Why Join?
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As a member of RPTA, you gain access to a worldwide network of peers and a non-profit association that provides education and joint effort toward common goals in the recycled paperboard industry. Companies are members of RPTA. Individuals in those companies are afforded membership by virtue of their company's membership.
Membership Benefits
Through the member network and staff and volunteer work, membership in RPTA is valuable to companies and their employees. Here are the many ways RPTA members benefit:
PRODUCTS
Educational and Technical Documents — RPTA has produced a variety of bulletins and manuals covering a broad range of topics from boilouts to metal in board. These publications are used for educating customers and/or for teaching aids for new hires or those new to the industry.
Meetings and seminars — RPTA holds various seminars, roundtable discussions, and webinars designed to keep membership informed of new or improved operating practices, new technology or products from vendors or to address problem solving issues common to most properties like safety, threading practices, furnish, stock cleaning, etc.
Task Force Meetings — RPTA sets up and facilitates meetings where focused groups by discipline meet regularly to discuss new or developmental products, processes, or technology and to discuss issues common to the membership.
Benchmarking Studies — RPTA collects and reports on various industry statistics for use by member companies. Some of the current benchmarking studies include physical properties, machine efficiency, boiler efficiency, and energy use.
Comprehensive Program —RPTA has developed and maintains the proprietary Comprehensive Program for Food-Contact Paperboard Produced From Recycled Fiber. This is an industry document, recognized worldwide, that undergoes updates frequently to assure customers that recycled board is appropriate for food-contact packaging. A company must be a member of RPTA to use the Comprehensive Program.
Historical Documentations — Because RPTA, established in 1953 as BRDA and renamed RPTA in 1991, represents a substantial amount of history in the recycled fiber based paper making business segment, a substantial and documented history is available for a variety of subjects. This archived knowledge is available to members.
SERVICES
Project Studies — RPTA can assist a team of volunteers to work on specific short-term topics such as equipment evaluations, process evaluations and other topics.
Research — Staff members can pursue ideas independently and report on those efforts that may benefit the membership. Some projects may be investigatory while others require academic involvement, laboratory tests, beta trials, and eventually vendor and mill involvement.
Problem Solving — RPTA can assist in problem solving papermaking related issues. The Association represents a network of companies and subject matter experts. RPTA can act as the conduit to get members the information they need.
Read more about our membership criteria.
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LATEST NEWS
Industry Benchmarking Survey
The next Profile Study will be initiated this December for first-quarter ’25 sampling. All past Survey reports can be accessed at this member-only page.
2024 Summer Webinar
On July 24th, we held a webinar on In-Line Freeness Measurement, presented by BTG Instrument Representatives Jason Shipman and Tyler Spivey. Webinar slides and recording are available at this RPTA members only site, along with materials from other past webinars
UPCOMING EVENTS
2024 Fall Roundtable
Paper Machine Roll Design and Operation, Appleton, WI.
Wednesday, October 16, 1:00 to 5:00 PM – Engaging seminar on roll design and operation, at the Hilton Paper Valley Hotel, followed by a group dinner.
Thursday, October 19, Morning - Tour of a roll manufacturer’s facility
2025 Winter Webinar
A mid- to late-January Zoom webinar on Recovered Fiber Grades and Quality, to include presentations on the incoming product and on impacts to the production process.
2025 Production-Technical Seminar
Next year’s P-T Seminar will be held on May 5 & 6, at the Minneapolis Convention Center, co-located with TAPPICon 2025. Session topics will be:
- Safer Operations
- Ways to improve paper properties, e.g.; ply bond, formation
- Wet end chemistry optimization (a 2-hour mini-course by highly experienced consultant)
- Solid waste reduction
An exciting change: RPTA members will register with RPTA and we will register the group with TAPPICon. The cost for each member will be less than prior years and will include the entire 4-dayTAPPICon program, instead of just RPTA’s two days.
Stay tuned as details develop.