New Green Star System Makes It Easier To Identify Sustainable Packaging

Forest owners and companies still regularly burn parts of the forests they own. Far from being dangerous, experts say this is necessary for the healthy growth of trees. Prescribed burning of forests is a widely accepted and traditional tool for forest management across the world, including the US and UK. It is well planned, has pre-defined limits and a definite purpose. In many parts of the world it is also used as a tool to contain out of control wildfires, prevent forest fires, revitalise natural habitats and preserve biodiversity. The case of the False darkling beetle in Finland is proof that there is merit in this approach.

Our Plymouth Mill has taken another step toward a more sustainable future thanks to the success of a recent resource conservation project. Just one year after the installation of a cooling tower and new heat exchangers, the mill’s closed-loop system for heating process water has exceeded expectations by dramatically reducing daily water consumption and fuel costs. Last May, the team installed a cooling tower and two large heat exchangers to reclaim waste heat from the mill and use it to reduce steam consumption. While the resource conservation project was originally expected to eliminate the use of about 11 million gallons of river water per day, Operations Manager David Council says the system is performing better than expected, saving approximately 18 million gallons of water per day. Before the team installed the new equipment, the mill used water from the nearby Roanoke River to cool mill processes. The mill returned the water to the river in the same condition, only slightly warmer. With the addition of the cooling tower and heat exchangers, the mill now has a closed-loop system that reclaims heat from the mill’s evaporation equipment and transfers it to process water. The reclaimed heat reduces the mill’s steam load, which means it burns less fuel in the boilers to make steam.

The majority of students today live in urban environments and have limited opportunities to explore and become familiar with a forest and how forest products are made, including paper. Helping teachers and students increase their understanding of complex environmental issues, with a particular focus on the forest, is the goal of our most recent Fact Sheet: Teacher Resources Related to Paper, Forest Products and the Environment, a comprehensive list of websites that provide useful teaching resources. The list includes links to materials for all educational levels about trees, sustainable forest management, biodiversity, wildlife, recycling and much more in the form of lesson plans, power points and videos that can be used in the classroom, outdoor activities, data analysis tools, contests and interactive games as well as teacher’s tours and workshops about sustainable forestry across the U.S. and Canada. click Read More below for additional information