Our members have practiced responsible and sustainable forestry for decades. To meet customer demand, they are now doing more than ever to increase the availability of certified fiber from certified fiber sourcing programs and third party-certified forestlands. Forest certification systems are not the only method to demonstrate that the wood our industry uses comes from responsible sources that are harvested sustainably. But it is probably the most recognized tool on the landscape to demonstrate sustainable harvesting and management. The amount of wood fiber that members procure from third party-certified forestlands continues to grow slowly. It’s a hard thing to do when the largest landowners are certified and small landowners make up so much of the environment—and the fiber supply! Click Read More below for additional information.

Smurfit Kappa’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised once again by the FTSE4Good Index. The packaging leader was listed on the sustainability index for the fifth year in a row after distinguishing itself for its strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance. Created by the global index provider FTSE Russell, the FTSE4Good indices are used by a wide variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products. To qualify once again, Smurfit Kappa was assessed on a rigorous set of FTSE4Good criteria which are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Click Read More below for additional information.

At Domtar, we believe investing in sustainability helps enhance our world for future generations. Our success depends on the health of the forest’s ecosystem. Responsibility, efficiency and engagement are embedded in our sustainability approach, especially when it comes to keeping forests as forests. Paige Goff, vice president of sustainability and business communications, has spent nearly 15 years sharing the Domtar story, first in brand and advertising operations for pulp and paper and, more recently, in sustainability. She manages our relationships with sustainability organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Rainforest Alliance (RA). Through our annual sustainability reporting, she also helps bolster our reputation as a leader in sustainable forestry and manufacturing. Click Read More below for additional information.

According to a recent “nudge” campaign by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), marketing messages touting the environmental benefits of going paperless are falling on deaf ears. The results of the CRA campaign show that such green claims have little impact on the consumer’s choice for switching from paper to online options. In the CRA campaign, tax payers were encouraged to file online and eliminate paper filing. A nudge campaign involves using soft messages to “nudge” the audience to make desired choices. In this case, the campaign used different messages ranging from no specific environmental messaging to strong environmental messaging – including a promise to plant a tree when switching to online filing. The results show that environmental messaging was no more effective than generic messaging, with the nudge campaign having a negligible impact of about 1% increase in online filing. Click Read More below for additional information.

The nation’s largest supermarket chain is ditching plastic bags across all its banners — but not all at once. The Kroger Co. on Wednesday announced it is phasing out single-use plastic bags and moving to reusable bags chainwide, with the transition expected to be completed by 2025. Kroger is undertaking the initiative in phases, and its Seattle-based QFC chain will be the company’s first retail division to phase out single-use plastic bags. The company expects QFC’s transition to be completed in 2019. The company noted that some estimates suggest that 100 billion single-use plastic bags are thrown away in the U.S. every year. Click Read More below for additional information.

There are many factors that make up the Domtar difference. One of them is our EarthChoice Ambassador (ECA) program. ECA is an employee engagement program that began in 2010 to promote sustainable principles throughout the company. Our ECA members are committed to promoting sustainable practices by focusing on our customers, employees, company and communities. By identifying and sharing innovative methods, educating and encouraging sustainable habits and leading by example, this group helps push our sustainability message throughout our organization. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Andesco Awards, which have been running since 2005, recognise the exemplary achievements of companies in the public utilities and communications sectors. Smurfit Kappa has a strong track record in sustainability and embeds circularity across all its business operations. The fibres Smurfit Kappa uses in paper production are from sustainably managed forests. In Colombia, the company has 44,000 hectares of commercial forestry plantations and 22,000 hectares of natural forests that are protected and preserved and FSC® certified. Click Read More below for additional information.

Forest Products Association of Canada CEO Derek Nighbor issued the following statement after U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments partially blaming Canadian lumber imports for forest fires in California. “First and foremost our thoughts are with people in Canada and the U.S. who have been displaced from their homes or are on evacuation alert, and with our first responders who are valiantly battling fires on both sides of the border,” said Nighbor. “The U.S. simply does not have the milling capacity to meet consumer needs and are only able to satisfy about 75 per cent of American wood demand. Unfortunately, Americans are being forced to pay higher prices for wood products because of U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber. The U.S. could provide an immediate discount to Americans rebuilding after fires by rescinding tariffs on Canadian lumber, which has increased the cost of lumber by 20 per cent.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Elections matter. New administrations bring new policies and new approaches to environmental and energy issues, including those regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. While policies may have changed, our members are continuing to make voluntary strides to reduce their GHG emissions as part of their overall sustainability and efficiency programs. Many customers continue to prefer products that are manufactured from a renewable and recyclable resource—wood fiber—and that use renewable energy in the manufacturing process. Having a renewable and recyclable resource as the foundation of the industry enables our members’ pulp and paper mills to meet, on average, about 66.6 percent of their energy demand from renewable biomass energy, avoiding greater use of fossil fuels and the associated GHG emissions that result from their combustion. Click Read More below for additional information.

It’s time to debunk another popular paper myth, which says email is better for the environment than paper. While sustainability-minded consumers often focus on the environmental effects of paper production, they should also understand the facts about electronic communication before declaring it a better choice. The updated report Print and Paper Myths and Facts by Two Sides North America offers important data about e-waste, chemical use and greenhouse gas emissions that result from the manufacture of computers and smartphones. This data includes the environmental effects of e-mail, text, social media and other electronic communications. Domtar is a member of Two Sides, an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes the sustainability of print and paper. Members include businesses and nonprofits related to industries such as forestry, pulp, paper, inks and chemicals, prepress, press, finishing, publishing, printing, envelopes and postal operators. Click Read More below for additional information.

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) strongly rejects the unsubstantiated allegations suggested by Auriga in its report titled “APP and APRIL violate zero-deforestation policies with wood purchases from Djarum Group concessions in East Kalimantan”. The report contains factual errors and presents incomplete information which must be corrected. APP is not engaged in deforestation, either directly, through companies owned by APP, or indirectly, through third parties. All fibre suppliers to APP must meet our stringent sustainability criteria set out in our Responsible Fibre Procurement and Processing Policy (RFPPP) and verified by our Supplier Evaluation and Risk Assessment (SERA) process. APP does not own or control PT Sarana Bina Semesta Alam (PT SBSA), which is alleged to have acquired fibre supply from PT Silva Rimba Lestari (PT SRL) and PT Fajar Surya Swadaya (PT FSS). Neither PT SRL nor PT FSS are approved suppliers of fibre to APP. APP did conduct a SERA evaluation on PT FSS from March 2017 - November 2017, but it was not eventually approved as a supplier. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Mangrove Ecosystem Restoration Alliance (MERA) is a national platform for stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of the protection and restoration of mangrove ecosystems across the archipelago. Launched by Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) and the Jakarta Natural Resources Conservation Agency of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 26 July 2018, the goal of MERA is to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities, natural resources and vital assets by 2022, by promoting effective management and implementing strategies to conserve and restore mangrove landscapes. In the first phase, MERA plans to restore 500ha of mangroves in three areas around Jakarta Bay; Muara Angke in North Jakarta, Muara Gembong in Bekasi, and Muasa Cisadane in Tangerang. Asia Pulp & Paper Sinar Mas (APP Sinar Mas) signed an agreement to join MERA to support the conservation and restoration of Indonesia’s mangrove ecosystems. As part of the agreement, APP Sinar Mas will commit IDR 4.2 billion (US$300,000) to the MERA programme over five years. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sonoco announced the expansion of its environmental and social stewardship initiatives to include commitments to achieve greater packaging sustainability and recycling in support the food industry’s efforts to reduce global food waste. These new time-based commitments, along with an update of the Company’s ongoing efforts to improve environmental, governance and social measure, are highlighted in its 2017-18 Corporate Responsibility Report, entitled Better Packaging, Better Life – for a Better World, which is available on the Company’s website at www.sonoco.com/sustainability. Specifically, Sonoco set out key commitments for more sustainable use and increased recyclability of packaging by 2025, including: •Sonoco will increase the equivalent by weight, the amount it recycles, or causes to be recycled, from 75 percent to 85 percent, relative to the volume of packaging it places into to the global market place. •Sonoco is committed to increasing the use of post-consumer recycled resins in its plastic packaging from 19 percent to 25 percent. •Sonoco will ensure that approximately 75 percent of its rigid plastic packaging can carry the relevant on-package recyclable claim. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) opened its annual request for proposals (RFP) for the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program today. Applications for the program will be accepted from eligible entities through October 9. Requirements for this year's program are available on the SFI website. The grants program supports SFI's work to promote sustainable forest management through partnerships with conservation groups and academic partners that are contributing to the understanding of critical conservation outcomes across the range of American and Canadian forests, and community groups working at the intersection of sustainable forestry, responsible procurement and thriving communities. SFI Conservation Grants focus on the connection between sustainable supply chains and the natural resource values we care about like water quality, biodiversity, species at risk, carbon sequestration and resiliency to climate change. Click Read More below for additional information.

Maracle has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print and paper. “We welcome Maracle to the Two Sides network! They join a growing list of Canadian member companies in the print and paper sector and we look forward to working with them to tell the great environmental story of print and paper across North America,” said Two Sides North America President, Phil Riebel. Click Read More below for additional information.

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding Senate passage of the Interior-Environment, Financial Services, Transportation-HUD and Agriculture-FDA mini-omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019. The legislation included language clarifying Congress’ intent for long-term federal regulatory policy reflecting the carbon-neutrality of forest-based biomass. “This public policy supports U.S. paper and wood manufacturers’ ability to operate on a level playing field with global competitors, which is good for the economy and job creation. Our companies have sought clear policy on biomass carbon neutrality for more than seven years. We appreciate the Senate recognizing the need to foster growth in U.S. manufacturing with its action to ensure that federal biomass policy appropriately reflects our industry’s use of carbon-neutral biomass for energy production.”

“PEFC helps companies report on the contribution of sustainable forestry towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but this is just the very first step,” said Peter Latham, Chair of PEFC International, speaking at the SGEC/PEFC Forum in Tokyo, Japan. “PEFC is much more than just certification. Our numerous activities on the ground, our collaborative work with forest owners, communities and stakeholders at local levels enables companies to offer support beyond sourcing PEFC and certifying forests. Companies can benefit from PEFC beyond certifications to demonstrate a much wider contribution towards these vital goals.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Two Sides are pleased to welcome Smurfit Kappa, one of the world’s leading providers of paper-based packaging, as a new member. The noise around packaging has never been louder, with retail brands all over the world keen to make their packaging as sustainable as possible; looking towards paper- based packaging as the favourable option. This is because it is sustainable, renewable, recyclable and durable. "Paper-based packaging provides many benefits from protecting the products and preventing waste, to optimising logistics in the supply chain. Most importantly, it’s 100% recyclable and has the least impact on the environment”, says Steven Stoffer, Group Vice President Development of Smurfit Kappa. Click Read More below for additional information.