Detpak South Africa is a subsidiary paper and board company of Mpact Limited, formally known as Mondi Packaging South Africa. The Mpact group of companies operates across 31 sites and employs more than 3 700 employees. Detpak South Africa specializes in three respective niche markets: international fast food packaging, industrial packaging and disposables packaging. The primary objective of this study is to propose an operational model for improving customer satisfaction levels within the disposables market for Detpak South Africa. Further, Detpak’s competitive position with respect to customer satisfaction was assessed and an empirical assessment was conducted to identify imperative attributes impacting on overall customer satisfaction. It is noted from marketing journals that providing a quality product at the right price no longer suffices as an adequate value proposition. Numerous authors have noted that there is no longer a difference between a goods market and a service market, in its purest form, and that manufacturers of goods must embrace the principles of service marketing to develop a competitive advantage within the market. A quantitative research was conducted to obtain data. The measuring instrument used to obtain data was a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 84 questionnaires were distributed nationally across South Africa. From the 84 questionnaires a total of 62 questionnaires were obtained from respondents, from which a final sample of n=59 was considered for capturing. Three questionnaires were excluded from the sample due to response error of non-completion. Correlation coefficient analysis was used to calculate the relationships between independent and dependant variables. It was found that all customer satisfaction attributes, listed below, had a positive relationship to overall customer satisfaction: Customer value; Product quality; Price; Communication; Reliability; Responsiveness; Customer service; Sales support. The hypothesized relationship between overall customer satisfaction and customer loyalty was measured and confirmed to be strongly positive. It can be concluded that a positive movement in overall customer satisfaction will be accompanied by a similarly positive movement in customer loyalty. Furthermore, through secondary review it was noted that the retention of existing customers costs much less and is more profitable than the acquisition of new business. The results presented within this study indicate a strong market position for Detpak South Africa in terms of product quality compared against competitive activity, which means a competitive advantage in the market for the company and which will assist in attaining its strategic objectives. The results also identified a number of customer satisfaction attributes which Detpak South Africa could improve to allow them to establish a firm position in the market through the overall improvement of customer satisfaction levels. Finally, an operational model integrating the important concepts identified within the literature study was proposed to assist Detpak South Africa in enhancing levels of perceived customer satisfaction. The model integrates the important business philosophies of customer relations, best practices, continuous improvement and, finally, customer satisfaction attributes.

Studies were undertaken to determine the effect of Kraft mill effluent (KME) on a representative species of the aquatic environment. By transplanting a population of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) to the Port Mellon area (the site of a Kraft mill), the effect of varying concentrations (on a distance from the mill basis) of the pulp mill waste was monitored in terms of changes in shell dimension, body mass (meat) weight, visual observation of the oysters' physiological state and oyster mortality. A seasonal hydrographic survey was conducted at three regions within the study area to monitor changes in water quality imposed by the effluent. In the areas of effluent imposition (oyster stations 1, 2 and 3) the oysters decreased or showed little gain in shell dimension. The body mass of those oysters nearest the mill outfall began to decline (on a weight basis) shortly after placement. At Station 2 and 3 the deterioration in body mass due to changes in water quality began a short time after the decline at Station 1. Changes in the physiological state of the oyster expressed as a darkening of the gills and mantle edge and variations in body mass texture, can be correlated to an oyster's distance from the mill for each collection timei A mortality rate was calculated at each station for all collection times. The mortality rates at Station 1 (100% in 12 months), Station 2 (50% in 20 months), and Station 3 (20% in 24 months) were extensive and proportional to effluent levels. Several of the changes in water quality (increased temperature, reduced salinities, low oxygen contents, variable pH, dissolved and particulated organic matter and chemical additions) imposed by the effluent were individually tested as the major cause of oyster deterioration. Firstly, the critical oxygen tension (the P02 where V02 declines below the routine rate) was determined as 40 mmHg. Correlating this to the range of 02 levels at each station during a tidal cycle, the oxygen demand of the effluent was not considered as a major cause of oyster mortality. A range of filtered, neutralized (pH 7.0 at 22°C) and aerated percentage KME/volume (0-50%) test solutions were monitored in terms of their effect on the percentage time of shell closure. In these experiments percentages above 20 greatly increased the time of shell closure. The effect of shell closure on oysters was tested by continual (up to 28 days) periods of air exposure. In these experiments the P02, zC02 and pH of the pallial fluid was monitored (from time 0 to 28 days) to determine if anaerobic metabolism was undertaken and if it was, the time span of anaerobic life in juvenile oysters. Anaerobic metabolism was concluded to maintain life in juvenile oysters for 22 days. These results were consistent with the hypothesis that KME is deleterious to oyster populations. At high concentrations of effluent the duration of shell closure is extensive such that an anaerobic death results. At lower concentrations the effluent imposed changes in water quality are responsible for the gradual decline in oyster well-being. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

In Sweden, the dominating source for emissions of degradable organic substances to water is the pulp and paper industry. The organic substances increase oxygen consumption in the recipient which subsequently threatens aquatic species. Improved process engineering, process closures and use of external treatments have in recent years drastically lowered the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). However, the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) has not been reduced to the same extent, as some organic substances are more persistent and must be treated with more advanced techniques. Chemical precipitation, which can bind large parts of the remaining COD into solid matter, making it possible to be removed from the effluent by various separation technologies, contributes to an efficient COD removal. However, the direct operating cost for the treatment is high as large amount of chemicals are used in the process, and large quantities of sludge generated. In the near future EU pulp and paper industry will have to meet new regulatory demands on COD discharges, and pulp mills in Asia, South-America and Oceania will meet stringent discharge demands. It is therefore of interest to review alternative treatments in regards to technical, environmental and economical feasibility in the treatment of pulp and paper mill wastewaters. Much interest has been shown for Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP), which is why these techniques have been evaluated in this thesis. The first part of the report consists of a literature review where processes with the following oxidants have been reviewed: 1. Ozone (O3); 2. Ozone + Hydrogen peroxide (O3/H2O2); 3. Fenton’s reagent (Fe2+/ H2O2); 4. Ozone + Ultraviolet light (O3/UV); 5. Hydrogen peroxide + Ultraviolet light (H2O2/UV); 6. Photo-Fenton’s reagent (Fe2+/ H2O2/UV); 7. Titanium dioxide + Ultraviolet light (TiO2/UV). Ozone treatment (1) and ozone in combination with hydrogen peroxide (2) were chosen for further experimental studies. The experiments were conducted at Wedecos (Xylem Water Solutions) laboratory in Germany and tested on wastewater from three different Swedish mills: A, B and C. The experimental results indicate that treatment with ozone is an efficient method for elimination of COD from pulp and paper mill wastewaters. A relatively high COD reduction (41 % for Mill A, 31% for Mill B and 53% for Mill C) was achieved for all wastewaters with an applied ozone dosage of 0.2g O3/L, without an appreciable impact on other parameters such as pH, N-tot, NO2-, NO3-, NH4+, P-tot and PO43-. There are indications that the nature of the wastewater has an impact on the COD removal efficiency and that TMP wastewater is easier to oxidize in comparison to wastewater from sulphate mills. The combination with hydrogen peroxide did not show any further COD reduction compared to ozone treatment alone, thus confirming the results Ko et al. showed in their study in 2009. Oxidation with ozone is seen as more environmental alternative in comparison to chemical treatment (precipitation/flocculation) because contaminants in the wastewater are destructed rather than concentrated or transferred into a different phase, which leads to the decrease of COD, colour and toxicity without the need to handle large amounts of sludge. However, a subsequent biological treatment may be necessary for removal of BOD as a BOD increase is registered for all wastewater treated in this study. The costs are on the other hand higher in comparison to chemical treatment even though there are indications of cases when treatment with ozone can be profitable (e.g. if the cost for sludge handling increases in the future, price for chemicals increases and electricity price decreases). There are some uncertainties regarding the system and there is no clear evidence that toxic by-products are not formed. More research must be done and more full-scale installations must be reported before the pulp and paper industry is willing to invest in oxidation technology. / I Sverige, är massa- och pappersindustrin den dominerande utsläppskällan av nedbrytbart organiskt material till vatten. När det organiska materialet når recipienten ökar syreförbrukningen eftersom stora mängder syre erfordras för nedbrytningen av materialet. Detta leder i sin tur till att de vattenlevande organismerna hotas och utsätts för syrebrist. Förbättrad processteknik, ökad processlutning och utbyggnad av extern avloppsvattenrening har under de senaste åren drastiskt sänkt den biokemiska syreförbrukningen (BOD). Däremot har den kemiska syreförbrukningen (COD) inte reducerats i samma utsträckning då delar av det organiska materialet är mer persistent och måste behandlas med mer avancerad teknik. Kemisk fällning kan idag binda stora delar av det kvarvarande COD till fast material som sedan kan avlägsnas via olika separationsmetoder. En stor nackdel med den här typen av rening är att stora mängder kemikalier används som i sin tur genererar stora mängder slam som måste tas om hand, vilket introducerar höga driftkostnader. Inom en snar framtid kommer massa- och pappersbruk inom EU att möta nya regulatoriska krav för COD utsläpp, och bruk i Asien, Sydamerika och Oceanien kommer även de att möta väldigt hårda utsläppskrav. Det är därför av intresse att granska alternativa reningsmetoder och utvärdera dess tekniska, miljömässiga och ekonomiska genomförbarhet vid behandling av avloppsvatten från massa- och pappersbruk. Mycket intresse har visats för Avancerade Oxidationsprocesser (AOP), varför dessa tekniker valts att utvärderas i detta examensarbete. Första delen av rapporten innefattar en litteraturstudie där processer med följande oxidanter studerats: 1. Ozon (O3); 2. Ozon + Väteperoxid (O3/H2O2); 3. Fenton’s reagens (Fe2+/ H2O2); 4. Ozon + Ultraviolett ljus (O3/UV); 5. Väteperoxid + Ultraviolett ljus (H2O2/UV); 6. Foto-Fenton’s reagens (Fe2+/ H2O2/UV); 7. Titaniumdioxid + Ultraviolett ljus (TiO2/UV). Utav dessa valdes ozon behandling (1) och ozon i kombination med väteperoxid (2) för vidare experimentella studier. Behandlingarna har utförts vid Wedecos (Xylem Water Solutions) laboratorium i Tyskland och undersökts på avloppsvatten från tre olika svenska bruk; A , B och C. Experimentella resultat tyder på att ozonering är effektiv behandlingsmetod för reducering av COD i avloppsvatten från massa- och pappersbruk. En relativt hög COD reducering (41% för bruk A, 31% för bruk B, och 53% för bruk C)  uppvisades för samtliga avloppsvatten med en tillämpad ozondosering på 0.2 g O3/L, utan någon märkbar inverkan på andra parametrar så som pH, N-tot, NO2-, NO3-, NH4+, P-tot och PO43-. Det förekommer indikationer om att typ av avloppsvatten har en inverkan på COD reduktionen och att TMP avloppsvatten är lättare att oxidera i jämförelse mot avloppsvatten från sulfatmassabruk. Kombinationen av ozon och väteperoxid uppvisade ingen ytterligare COD reduktion i jämförelse mot ozon som enda oxidant, och bekräftade därmed de resultat Ko et al. uppvisade i sin studie 2009. Ozonering ses som ett miljövänligare alternativ till kemisk rening (fällning/flockning) eftersom föroreningarna i vattnet destrueras istället för att koncentreras, vilket innebär att COD, färg och toxicitet kan minskas utan att stora mängder slam genereras. Dock kan en efterföljande biologisk behandling vara nödvändig för avskiljning av BOD då en BOD ökning uppvisats för samtliga avloppsvatten i denna studie i takt med att COD brutits ned till lättnedbrytbart biologisk material. Kostnaderna är däremot höga i jämförelse mot kemisk fällning även om det förekommer indikationer på fall när behandlingen kan vara lönsam (t ex om slamhanteringskostnaderna blir högre i framtiden, inköpspriset för kemikalier ökar och elpriset sjunker). Det råder vissa tveksamheter gällande systemet och det finns inga konkreta bevis på att toxiska biprodukter inte bildas. Mer forskning måste utföras och fler fullskaliga installationer måste rapporteras och innan massa- och pappersindustrin är villig att investera i oxidationstekniken.

The pulp and paper industry is currently facing major challenges. Owing to the substitution of fossil-dependent products with recyclable and biodegradable ones, there is an immense demand for fibre-based products. As a result, there is an urgent need to streamline the supply chain. Additionally, consumers are increasingly pressuring businesses within the industry to improve supply chain transparency as the importance of responsible sourcing of forest-based products are gaining increased attention. To mitigate these issues, a high level of transparency and traceability throughout the entire supply chain, incorruptible tracking systems and secure forest certification systems is of utmost importance within the industry. In recent years, a distributed ledger technology, referred to as blockchain has emerged as a promising technology for improving supply chain transparency and traceability owing to its unique characteristics of storing information in a decentralized and immutable manner. However, due to the novelty of this technology within a supply chain context, a comprehensive assessment is crucial in order to understand how the technology could be leveraged. In this regard, this thesis aims to explore the potential of blockchain technology to improve transparency and traceability within the pulp and paper industry. Owing to the inherent explorative nature of this research, a qualitative approach has been adopted. Through semi-structured interviews with different actors within the supply chain of pulp- and paper products, as well as blockchain experts within the field of supply chain management, cross-sections between the two fields are drawn. In addition, based on the expert interviews, a general blueprint for companies considering implementing blockchain technology is developed. The results of the study indicate several potential use-cases where blockchain technology could bring value to the pulp and paper industry. For instance, the results show that the technology could be harnessed to streamline the supply chain, improve the chain of custody of certified products, support sustainability reporting and improve the quality of products. Lastly, as pioneering research within the field, this thesis opens up a series of directions for future research. / Massa- och pappersindustrin står just nu inför stora utmaningar. På grund av utfasningen av fossilbaserade material har efterfrågan på fiberbaserade material ökat drastiskt. Till följd av detta ökar vikten av effektiva försörjningskedjor. Dessutom, i takt med att hållbart skogsbruk får en ökad betydelse i samhället, ökar pressen från konsumenter att öka transparensen gällande råmaterialets  ursprung.  För att tackla dessa utmaningar krävs en hög grad av transparens och spårbarhet genom hela värdekedjan.   Under de senaste åren har en typ av distribuerad databasteknik, även kallad blockkedjeteknik växt fram som ett lovande verktyg för att förbättra transparens och spårbarhet inom försörjningskedjor,  tack vare dess unika egenskaper att lagra information på ett decentraliserat och oföränderligt sätt. Detta är dock en relativt ny teknik och på grund av detta finns det behov av studier där teknikens användningsområden i branschen utforskas innan den implementeras.   I detta avseende syftar denna rapport till att utforska blockkedjeteknikens potential att förbättra transparens och spårbarhet inom massa- och pappersindustrin. På grund av den utforskande karaktären av denna studie har en kvalitativ metod använts. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med olika aktörer inom värdekedjan för massa- och pappersprodukter, samt experter inom blockkedjor, dras paralleller mellan de två områdena. Dessutom, baserat på intervjuerna med dessa experter, har en allmän steg för steg-guide tagits fram för att underlätta för företag att utvärdera potentialen av blockkedjor inom specifika användningsområden.  Resultaten av studien indikerar flera potentiella användningsområden där blockkedjeteknik kan medföra ett ökat värde. bland annat visar resultaten att tekniken kan utnyttjas för att effektivisera försörjningskedjan, förbättra spårbarheten standarden för certifierade produkter, underlätta hållbarhetsrapportering och förbättra kvaliteten på produkter. Slutligen, som en banbrytande forskning inom området, öppnar detta examensarbete upp för  framtida forskning.

The European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) aims to lower greenhouse gases inpollution-intensive industries. The success of the EU ETS, its policy framework and its pricingstrategy is both empirically acknowledged and disputed. The study contributes to the empiricalresearch on the effect of the price of EU ETS permits on carbon emissions. Therefore, the aimis to establish the relationship between the price of emission permits and CO2 emissions inrelation to each phase of the EU ETS, for Sweden and Finland with a focus on the Pulp andPaper Industry (PPI). Moreover, the focus lies on the difference in the effect of each EU ETSphase on CO2 emissions, allowing for discussion on the effectiveness of each phase. Using aNewey-West multiple linear regression analysis, we found statistically significant evidence thatduring Phase 3, EU ETS permit pricing had a negative effect on CO2 emissions for both Swedenand Finland, EU ETS permit pricing in Phase 1 seems to have a low positive effect on CO2emissions solely for Sweden, while Phase 2 does not have an effect on CO2 emissions for eithercountry. Our collected data implies some degree of ineffectiveness and uncertainty in thesuccess of the EU ETS framework and pricing strategy.

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This thesis stems from the interest of Holmen group to investigate the opportunitiesavailable for large electricity consumers in the Swedish primary reserve markets.The study performed focuses on one of Holmen's paper mill and it aims at identifyinga load inside the production process that is suitable for providing frequency containmentservices for the grid. The evaluation of the mill's consumption prole and the technicalrequirements of the reserve market led to the identication of the electric boiler coupledwith a steam accumulator as the most appropriate load.Five case study simulating the participation of the mill to dierent energy and reservemarkets have been evaluated. For each case a linear optimization problem has beenformulated. The rst simulation represents the current practice of the mill in relation tothe energy purchased on the spot market (following it will be also referred as referencecase). The second case study (II c.s.) integrates the use of the steam accumulator asa tool to perform thermal load shifting. In the third case study (III c.s.) the mill ismodelled to bid on the spot and primary reserve market by oering some capacity ofthe electric boiler. The last two case studies (IV and V c.s.) recalls the rst and lastpreviously mentioned, but also include the possibility of having energy imbalance. Thismeans that the imbalance settlement operated by eSett will produce an additional costor prot for the mill.The last three problem formulations fall under the denition of stochastic problems,since two random variable are present, namely: average hourly frequency value andimbalance settlement price. The uncertainty of the variables is represented throughscenarios.The outcome derived from the combination of the results for the winter and summercases shows that each strategy brings an economic saving when compared to the referencecase (I c.s.). The less interesting strategies are the ones that do not involve the reservemarket, leading to about 0.03% (II c.s.) and 0.06% (IV c.s.) of saving on the overallyearly energy cost. Contrariwise, by oering FCR-N capacity, the cost of electricitycan be cut by 5.15% (III c.s.) and 6.69% (V c.s.), respectively considering and notconsidering the imbalance settlement. / Avhandlingen har sitt ursprung i skogsindustrikoncernen Holmens intresse att undersökamöjligheten för stora elförbrukare att delta på den svenska primär-reservmarknaden. Studien som utförts fokuserar på ett av Holmens pappersbruk och syftar till att identifiera en elektrisk process som, inom bruksgränserna, är lämplig för att tillhandahålla frekvensregleringstjänster till det nationella nätet. En utvärdering av brukets elförbrukning samt de tekniska krav som ställs på reservmarknaden ledde till att en elektrisk panna med tillkopplad ångackumulator identifierades som mest lämplig.Fem budstrategier som simulerar brukets deltagande till olika energioch reservmarknader har presenterats. För varje strategi är ett linjärt optimeringsproblem formulerat. Den första strategin visar på nuvarande sätt bruket köper elektricitet på spotmarknaden. Den andra strategin integrerar användning av ångackumulatorn som ett verktyg för att utföra termisk lastskiftning. I den tredje modelleras deltagande också på primärreservmarknaden genom att erbjuda en viss kapacitet hos elpannan. De två sista strategierna baseras på den första och tredje, men tillåter i tillägg obalanser vilket innebär en extra kostnad eller möjlig intjäning för bruket.De tre sista problemformuleringarna faller under definitionen stokastiska problem, eftersom två slumpmässiga variabler är närvarande, nämligen: genomsnittligt timfrekvensvärde och priset för obalans. Osäkerheten för variablerna representeras genom scenarier.Resultatet visar att varje strategi ger en ekonomisk besparing jämfört med refer-ensfallet (strategi ett). De mindre intressanta strategierna är de som inte involverarreservmarknaden, vilka endast leder till ca 0,03% och 0,06% minskning av den totalaårliga energikostnaden. Däremot, genom att erbjuda FCR-N-kapacitet kan kostnaden för el minskas med 6,69% och 5,15% beroende s eller ej.

Water is an essential and indispensable component is the pulp- and paper production industry.The increase in energy costs, stricter environmental regulations and water resource shortageshave caused a reduction of the water footprint in the industry as well as an increase in waterrecycling and water circuit closure. Reducing water usage requires an understanding of wherecontaminants originate, as well as which streams are critical to the process and how they impactmill operation. The recirculation of water can cause contaminant accumulation; therefore millsemploy technologies for water treatment in the internal water cycles, the so-called ‘kidneys’.Application of membrane technology is one such option which can improve the recycled waterquality and reduce contaminant buildup.The present study was carried out on a lab-scale for the treatment of a tissue mill effluent usingmembrane separation. A combination of pretreatment methods and various membranes werecompared with regards to separation, flux and fouling. The AlfaLaval M20 device was to treatwastewater samples sent from the mill, where the permeate was recirculated to the feed tank.COD and TOC levels are compared with regards to determining the separation efficiency. Thepermeate flux was measured over the two-hour filtration period, as well as flux recovery todetermine fouling levels. Additionally, some economic aspects of the process are discussed.This study suggests the potential application of a combination of flocculation or centrifugationpretreatment, with reverse osmosis membranes for recycling water to replace freshwater intake.The results also indicate the possibility of using ultrafiltration as kidneys to decreasecontamination buildup for further water loop closure.