Papelbol
Papelbol is Bolivia's only domestic recycled paper manufacturer, producing 100% recycled kraft and ecological paper from waste paper and cardboard. Founded by the Bolivian state in 2007, it supplies B2B customers in packaging, graphic arts, government institutions, media, and education, with exports to Peru and Ecuador.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLa Paz, Bolivia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Papelbol does
Papelbol (legal name: Empresa Pública Productiva Papeles de Bolivia) is a Bolivian state-owned paper manufacturer founded in 2007 by Supreme Decree No. 29255, making it Bolivia's first and only domestic paper factory. The company operates a recycled-paper manufacturing plant in Villa Tunari, Cochabamba, where it converts collected waste paper and cardboard into two main product lines: kraft paper (brown, for packaging, bags, cardboard manufacturing, and industrial use) and ecological paper (white recycled paper for writing, printing, and photocopying). Production technology includes pulping, deinking, papermaking, and industrial wastewater treatment per RASIM regulations, with water recycled up to 3 times in the process before being discharged to the San Mateo river as irrigation-safe water. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 (since 2017) and ISO 12647-2 (since March 2024) certifications, plus IBNORCA ecological certification, and operates a destinturation (deinking) plant for paper recovery. Beyond paper rolls, reams, and sheet formats, Papelbol produces finished stationery including notebooks and notepads, with products sold across La Paz, Cochabamba (Santivañez), Santa Cruz, and Villa Tunari offices, as well as exported to Peru and Ecuador.
Papelbol firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Papelbol
- Legal name
- Empresa Pública Productiva Papeles de Bolivia
- Website
- https://papelbol.com.bo
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Papelbol is Bolivia's only domestic recycled paper manufacturer, producing 100% recycled kraft and ecological paper from waste paper and cardboard. Founded by the Bolivian state in 2007, it supplies B2B customers in packaging, graphic arts, government institutions, media, and education, with exports to Peru and Ecuador.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Papelbol industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recycled Paper Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills (3221), Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (3222), Paper Manufacturing (322), Stationery Product Manufacturing (32223)
- SIC
- Paper Mills (2621), Papers & Allied Products (2600), Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670), Blankbooks, Looseleaf Binders & Bookbindg & Relatd Work (2780)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Recycled Printing/Writing & Specialty Paper Manufacturing (IMAMAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG), Recovered Paper Collection & Sorting (OCC, ONP, Mixed Paper) (IMAMAKAA)
Keywords
Where Papelbol is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Paz
- HQ country
- Bolivia
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Papelbol business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Ecological Paper (Papel Ecológico) Sales: Sale of recycled white ecological paper in resma (ream), bobina (roll), and pliego (sheet) formats. Grammages of 65, 70, 75, and 90 grams. Sold domestically and internationally (Peru). Prices range from Bs 14.84 to Bs 582 depending on format and size. This is the core product line alongside kraft paper.
- Kraft Paper Sales: Sale of brown kraft paper in bobina (roll) and pliego formats with various grammages (75 to 170 grams). Used for packaging, ecological bags, cardboard manufacturing, labels, folders, business cards, and delivery/design applications. Sold domestically and exported.
- Paper Exports: Papelbol exports paper to Peru since 2021, with approximately 700 tonnes exported generating over Bs 4.6 million in revenue. Also expanded to Ecuadorian market. Exports consist of both kraft and ecological paper.
- Notebooks, Trapper Sheets, and Notepads: Sale of finished paper products including notebooks (cuadernos) in various sizes with hard and flexible covers, trapper sheets (hojas trapper), and notepads (block de notas). Includes special designs such as the Bonny Lovy collection.
- Inter-institutional Government Contracts: Papelbol supplies paper to government institutions through inter-institutional agreements, contributing approximately Bs 500,000 annually to the Bono Juancito Pinto education program. These contracts represent approximately 30% of total sales. Includes agreements with DGAC (Bs 115,000 planned for 2024-2025), Universidad Nacional Ecológica, and ministries.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Resma (Ream) Paper Packs - Letter, Legal, A4 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bobinas (Rolls) - Kraft and Ecological |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pliego (Sheet) Formats - Ecological Paper |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Notebooks (Cuadernos) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Notepads (Block de Notas) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Papelbol product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Papelbol manufactures and sells 100% recycled kraft and ecological paper in multiple formats (resmas/reams, bobinas/rolls up to 2.30m wide, pliegos/sheets), along with finished stationery products (notebooks and notepads). It also operates a deinking plant, water recycling system, and waste paper collection network, supplying packaging manufacturers, graphic industry, government institutions, and educational organizations in Bolivia with exports to Peru and Ecuador.
Product overview
Papelbol is a Bolivian state-owned paper manufacturing company producing two main product lines: kraft paper (brown, high-resistance recycled paper for packaging, bags, and industrial use available in rolls up to 2.30 meters wide) and ecological paper (white recycled paper for printing and copying, available in rolls and sheet formats). The company also manufactures finished stationery products including notebooks and notepads in various sizes (letter, A4, oficio, half-letter) with soft/hard covers and different binding styles. Products are sold directly through their catalog and commercial agents, with distribution across La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz offices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hoja tamaño carta (Letter-size paper ream)
Quantifiable outcome
- Bs 43.16 million in sales revenue in 2024 — record historical high
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Papelbol
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Papelbol technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Papelbol partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC)corePapelbol signed an inter-institutional cooperation agreement with DGAC based on three pillars: ecological paper sales, collection of waste paper/cardboard (approximately 1.5 tonnes for 2024-2025), and permanent training on solid waste management. Planned paper sales of approximately Bs 115,000 for 2024-2025. Papelbol recognized DGAC for its ecological commitment.
- Universidad Nacional Ecológica (UNE)corePapelbol and Universidad Nacional Ecológica (UNE) signed an inter-institutional agreement making UNE the first university in Bolivia to use entirely recycled paper made in Bolivia. The agreement covers ecological paper sales, collection of waste paper, and academic collaboration, promoting circular economy and environmental education.
- El País Newspaper (Tarija)corePapelbol and El País newspaper signed a commercial agreement for Papelbol to supply 150 tonnes/year of ecological paper worth over Bs 1,650,000. This is the first historical alliance between a state productive company and a media outlet in Bolivia with ecological purposes. The agreement aims to incentivize national production and marks the first time a printed medium uses Bolivian and 100% ecological paper.
- Ministerio de Culturas, Descolonización y DespatriarcalizaciónminorPapelbol's Technical Manager Ronal Grandón Coaquira established a strategic alliance with the Ministry to expand the ecological paper market and create eco-friendly consumption habits within the public institution. Both parties committed to collaborate on waste paper collection.
- Peru (Paper Importers)coreSince August 2021, Papelbol exports paper to Peru. Initially planned to export 550 tonnes, nearly 700 tonnes were exported generating over Bs 4.6 million in revenues. Export includes both kraft and ecological paper formats (bobinas and pliegos).
- Bono Juancito Pinto ProgramcorePapelbol contributes approximately Bs 500,000 annually to the Bono Juancito Pinto (education bonus) program for four consecutive years, fulfilling its objective of contributing to national development. This contribution is made possible by the company's sales revenue and self-sufficiency.
- Paper BagsminorPaper Bags is a Cochabambina company of national reach that manufactures personalized packaging for fast food and delivery services using Papelbol's ecological kraft paper. Products include bags with square and glued bottoms, hamburger boxes, rolls, and sheets.
- Crisil SRLminorCrisil SRL is a Cochabambina company that has produced and exported table glassware with recycled glass for 32 years, protecting its products with Papelbol's ecological kraft paper.
- Bolivian Micro-Enterprises in Paper/Cardboard CollectionminorPapelbol reactivates micro-enterprises dedicated to collecting/acopiando waste paper and cardboard. In 2024, nearly 8,000 tonnes were collected, promoting 170 direct jobs and over 250 indirect jobs across the country.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Papelbol competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- UPM-Kymmene: Finnish paper and forest-products company with printing/writing, specialty, and label papers. Comparable to Papelbol in printing/writing paper category and certified quality manufacturing.
- Smurfit Kappa: Global paper-based packaging leader with operations across Latin America. Comparable to Papelbol on the kraft/packaging side and on supplying industrial packaging converters in regional markets.
- Klabin: Brazil's largest integrated paper producer with kraftliner, packaging, and printing/writing grades. Comparable to Papelbol in kraft paper production and industrial-packaging end markets across Latin America.
- International Paper: One of the world's largest paper and packaging producers with industrial and printing/writing grades. Comparable to Papelbol as a broad paper manufacturer competing in regional import markets.
- Mondi: European-based global paper and packaging group with kraft and specialty paper lines. Comparable to Papelbol in kraft-paper production and converting for packaging applications, though at much larger scale.
- Stora Enso: Nordic paper and biomaterials major with printing/writing, packaging, and biomaterial products. Comparable to Papelbol in printing/writing paper manufacturing and recycled-fibre operations.
- CMPC (Empresas CMPC): Chilean pulp and paper major with a broad portfolio across printing/writing, packaging, and tissue. Comparable to Papelbol as a Latin American producer of recycled and printing-grade paper serving regional industrial customers.
- Kimberly-Clark: Global personal care and tissue/consumer paper products major with Latin American operations. Comparable to Papelbol in consumer paper products and stationery-adjacent categories, though focused on tissue/hygiene rather than printing/writing.
- Suzano: Brazil-based global pulp and paper leader producing printing/writing and specialty papers. Comparable to Papelbol in product category (printing/writing paper) and Latin American geographic exposure, though at vastly larger scale.
Direct peers
- Bio Pappel: Mexico-based Bio Pappel is the largest 100% recycled paper producer in Latin America, directly comparable to Papelbol's recycled-fibre kraft and printing/writing paper model at a much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Papelbol social profiles
Digital presencePapelbol compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Papelbol financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Papelbol leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Papelbol funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Papelbol M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Papelbol
What does Papelbol do?
Papelbol manufactures and sells 100% recycled kraft and ecological paper in multiple formats (resmas/reams, bobinas/rolls up to 2.30m wide, pliegos/sheets), along with finished stationery products (notebooks and notepads). It also operates a deinking plant, water recycling system, and waste paper collection network, supplying packaging manufacturers, graphic industry, government institutions, and educational organizations in Bolivia with exports to Peru and Ecuador.
Is Papelbol a public or private company?
Papelbol is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Papelbol founded?
Papelbol was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Papelbol based?
Papelbol is headquartered in La Paz, Bolivia, in the Latin America region.
How does Papelbol make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ecological Paper (Papel Ecológico) Sales are the primary driver. The others are kraft Paper Sales, paper Exports, notebooks, Trapper Sheets, and Notepads and inter-institutional Government Contracts.
Who are Papelbol's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are UPM-Kymmene, Smurfit Kappa, Klabin, International Paper, Mondi, Stora Enso, CMPC (Empresas CMPC), Kimberly-Clark and Suzano. Bio Pappel is listed as a direct peer.
Does Papelbol have an API?
No public API is recorded for Papelbol.
What industry is Papelbol in?
Papelbol's product category is Recycled Paper Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAEAH, Recycled Printing/Writing & Specialty Paper Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMAMAHAG, Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms). Its NAICS code is 3221 and its SIC code is 2621.