UPM Raflatac, a global leader in the manufacture of pressure sensitive label materials, is proud to announce that its factory in Mills River is the first manufacturing facility in North Carolina whose electrical supply is generated entirely by renewable sources through Charlotte-based Duke Energy's NC Renewable Energy Program. This year, the Mills River factory opted to increase its renewable electricity use from 4 percent to 100 percent. Renewable electricity is generated from sources like wind, solar and hydropower. UPM Raflatac has a 2030 target to reduce fossil CO2 emissions from its operations and purchased electricity by 30 percent. The switch to 100 percent renewable electricity for the Mills River facility is a major step toward meeting that target. Click Read More below for additional information.

Many paper industry products are such an imbedded part of our lives that we often take them for granted, but just think about what our lives would be like without the tissue segment of our business. While paper products are inherently sustainable, the growing circular economy discourse has drawn single-use products like tissues and paper towels into the conversation—and often not in a positive way. However, a closer look at the tissue product sector reveals some interesting sustainability facts that may not be top of mind. First, consider that tissue products are highly engineered to perform multiple functions at once. Bathroom tissue, for example, must be strong, soft and absorbent enough to perform its primary purpose, yet break down in a matter of seconds to pass through wastewater systems. To make products that perform according to a wide range of functions and align with consumer needs, paper towel and tissue manufacturers must use the appropriate mix of wood fiber pulp and recovered paper, as each brings different properties to the table. Achieving ultra-softness and absorbency, for instance, requires the use of fresh fiber. U.S. manufacturers are committed to responsible and sustainable wood fiber sourcing. As part of an overall paper industry sustainability goal, paper towel and tissue producers are continually increasing the amount of fiber procured from certified forestlands and through certified fiber sourcing programs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Mid-June, the PEFC team travelled to Korea for the 2019 Asia-Pacific Forestry Week. One of the largest and most important forestry gatherings in the region, the theme was ‘Forests for peace and well-being'. Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International CEO, opened our participation, speaking on the panel of the first APFW plenary session, focused on forests for peace and well-being. “Forest certification is more than just sustainable forest management. It’s about collaboration of people to enable ongoing dialogue, conflict resolution and problem solving at all levels for peace.” Click Read More below for additional information.

American Wood Council President and CEO Robert Glowinski and American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) issuance of a new rule to reclassify certain major sources as area sources under the Clean Air Act. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the proposed rule on “Once In, Always In” on June 25, 2019. Robert Glowinski, President and CEO of AWC: “The old ‘Once In, Always In’ policy arbitrarily put a manufacturing facility into a regulatory time warp from which it could never escape. In contrast, EPA’s proposed rule would allow mills that are able to reduce their emissions below Clean Air Act thresholds to be free of onerous additional reporting, monitoring and recordkeeping requirements as long as they operate to stay below the cutoffs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Enjoying a cup of coffee or tea on the go can help make our busy lifestyles a little more tolerable. It affords busy parents a moment of nirvana as they rush to deliver kids to school and get to work on time, and provides everyone the option to enjoy their beverage of choice even if they don’t have time to finish it in store. The facts support a compelling case that the makers of paper cups – the paper and wood products industry – have a long commitment to sustainable business practices that protect the environment, spur innovation and advance recycling. The first thing that sets paper cups apart from other cups: They are made from sustainably managed, renewable materials whose cultivation benefits the environment. Paper products, like cups and paper-based packaging, are made with wood fiber from sustainably-managed forests, which is a 100 percent renewable resource. The wood fiber used to make paper products like cups comes from forests that are managed using sustainable management practices. In fact, adhering to such practices is a condition of AF&PA membership. The U.S. currently grows more wood than it harvests, and there are an estimated 20 percent more trees in the U.S. now than in 1970. Click Read More below for additional information.

2018 Sustainability Highlights: • 2019 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence designation • 15 million pounds of film trim reclaimed from production processes in 2018 • 1.7 total case incident rate and 0.4 lost workday case incident rate safety record in 2018 which represents a total case incident rate reduction of over 50% since 2010 • 56% reduction in volatile organic compounds ("VOCs") since 2015, with 600 tons per year of VOCs eliminated through solvent-free production • Attained Extraordinary Environmental Enterprise (level E4) recognition from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Excellence Program for the Danville plant in 2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sidewalk Labs released its Master Innovation and Development Plan (MIDP) for Toronto’s eastern waterfront yesterday. Entitled “Toronto Tomorrow”, the plan is expected to create significant Canadian jobs, tax revenues and GDP contributions. Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) issued the following statement today in response to the MIDP: “The Toronto Tomorrow proposal prominently features the use of wood from Canada’s sustainably managed forests as a cornerstone of its project – including a plan to build with mass timber, to use wood to build affordable and below market housing for Torontonians, and to invest $80 million in mass timber manufacturing. In Canada and around the world, wood is experiencing a resurgence as a building material of choice because it is environmentally friendly as well as beautiful, durable, and high performing. This project is a great way to address a number of community needs in Toronto, while providing a boost to our rural and northern forestry communities. We could not be more excited to see this visionary project taking root in Toronto for millions to see and experience.”

“Paper-based packaging made from recycled fibers is a key part of the circular economy and exemplifies why paper has a great environmental story to tell. As a leading technical association in this sector, we welcome RPTA to the Two Sides network of companies,” said Phil Riebel, Two Sides North America President. “RPTA is pleased to join Two Sides North America, as we are committed to similar objectives,” says Paul Schutes, Executive Director, RPTA. “Both organizations promote the responsible, sustainable production and use of our members’ products.”

“It’s not only about land use — in our operations we also take into account the limits and requirements set by nature and the ecosystem as a whole. The modern forestry practised by UPM is a great example of responsible land use,” emphasises Timo Lehesvirta, Director of Forest Global UPM. In addition to wood sourcing, other important elements of UPM’s approach are biodiversity, water protection, soil use and the benefits that forests provide. “Forests are an important part of the solution for mitigating climate change. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, produce oxygen and recycle water. When forest grows and produces wood raw material, it also acts as a carbon sink, which has a further positive effect on the climate,” he points out. Click Read More below for additional information.

Huhtamaki participated in a life-cycle analysis study that surveyed the full carbon footprint of different types of cups used for coffee. According to the study, paper cups often have the lowest carbon footprint, and recycling lowers it further by 54%. Huhtamaki recently introduced a 100% renewable, plant polyethylene coated FutureSmart paper cup. This life-cycle analysis (LCA) on paper cups was carried out in 2018-2019 by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. It was commissioned by Huhtamaki and the Finnish paperboard manufacturer Stora Enso. "In many everyday uses, paper cups have the lowest carbon footprint, and they offer better food safety - they are always hygienic. Overall, the carbon footprint of a paper cup is small compared to the food itself. For example, for a take-away latte, paper cup accounts only for 4% of the climate impact. The remaining 96 % is coffee and milk production and the energy of making the drink", says Richard Ali, Sustainability Director for Huhtamaki Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania. " For more details, please download "Taking a closer look at paper cups for coffee" Life Cycle Analysis - click here : https://www.huhtamaki.com/globalassets/global/highlights/responsibility/taking-a-closer-look-at-paper-cups-for-coffee.pdf

Office Depot, Inc. announced the release of its 2019 Corporate Sustainability Report, incorporating sustainability information for Office Depot, CompuCom and Grand & Toy. Additionally, the report contains the company’s public-facing sustainability goals around energy consumption, transportation emissions and local communities. “We are committed to decreasing the company’s environmental impact through waste diversion programs, greener packaging, transportation innovations and product solutions that extend throughout the lifecycle,” said Gerry Smith, chief executive officer for Office Depot, Inc. “We look at sustainability as another challenge we can help our customers address. By supporting the social and environmental values of our customers, we are able to significantly scale our impact beyond our walls and into the workplace of every customer.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Amazon.com Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp. and Volvo are among more than 700 companies being targeted in a campaign backed by a large group of investors advocating for greater transparency when it comes to environmental impact. HSBC Global Asset Management, Investec Asset Management and close to 85 other investors representing a combined $10 trillion in assets are asking companies to comply with the reporting process managed by the Carbon Disclosure Project, a British nonprofit research group that solicits and scores corporate environmental disclosures. Investors and interested observers need “consistent, comparable information collected in one place so that they can benchmark performance and use the data to inform their decisions,” said Emily Kreps, global director of investor initiatives at CDP. HSBC and Investec didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The effort targets companies the group says have failed to disclose such information for years at a time. Click Read More below for additional information.

“We are delighted to welcome the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC) as our 51st national member of the PEFC Alliance,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. “It is great to see that the collaboration with MFCC has been successful and has already led to the acceptance of Myanmar as a member.” We are collaborating with MFCC on a three-year project to support the country as it transitions to the sustainable management of its forests. The project is co-funded by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. “Forest management is not a matter of one country or one region anymore. It becomes a global synergy,” said Barber Cho, Secretary General of MFCC. Click Read More below for additional information.

Pratt Industries, America’s largest 100% recycled packaging company, is providing $75,000 in cash prizes to Manhattan’s Community Boards to spur the growth of residential recycled paper collection in the Borough. The contest, financially funded by Pratt Industries, has been collaboratively designed by The Manhattan Borough President’s Office, The Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (MSWAB), and The Department of Sanitation New York (DSNY). For the past two-plus decades, Pratt has operated New York City’s only paper mill, which exclusively uses 100% recycled paper, the majority of which is generated through New York City’s curbside recycling program. After the new 100% recycled paper is produced, it is used at Pratt’s corrugated box plants in NYC and throughout many of its other factories in the U.S. to manufacture tens of millions of pizza boxes as well as corrugated boxes for companies such as Amazon, Home Depot, Procter & Gamble and a who’s who of other consumer packaged goods companies. Those boxes, once used and ready to be recycled once more, as well as most of the other paper collected by DSNY, is then recycled yet again at the NYC paper mill. Click Read More below for additional information.

From groceries to clothing, making truly ethical and environmentally sustainable choices can prove challenging. After all, from start to finish, there are countless steps that go into bringing a product to the shelf. We’ve long recognized this challenge – and the importance of keeping the entire supply chain environmentally responsible. One way we do this in our paper mill and manufacturing process is through meeting the standards for the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) Chain of Custody certification. Along with meeting rigorous standards to ensure our products and materials are sourced from well-managed forests, it’s also our way to stay transparent about our sustainability efforts. Setting sustainability goals and making commitments is important but holding ourselves accountable to those goals is what helps us – and our customers – truly have a positive environmental and societal impact. Click Read More below for additional information.

The results of a new survey commissioned by Two Sides reveal a telling insight into the public’s perceptions and attitudes towards print and paper. Carried out by independent research company Toluna, consumers from across the U.S. (n= 2,094) and Canada (n= 1,044) were surveyed on environmental topics and preferences relating to paper and print. It is clear from the survey that consumers are concerned about the environment, but there are some obvious gaps between consumer environmental perceptions and the real facts. This is particularly evident for questions related to forest management and recycling. •58% of U.S. consumers surveyed believe U.S. forests have been decreasing in size since the year 2000. In fact, U.S. forests had a net growth of over 1,500 NFL football fields per day since 2000. •Only 15% of Americans and 21% of Canadians think the paper recovery rate exceeds 60% when it is over 68% in the U.S and 70% in Canada. Click Read More below for additional information.

Are you guilty of wishcycling? Also known as aspirational recycling, wishcycling happens when you put something into the recycling bin without checking whether it’s actually recyclable. We get it! You don’t want to add more waste to the planet, so you toss your item in the recycling bin, hoping it’ll get recycled. Worst-case scenario: If you made a mistake, the recycling facility will be able to fix it. Right? The answer is no. Although people have the best of intentions, wishcycling is one of the biggest issues waste management faces today. This video from the American Forest and Paper Association explains wishcycling. Click Read More below for additional information.

“We understand that forest certification is a tool to demonstrate sustainable forest management. We also understand that certification delivers products originating in sustainable forests to the marketplace.” Forest certification gets people together to talk, challenge each other, explore and find solutions for problems at all levels - locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. It can also help to pull people out of poverty by giving new income generation opportunities. It contributes to all the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by bringing together hundreds of thousands of people to engage in constructive, consensus-building dialogue for local, national and international problems at landscape level. Certification builds trust and confidence between different interests through consensus and conflict resolution processes, which are the basis for ensuring and maintaining peace at all levels. Click Read More below for additional information.

Just in time for our 20th anniversary, the PEFC Alliance welcomes Vietnam as its 50th national member. “Besides celebrating 20 years of caring for our forests, we have another reason to rejoice. The 50th national member marks an important milestone for PEFC,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International. “We started with eleven European national members, and now we have more than 50 spread across the entire globe. We are very happy and grateful to everyone who made this success possible.” Together with Myanmar, Vietnam was voted in by the PEFC General Assembly through a postal ballot. The Vietnam Forest Certification Office (VNFOREST) is actively working on the development of their national forest certification system. Click Read More below for additional information.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on June 7 the company was one of the first winners of the Commercial and Industrial Carbon Challenge, a program that requires companies to commit to reducing carbon emissions. International Paper will use the money to create a turbine generator, optimize its power boiler and recover steam at its mill. The projects are expected to reduce the company’s emissions by 225,000 tons, about the same as taking 3,200 cars off the road a year, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Click Read More below for additional information.

Like all our International Stakeholder members, Sappi will be a vital support in our work to ensure the sustainable management of the world’s forests. “Credible, internationally recognised, robust forest certification systems like PEFC are fundamental to Sappi’s commitment to sustainability. These systems give assurance to our value chain of the origin of our woodfibre and responsible forest management practices,” said Steve Binnie, CEO of Sappi. “Given that stakeholder engagement underpins our approach to doing business at Sappi, we welcome the opportunity to become a PEFC International Stakeholder member,” added Graeme Wild, Group Head of Sustainability and Investor Relations of Sappi. “The collaboration reinforces our contribution towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals and in particular SDG 15 - Life on Land; given our common priorities to promote sustainable forest management and support smallholder forestry around the world.” Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM Plywood has published Environmental Product Declarations for their WISA products, in compliance with the standardised EPD model. These third-party-verified and internationally comparable Environmental Product Declarations help building contractors and designers better understand the environmental impact of construction products and materials. An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a voluntary and reliable way to present a product's environmental impact throughout its whole lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to disposal. UPM Plywood's Environmental Product Declarations have been created according to the EN 15804:2012+A1:2013 and ISO 14025 standards for four product groups: coated and uncoated spruce plywood, and coated and uncoated birch plywood. Most of UPM Plywood's products fall under the product groups covered by the declarations. Click Read More below for additional information.

When Bonny Skene attended Conservation Camp in 10th grade, she wasn’t looking for a career in forestry. “My parents always encouraged me to try new and different things, and Conservation Camp was definitely new and different,” she says. “I didn’t know much about forestry, although I grew up in a forest in Dryden, Ontario. But I attended the camp, and I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot.” Several years and two degrees later, the experience came full circle when Skene, now Domtar’s regional public affairs manager in Canada, started working at the Dryden Mill as an IT manager in 1996. “You just never know where an opportunity will lead you,” she says. “I wasn’t a kid who dreamed of being a forester or working in the industry. But the experience was helpful when I ended up in a forestry industry career.” Conservation Camp is led by Domtar’s Dryden Mill in partnership with Dryden High School and other Dryden community partners, including Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Dryden Forest Management, the Dryden Trappers Council, Brinkman Reforestation and Raleigh Falls Timber. Click Read More below for additional information.

Global apparel retailer Gap Inc. announced a new partnership with its longtime sourcing and franchise partner in India, Arvind Limited, to drive industry-leading solutions that address global water scarcity. The apparel industry is one of the most intensive users of water in the world and, in India, 54 percent of the population faces high to extremely high water risk. The two companies will open a new innovation center to promote the adoption of proven techniques and technology that reduce water use by the textile manufacturing industry. Further, Arvind and Gap Inc. are also investing in a new water treatment facility that will eliminate the use of fresh water at Arvind’s denim mill in Ahmedabad, India. The facility will save three billion liters of fresh water by the end of 2020 and preserve the local community’s vital freshwater resources. As water becomes increasingly scarce due to climate change and growing human needs, the apparel industry is facing pressure to reduce its demand for fresh water. When it opens in 2020, the new center will be an innovation hub for apparel companies, manufacturing suppliers and vendors, sustainability experts, academics, and other environmental stakeholders to advance and scale water stewardship across the apparel sector. The 18,000-square foot space will feature: installations that showcase water management best practices and recycling technologies; a library; lab space to develop water management solutions as well as classroom training and conference space. Once completed, the center will generate scalable solutions that can be replicated at other mills and laundries. Click Read More below for additional information.

We are installing state-of-the-art rooftop solar power units at six key manufacturing plants across India. The rooftop solar power project will reduce 20 MT of CO2 emissions annually; equivalent to planting about 100,000 trees. All installations are equipped with net metering, online performance monitoring and high-end safety systems. The rooftop solar power units will be operational within the year. The project was carried out in partnership with Swiss headquartered Talesun Energy and EnergyX. “This project forms part of our larger environmental sustainability program that includes reduction of carbon footprint, developing innovative recyclable laminate structures and helping shape a circular economy. It is important for industry players like us to help build awareness amongst consumers that by using flexible packaging, they are being environmentally responsible”, said Dr Arup Basu, Managing Director, Huhtamaki India.

June 5, is World Environment Day. The 2019 theme is Beat Air Pollution —something we at AF&PA and the greater U.S. paper and wood products industry have been dedicated to for decades. Our latest greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal, which is part of AF&PA’s Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability initiative, aims to reduce emissions from member company facilities by at least 20 percent between 2005 and 2020. Our last sustainability report shows that members achieved a 19.9 percent reduction in 2016, nearly reaching the goal. And this is after they surpassed the previous goal of a 15 percent reduction in GHG emissions in 2014. Members achieved these great reductions by using efficient manufacturing processes, generating carbon-neutral biomass fuel on-site and replacing traditional fossil fuels like oil and coal with less carbon-intensive natural gas. In 2016, carbon-neutral biomass and renewable fuels provided, on average, about two-thirds of member facility energy needs. Click Read More below for additional information.

For decades, only trees in forests came within the scope of forest certification. However, trees also grow outside forests, in hedgerows, scattered on farms, along streets in urban areas… With the approval of our revised Sustainable Forest Management benchmark standard last year, this is set to change. This was the message the PEFC team took to the World Agroforestry Congress, held last month in Montpellier, France. The inclusion of Trees outside Forests (TOF) makes PEFC certification accessible for the first time to millions of farmers who own or manage trees on agricultural or settlement land. This will increase income generation opportunities for rural populations and in parallel support the delivery of a range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Click Read More below for additional information.

Paper often gets a bad rap, but despite fears about paper’s impact on the environment, it’s actually a practical and sustainable choice for many parts of daily living. We’re learning more about the benefits of supplementing technology with print when it comes to education, estate planning and even celebrating life’s milestones. And thanks to our industry’s continuing focus on paper sustainability, our environmental footprint decreases every year. It’s time to clear the air on five of the most persistent paper sustainability myths. Myth 1: Cutting down trees to make paper destroys habitats. Myth 2: Paper production contributes to water pollution. Myth 3: Paper manufacturing is bad for the climate. Myth 4: Electronic communications are more sustainable than paper communications. Myth 5: People don’t recycle paper. Click Read More below for additional information.

Thailand has become the latest country to achieve PEFC endorsement of its national forest certification system. “This is a giant leap for forestry in Thailand,” said Mr. Sakchai Unjittikul, Chairman of Thailand Forest Certification Council (TFCC), our national member for Thailand. The newly endorsed system will allow Thai forest owners and managers to demonstrate their sustainable forest management practices in line with global standards and requirements. TFCC joined the PEFC alliance in November 2016 and applied for endorsement in April 2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) is proud to announce the launch of a comprehensive new standard for responsible forest management in Canada. After five years of rigorous consultation with industry, environment, and social stakeholders and indigenous groups, the new standard targets the most pressing issues threatening Canadian forests today, including the woodland caribou crisis; the rights of indigenous peoples; workers' rights including gender equity; conservation; and landscape management. "We are facing some of the most important issues in Canadian forest management history," said Francois Dufresne, president, FSC Canada. "It was important for FSC to equally involve a diverse group of experts and interests to establish a new national framework that can be adopted across the entire forest industry." Click Read More below for additional information.

Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) embraces third party certification and participated in FSC’s consultation process which was used to develop the new requirements. Today’s announcement marks the end of FSC’s multi-year consultation process with a number of key partners. “Canada’s forest product companies comply with hundreds of federal and provincial laws and regulations every day. We are among the most strictly regulated forestry sectors in the world,” noted FPAC President and CEO Derek Nighbor. “Even though third party certification is voluntary in Canada, 100% of FPAC’s member operations are certified by FSC, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), or the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). This support of independent certification systems is another reason why Canada is known as a world leader in sustainable forest management. We and all Canadians can take great pride in that,” he added. The FSC standard is one of three voluntary programs used in Canada that has been endorsed by Canada’s Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM), all of which set high environmental, social, and economic thresholds for sustainable forest management. In the coming days, FPAC will be working with its members to review FSC’s new forest management requirements, as well as the changes taking place related to FSC chain-of-custody certification. Significant changes are expected between July and December, which will add to the complex transition that FSC users in Canada are embarking on.

A new tree nursery located in Pavas will produce 16,000 trees and shrubs to contribute to the tree planting process of different parks and green areas around the capital of Costa Rica, San José. The structure was built by the Municipality, in conjunction with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), through the Productive Landscapes Project of MINAE/GEF /UNDP. The nursery consists of two 400 m2 greenhouses, an air irrigation system that saves water consumption, and a security mesh for the perimeter. It covers an area of 6,000 m2 and required an investment of US$ 32,000. The funds to build the structure were contributed by the Productive Landscapes Project of UNDP, as part of its cooperation with the María Aguilar Interurban Biological Corridor (CBIMA), which consist of the Municipalities of San José, Montes de Oca, Curridabat, La Unión and Alajuelita. Click Read More below for additional information.

Fly ash from SCA’s industries can be used to build high-quality forest roads, as shown in a study carried out by SCA and Skogforsk (Forestry Research Institute of Sweden). “Sustainability runs through everything we do, and being able to re-use fly ash for our roads is another step towards integrating the forest with industry,” says Tomas Johansson of SCA Skog. Every year, SCA builds approximately 1,000 kilometers of forest roads. At the same time, SCA’s industries produce thousands of tonnes of fly ash in conjunction with their use of forest raw materials such as branches and crowns for energy. “Using the fly ash where it does the greatest good is important. We know that it works extremely well for soil stabilization, since we’ve tried it at both Östrand and Tunadal,” says Tomas, and continues: Click Read More below for additional information.

Plastic use is expected to double in the next 20 years. This growth will stem especially from population growth and higher living standards in China, India and Africa. Meanwhile, in developed markets, per capita plastic usage has levelled off at approximately 80 kg annually. In rapidly developing countries, the corresponding total is currently 10-20 kg. The first step to solving the global plastic waste problem is building a proper recycling infrastructure, affirms Vesa Kärhä, CEO of the Finnish Plastics Industries Federation. There is also a lot of work to be done also in waste management, attitudes, and in the diligent implementation of existing legislation. Despite the absence of efficient recycling systems, plastic is still needed: it plays a critical role serving a rapidly urbanising population in applications such as food packaging and health care. Unnecessary use of plastic should be radically reduced. Recycling solutions, too, need urgent attention. But, in addition, plastic must also be produced more sustainably. One solution is UPM BioVerno naphtha, a renewable plastic raw material made from pulp residue. Click Read More below for additional information.

For the 15th of our “Conversations with Green Champions,” Rolland President Philip Rundle speaks about environmental responsibility with sustainability-minded Hemlock Printers. Hemlock is a quality and sustainability leader in commercial printing • Offset, digital and display printing and fulfillment operations in Burnaby and Richmond BC, near Vancouver, and sales offices in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay area. • Winner of 13 Canadian Printing Awards in 2018 including Gold, Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Project and Silver, Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company. • FSC Recycled or FSC Mix papers account for some 90 per cent of Hemlocks’ printing – publications, marketing materials, displays, packaging, books, catalogs, stationery. Click Read More below for additional information.

The circular economy has quickly become a central element of European economic policy. The aim of politicians and businesses is to reduce the use of fossil raw materials through recycling and reuse, and to replace them with renewable alternatives. The European Commission is currently preparing legislation that aims to step up the recycling of oil-based plastics. “We are collaborating closely with industry; the Plastics Alliance we have brought together includes representatives from the whole value chain. Their task is to solve the problem of how to increase the recovery, recycling and reuse of plastics in Europe,” explains European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen. Click Read More below for additional information.