Why Join?

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.


LATEST NEWS

Industry Benchmarking Survey
Mill registration for the 2025 Profile Study is complete, with 50 paper machines participating. First quarter samples from registered mills are due to RPTA Staff by April 4, 2025. All past Survey reports can be accessed at this member-only page.

2025 Winter Webinar
On January 22nd we held a webinar on Recovered Fiber Grades & Quality, presented by Shawn State, President of Pratt Recycling at Pratt Industries, and Pat McEnroe, Product Group Director at Kadant Black Clawson. The recording and Power Point slides from the webinar are available at this RPTA members only site, along with materials from other past RPTA educational events.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2025 Production-Technical Seminar
TAPPICon 2025 will be held May 4 – 7, 2025, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

This year, RPTA’s Production-Technical Seminar will be integrated into TAPPICon.

RPTA members at mills that make 100% (or very high percentage) recycled containerboard, paperboard, or pulp (and their corporate support staff) will register through RPTA for a special, low registration fee of $800.

Included in the $800 fee are TAPPICon and four RPTA exclusive events for our members:

  1. End Chemistry Mini-Course – May 5, 7:30 to 9:30 am
  2. Member Lunch – May 5, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
  3. Member Roundtable Breakfast- May 6, 7:45 to 8:45 am
  4. Member Networking Room – May 5 and 6, all day

RPTA Operating Board Officers will be chairing three TAPPICon sessions, with RPTA-recruited speakers, on topics of interest to our members:

  1. Safety Walk/Safety Talk
  2. Achieving the Right Amount of Strength
  3. Waste Reduction and Alternative Fuels

Register here for TAPPICon 2025 & RPTA Special Events by April 14, 2025. Nonmembers, and members not associated with recycled mills, should register through TAPPICon.

Keep abreast of TAPPICon Program details and travel information at TAPPICon 2025.