons Paper's announcement that due to the recent high costs of raw and auxiliary materials for papermaking, product prices have been long disconnected from the true value of the product. As a result, the company has decided to increase the prices of its white cardboard series of products by ￥20 per metric ton starting from the 1st of September. On the same day, Bohui Paper sent a notice informing customers of a price increase. The company stated that due to the recent rise in raw material costs that have led to increased production expenses, it will raise the prices of all cardboard products by ￥200 per ton (including tax) from September 1. Jinguang Group, another prominent paper manufacturer, announced on August 15 that the company would adjust prices accordingly. Due to the recent increase in raw material prices, production costs have risen. To continue providing stable, high-quality products and services to our customers, our company decided to increase the price of our copy paper products, including OEM products, by ￥200 per metric tonne from 1st September. Chenming Paper, Sun Paper, Universal Paper, and other companies have also announced a ￥200 per metric tonne price increase. Widespread industry losses in the first half of the yearIn the first half of this year, the overall performance of the paper industry under pressure, profitability levels fell sharply year-on-year. Statistics show that the Shenwan paper industry in the first half of the operating income of ￥90.3 billion, down 9.55% year-on-year; net profit of ￥1.046 billion, a year-on-year decline of 77.43%. China paper industry leader Mountain Eagle International first half of operating income of 13.748 billion yuan, down 17.52%; net profit of ￥271 million loss, year-on-year from profit to loss, which is the company more than a decade first half of the net profit for the first time a loss. In this regard, Mountain Eagle International said in the half-yearly report: "the paper industry as a whole is in the recovery stage, market conditions in the first half of the performance is lower than expected, is still facing the supply side of the new production capacity continues to be put into production, while the downstream consumer demand recovery slow pressure. In the first quarter, the industry's new production capacity release superimposed on the landing of the import tariff policy, the paper industry, the domestic supply-side pressure gradually increased, coupled with the demand side of the recovery is less than expected, the market supply and demand contradictions highlighted. The downward pressure on paper prices in the first quarter, paper mills have to control the operating rate, downtime led to rising costs, gross margins fell year-on-year." Bohui Paper half-yearly report shows that the company achieved operating income of ￥8.657 billion in the first half of the year, a year-on-year decrease of 2.38%; net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies was ￥-346 million, from profit to loss. Bohui Paper explained that in the first half of the year, the company's main raw and auxiliary materials imported pulp and woodchip costs decreased compared to the same period last year, but by the overall consumer market environment, the decline in prices of finished products is greater. In addition, chenming paper, huatai shares and many other listed paper companies performance decline. Performance expected to improve in the second half of the yearThe reporter learnt from a number of paper enterprises and a number of industry researchers, in the traditional consumption season and the positive role of policy, superimposed on the release of cost pressures, the paper industry is expected to usher in the dawn of performance improvement. Mountain Eagle International is more optimistic, the company said the second half of the year is usually the paper industry's traditional consumption season. From the supply and demand point of view, the second half of the year, is expected to electronics, home and other bulk consumption potential will be further released, the social end demand for a full recovery. Combined with the structural recovery of the domestic economy, after the first half of the gross profit repair, is expected to return to the normal level of profitability. Bohui Paper said on the investor interactive platform, the economy and the consumer market is currently in a state of gradual restoration, the market and customer demand resilience is still there, the development of enterprises facing short-term phased challenges. With the steady increase in production and sales, the cost of wood pulp and wood chips fell, the company's cost reduction and efficiency gains will be gradually realised in the future. Haitong securities, paper industry is a typical pro-cyclical industry, boom and macroeconomic trends show significant positive correlation, is expected to usher in the overall demand recovery under the promotion of stable growth. From the cost side, imported wood pulp, woodchip prices in this year or continue to decline, superimposed on the exchange rate changes, the cost of paper enterprises is expected to gradually fall; from the paper price point of view, the recovery of domestic demand to drive the paper price continues to rise. If the cost improvement and paper prices at the same time to achieve, the paper industry earnings are expected to repair significantly. Declaration: This article comes from the Shanghai Securities News. If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

The economy is still growing, but not as fast as it was earlier this year, reported Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for the National Retail Federation (NRF).“The U.S. economy continues to expand, but recent data is signaling a slowdown in its momentum,” Kleinhenz said. “The economy is slowing but not halting. Progress has been made on combating inflation, but higher prices remain. While consumers are still spending, the composition of their spending continues to favor services over retail goods and even then, there was less momentum going into the third quarter.”Kleinhenz’s comments came in the September issue of NRF’s Monthly Economic Review, which said the Bureau of Economic Analysis now estimates that gross domestic product grew at a 2.1% annual rate adjusted for inflation in the second quarter rather than the 2.4% reported earlier. Gross domestic income, which measures the value of wages, rent, interest and corporate profits earned during production, rose by a more modest 0.5% annual rate. Averaged together, GDP and GDI were up 1.3%.The economy added 187,000 jobs in August, up from 157,000 in July but well below the average monthly gain of 271,000 over the past year. The unemployment rate jumped 0.3 points to 3.8% in August as more people entered the labor market looking for jobs. Wages and salaries grew only 0.4% month over month in July, down from 0.6% in June.Despite the weaker-than-average job gains, slower wage growth and higher unemployment, personal spending increased 0.8% month over month in July, up from 0.6% growth in June. With spending growth outpacing income growth, the savings rate dipped to 3.5% in July from 4.3% in June, “suggesting that consumers are digging into their finances to support household spending.”“Consumer confidence took a bit of a hit in August as high prices and interest rates weighed on shoppers’ decisions,” Kleinhenz said.The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell to 106.1 from July’s 114 while the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index dropped from 71.6 in July – the best reading since October 2021 – to 69.5 in August.The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index – the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation – was up 0.2% month over month in July for the second month in a row. Year-over-year, PCE was up 3.3% compared with 3% in June.Despite continuing inflation and reduced consumer confidence, retail sales as measured by NRF – excluding automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus on core retail – “surprised to the upside” and rose 3.8% year over year in July. Sales got “a midsummer boost” from Amazon’s Prime Day, special deal days offered by other retailers and entertainment-related events. But Kleinhenz said the number was partially lifted because of comparison against low sales at the same time last year.Spending on services, which has been growing ever since pandemic restrictions ended and consumers returned to dining out, travel and entertainment, grew only 1.6% seasonally adjusted from the first quarter to the second quarter, down from 3% growth in the first quarter, according to the Census Bureau.NRF forecast in March that 2023 retail sales would increase between 4% and 6% over 2022. Since then, however, the Fed’s interest rate increases have slowed the economy and “there is a good chance that sales will end up in the lower range of the forecast, if not lower,” Kleinhenz said.Declaration: This article comes from the Stationery Trends. If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

The town of Zhukou in Qingyuan County, Lishui City, is known as the "number one pencil county in China," and is home to numerous pencil factories of all sizes. As one of the earliest pencil enterprises in Qingyuan County, Zhejiang Jiuling Pen Brush Co., Ltd. has always been at the forefront of the pencil industry in the county, with well-known brands such as Feiyan, Shaonianpai, and Niony under its umbrella.We had the opportunity to interview Mr. Shen Congren, the general manager of Jiuling, to learn about the company's current development status and his vision for the future layout of the stationery industry. Q: What are your expectations and suggestions for the 2024 Ningbo Stationery Exhibition?Shen: Actually, the Ningbo Stationery Exhibition held in March this year was quite successful. We met some good customers, especially several high-end domestic suppliers. As for the Ningbo Stationery Exhibition itself, I think it is becoming more and more professional and popular, so we will definitely continue to participate. We also hope to attract more international buyers, such as European and American merchants, or similar international and large stationery brands, to increase our profits. I feel that the Ningbo Stationery Exhibition still has great potential. If it can reach the level of the Canton Fair, that would be even better. If the Ningbo Stationery Exhibition can bring me enough business, I won't need to go to the Canton Fair.Q: Can you introduce some of your company's unique products?Shen: This is our art powder, in black series. As you can see, the packaging is beautiful, and the powder is very delicate, with cultural and creative elements incorporated into it. This product lays down 50% faster than a regular pencil. It has already become very popular and has a significant impact.Shen: This colored charcoal is also very interesting, with a packaging design that has a distinctive era theme. We used our powder to draw a painting of Kandinsky and incorporated it into this product. The pen holder is made of imported sycamore wood, and a box sells for over 100 yuan. A box of 24-color colored charcoal pencils has a very beautiful effect when drawn on our paper, making it a new highlight of our Niony brand.

09-JUN-23Despite being no social media expert, Sarah Laker knows how to use it in a way which builds her shop community.Social Media is an essential part of your marketing, it helps you connect with customers, keeps your brand in front of your customers and by giving advice and sharing information it sets you up as being a trusted retailer. It’s not just about selling, yes that’s the ultimate goal, but for me the clue is in the name ‘social’ media. Be social, don’t just sell. Always remember the old saying ‘people buy from people’. You are your business, people buy from you, so use this to your advantage.Many businesses think it’s too time consuming, but it really doesn’t have to be. Whether you plan, or wing it, make it part of your week.&nbsp;My 5 top tips:1) Be yourself, be natural, be authentic and play to your strengths. You know your stuff, you really do, so believe in yourself and use social media to show your personality, your passion and your knowledge.2) Pick a channel where your customers are and do it well, don’t feel that you have be on every social media going. It’s great if you can juggle all of them, but you don’t need to be everything to everybody.3) Don’t try and be perfect, getting something done and posted is good enough.&nbsp;4) Have a basic plan, it doesn’t need to be war and peace, just an idea of what you’re going to post and when. You don’t have to post every day, but you do need to be consistent.5) Re-use content! You are the only person that sees everything you post. When we opened our second shop, mid pandemic, I was too busy to plan new December social media so I went back to the year before, re used photos and wording where I could, saved a massive amount of time, no one noticed, and I still got a good reach and achieved sales!<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]-->Always remember that you know your product; you’ve got the knowledge and the passion which will shine through. It doesn’t have to be perfect, so don’t compare yourself to others, your followers will love it because it’s you.Note:This article is reproduced from autonews website (URL:https://www.stationerymatters.news). Copyright belongs to stationerymatters news.&nbsp;If there is any infringement, please contact us to delete.

Highlights from London Stationery Show 202324-MAY-23The stationery industry gathered once again for two days of business, education, networking and creativity. Read on to find out everything that went on during the industry event of the year.&nbsp;The 16 – 17 May saw the return of the UK’s only trade event dedicated to the arts &amp; crafts, greetings cards, paper products, and writing instruments industries. This year’s show saw a 20% increase in new exhibitors and a 12% increase in visitors, making it the most successful since its return in 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;Exhibitors wowed with excellent product ranges, and visitors took advantage of the fantastic offerings of features and networking opportunities available to them.We spoke to Alex Butler, Event Director, who said “This year’s show was a huge success. The range of products on offer was truly remarkable and it’s clear to see that the introduction of arts &amp; crafts to London Stationery Show has been a huge hit with our visitors. We were delighted to see such a high number of quality buyers at this year’s show and already look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2024.”BrandsOver 200 brands showcased their bestselling and brand-new products at this year’s show. From the biggest brands in the industry, to independent start-ups, the range of products was astonishing. Each brand blew visitors away with their creative displays, with some even offering live demonstrations and interactive activities. Located at the front of the show was the Boutique Collection, offering a variety of designer stationery, unique gifts and more. This carefully curated selection of brands allowed visitors to discover an exclusive selection of products, not to be found anywhere else. Meanwhile, this year’s LaunchPad competition winners featured six brands ready to take the stationery industry by storm, as they made their trade show debuts.&nbsp;&nbsp;From greetings cards and family planners to notebooks and gift wrap, LaunchPad was a true example of the wonderful assortment of paper products that the show had on offer.CreativityCreativity is at the heart of the stationery industry. Over the course of the two-day event, the Creative Matters Workshops allowed visitors to get hands-on with the industry’s latest products. Having the chance to try before they buy and hear from exhibitors first-hand helped visitors to ensure that they were making the best business decisions possible.EducationThe Retail Matters Live Talks and the Indie Matters Business Advice Clinics were the perfect chance to pick the brains of industry leading professionals. From perfecting your sales technique or mastering PR to becoming the art director of your social media or using visual merchandising to stand out in-store, if you needed to know it the experts had you covered. There was no better place to learn from the best and the brightest within the world of stationery.&nbsp;SustainabilitySustainability is becoming increasingly important within the stationery industry, and London Stationery Show ensured this was front and centre. At the entrance of the event was the Sustainability Matters feature, showcasing the most eco-friendly products within the industry. Visitors were able to see firsthand how many brands are working towards greener stationery. London Stationery Show partnered with the Young People’s Trust for the Environment, who educated visitors on how they could make informed decisions on how to live their lives in a way that gives greater priority to preservation of the natural world.Stationery Matters AwardsThe Stationery Matters Awards were held at London Stationery Show on Tuesday 16th&nbsp;May. The aim of the awards is to recognise and benchmark good practice within the stationery industry. The finalist products of each category could be seen at the Stationery Matters Hub, and the long-awaited results were finally announced. It was great to see the industry come together to celebrate those who had been nominated and those who won. Seeing brands earn the recognition they have worked so hard for was truly rewarding.Stationery Matters will be covering more show news, exclusive interviews and much more over the coming weeks. Keep your eyes peeled!London Stationery Show will return 14 – 15 May 2024.<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]-->Note:<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]-->This article is reproduced from autonews website (URL:https://www.stationerymatters.news). Copyright belongs to stationerymatters news. If there is any infringement, please contact us to delete.

Date: 17-MAY-23The awards ceremony for the Stationery Matters Awards 2023 took place at London Stationery Show on 16th&nbsp;May.After a day of business, education and creativity at London Stationery Show, the industry came together to celebrate those shortlisted in this year’s Stationery Matters Awards.The Stationery Matters Awards aims to recognise and benchmark good practice and innovation in the retail stationery sector, recognizing manufacturers, retailers and rising talent. We are delighted to say that the standard of entries this year was truly outstanding. After a difficult shortlisting process, an external judging panel made up of industry professionals, from B &amp; M Stores, Design Museum, John Lewis, London Graphic Centre, Museum of London, National Trust, Royal Opera House, Scribbler, Tesco and Waterstones, came to a decision as to which products won the final prize.&nbsp;All of the shortlisted products were on display at London Stationery Show, at the Stationery Matters Hub.&nbsp;View the full list of winners below:&nbsp;Arts &amp; Crafts Product of the Year&nbsp;Stamptitude – Custom Wax Seal StampChildren’s Stationery Product of the YearMaped Helix - Maped Color’Peps Infinity Colouring PencilsDiary/Organiser/Calendar of the YearPerfect Planner Company - 2023 Family and Lifestyle PlannerFiling &amp; Storage Product of the Year&nbsp;Exacompta Clairefontaine (ExaClair Limited) - Exacompta Aquarel Store Box MultiGift Packaging &amp; Wrap of the YearGenealityart - ’Perry’ Wrapping PaperLicensed Stationery Product of the YearExacompta Clairefontaine (ExaClair Limited) - Clairefontaine Inkebana NotebooksNotebook/Journal of the YearThis Week’s Little Tweaks - This Week’s Little Tweaks: Sleep &amp; Rest JournalNovelty Stationery Product of the YearStone Marketing - Legami Erasable Pen Set of 3 - Wild SavannahSocial Stationery Product of the YearFROM YOU TO ME - Personalised book of Giftable TicketsSustainable Stationery Product of the Yearedding - edding 24 EcoLine highlighterWorking from Home Product of the YearOnce Upon a Tuesday - Rainbow Colour Block Notepad - daily time blocking plannerWriting Instrument of the Year&nbsp;Andhand - Method Pen Mini - BrassIndependent Retailer of the Year&nbsp;Lead inA big thank you to those who entered, our judging panel and a huge congratulations to the winners of the Stationery Matters Awards.<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]-->Note: This article is reproduced from autonews website (URL:&nbsp;https://www.stationerymatters.news). Copyright belongs to stationerymatters.news. If there is any infringement, please contact us to delete.

How To Use Washi Tape When You Don't Know Where To BeginWHAT ARE WASHI TAPES?Washi tape&nbsp;(pronounced as "Washee") is a decorative tape commonly used to decorate scrapbooks, gift packages, journals, etc. Washi tape is thicker than normal tapes and comes in different colors. Many journalers have been using washi for a very long time because of their durability and how easy they are to apply to surfaces such as wood, paint and even paper.WHY ARE THEY POPULAR?Due to the ease of use and decorative potential of washi tape, the craze is spreading rapidly. Thanks to social media, many bloggers and stationery enthusiasts have adopted decorative tape as a quick and easy way to add style to their journal layouts. This trend has inspired more people to learn about washi tapes, which has led them to discover other uses for these tapes that are both decorative and functional.<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]-->HOW TO USE THEM?There are several ways to use washi tapes, and crafters can learn how to use them for different purposes. These tapes are easy to use to jazz up anything, including DIY crafts, gift wrapping, scrapbooking, and more. If you're running out of ideas, surf online for inspiration, or use your own imagination to create something new! You might initially use these decorative tapes for your craft projects only. But with practice, you'll soon learn how to use washi tape in different ways, which can open up new creative possibilities.Here are some ideas to get you started on using washi tapes in your creative projects:&nbsp;<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Create swatch page<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Page borders<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Calendar scheduler<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Mark out corners/sides of books to find the page easily<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Labelling files and pages<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Block out words (can write over)&nbsp;<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Glue alternative<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Personalise stationeries / daily household items<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Scrapbook / Journal designing<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Wall and furniture decoration<!--[if !supportLists]-->11.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Decorative cover for gadgets and appliances<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !supportLists]-->12.&nbsp;<!--[endif]-->Gift wrappingNote: This article is reproduced from autonews website (URL:https://cityluxe.sg/. Copyright belongs to&nbsp; cityluxe.sg.)&nbsp;If there is any infringement, please contact us to delete.

The 20th CNISE, the largest stationery exhibition in China, will open next week with a record number of manufacturers and brand merchants.