Uruguay's controversial wood pulp mill produced its first payload on October 15 amidst protests from the neighbouring Argentina and environmentalists across the globe. The first thousand tonnes of cellulose, raw ingredients for making paper, produced by the plant's current operator Metsa-Botnia group, will now be dispatched to China, Europe and the us.

The plant, located in the city of Fray Bentos along the Uruguay river, has been opposed over the last two years due to fears of river pollution and farmland damage. Last year Argentina sued Uruguay at the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the issue. The matter is still pending with the court.

The Uruguayan government, however, gave the go-ahead to production, after recent attempts at bilateral political talks on the issue failed in Chile.