Domtar's new Outside Voice series highlights the perspectives of stakeholders and leaders on important sustainability topics. On the particulars, we may not always agree. But we believe in hearing and learning from others who offer valuable insights and a different point of view on issues that are important to us all. Our first Outside Voice is Tensie Whelan, former president of Rainforest Alliance and current professor at New York University Stern School of Business. She leads NYU’s Center for Sustainable Business. Whelan believes climate change is among the greatest environmental challenges we face, with immediate and future consequences that we cannot ignore. She recently spoke with our Outside Voice team about the work of corporations, governments, activists and individuals that can help or harm efforts to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures. Q. What aspects of climate change concern you most? A. I think climate change creates the biggest threat to humanity to date. It creates the twin problems of reduced access to water and too much water. It brings more frequent extreme weather — flooding and drought — which affects our food sources, our industries and our homes. Click Read More below for additional information.

“I am delighted to announce that the PEFC International Board is recommending the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee for PEFC membership,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, during his visit in Myanmar last week. Following the recommendation, the PEFC General Assembly is now voting on Myanmar’s application for membership. We will announce the result of the vote in early June. While in Myanmar, Ben attended a seminar in Yangon, hosted by PEFC and the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC), our prospective national member for the country. Our collaboration on current and future projects was a key focus of the seminar, as we seek to develop our partnership with MFCC in order to bring sustainable management to Myanmar’s forests. “We look forward to welcoming MFCC into the PEFC family and to advancing sustainable forest management with you in Myanmar,” said Ben, speaking at the seminar. Click Read More below for additional information.

Walmart Inc. issued its inaugural Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, which details the company’s goals, progress and achievements for fiscal year 2019 toward its commitment to increase economic opportunity for associates and local communities, build sustainability in supply chains and activate climate change initiatives. Walmart is disclosing progress to date in several areas including: Activating Climate Change Initiatives, Enhancing Sustainability in Supply Chains, Increasing Economic Opportunity for Associates. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM Raflatac’s Biofore Site™ concept engages factory employees and fosters a culture of sustainability by setting factory-specific development goals aimed at contributing toward UPM’s 2030 responsibility targets. For many years, UPM Raflatac factories have operated third-party certified environmental management systems in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard to ensure continual environmental performance improvement. The Biofore Site concept builds on this foundation and expands it to include also economic and social aspects. Since the piloting in 2017, each factory has created a unique path to improve their scorecard performance. From installing LED lighting on the factory buildings to installing electric car-charging stations, UPM Raflatac factory teams continue to find new and exciting ways to further concept. A multi-parameter Biofore Site scorecard, based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is used to monitor each factory’s progress. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Vietnamese government has formulated a Forestry Development Strategy to help achieve this goal. This includes the target to establish, manage, protect and sustainably use 16.2 million hectares of forestland by 2020, and to certify at least 3 million hectares by 2030. “Sustainable forest management is a key focus of the Vietnamese government. We are prioritizing sustainable forest management in accordance with international practices, in order to increase the certified forest area by 2030,” Vice Minister Ha Cong Tuan confirmed. The newly established office will coordinate forest certification activities in Vietnam and manage the national forest certification system, including its application to PEFC for endorsement. Click Read More below for additional information.

SCA is actively involved in efforts to save the endangered ortolan bunting, which thrives in clearcut areas. It hopes to make it easier for the bird to find food by digging large hollows in areas where the ortolan has been sighted. Last autumn, SCA’s nature conservation experts joined county administrative boards and a few ornithologists to visit forests in Sundsvall where the ortolan bunting had been sighted. The aim was to find possible measures to create favorable conditions by providing more food for the bunting and its young. One idea was to dig large patches of mineral soil of about one quarter of a square meter to reveal the topsoil. The ortolan seems to thrive in all types of clearcuts where the topsoil has been disturbed by scarification, for example, because bare ground in a protected location makes it easy for them to find insects when feeding their young. Click Read More below for additional information.

SCA cooperates with approximately 25 contractors as part of the planting work. This in turn means almost 500 planters will be active in the forests, from Svappavaara in the north to Hassela in the south. The planters are from many different countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Ukraine and Nepal. They begin planting in mid-May and continue into October. The planters work both in SCA’s own forest and on the land of private forest owners, who have contracted SCA to help with planting. Before the planters leave for the forest, they must have successfully completed the Skötselskolan (Forest Management School) training course, which is a industry-wide online training course. Those working as planting supervisors, meaning people leading planting work in the forest, must also have completed a practical course covering consideration for nature conservation and cultural heritage. Click Read More below for additional information.

Last month, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette shared a sticker with their subscribers that stated: “In honor of Earth Day, the Post-Gazette will not print on Monday, April 22.” This claim prompted Leeann Foster, Assistant to the International President of the United Steelworkers, to write a letter to the newspaper, addressing the greenwashing claim that digital-only news is more environmentally friendly. She shared, “It simply is not black and white to say that digital communication is green and paper is not. In 2016, for example, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste was generated globally…Paper, however, is a highly and easily recyclable product that is used again and again to make more paper and boxes.” Supporting her letter with facts, Ms. Foster provided a link to our popular Two Sides Myths and Facts page. Her full letter was posted on the USW Paperworkers Facebook Page and was shared, commented on, and liked by the community. Click Read More below for additional information.

Extreme weather conditions will increase globally due to the magnitude of climate change. The change in variables like heavy rain falls, wind and snow damages or drought are posing a threat to the balance of nature. Droughts have already increased the risk for forest fires in many areas. Together with the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) UPM is actively doing research on how climate change will affect forestry and wood sourcing and thus UPM’s business operations in the long run. “We will utilise these results in developing our business operations. At the same time all of this is valuable information we can share with our investors and our other important stakeholders,” explains Tuomas Niemi, Manager for Reporting and Standards at UPM. Click Read More below for additional information.

Has a constant stream of negative press questioning recycling’s effectiveness led some consumers to worry about whether recycling is “worth it?” Fortunately, there is good news to share. Survey data released by the Paper and Packaging Board (P+PB) in its 2018 Campaign Impact Report reveals that 83 percent of consumers surveyed agree recycling paper of all kinds is still worthwhile. The P+PB Impact Report also shows that the paper and packaging industry is viewed more favorably than other materials industries including plastics and that just over 6 in 10 (62 percent) of those surveyed agree that paper’s benefits outweigh the risks when considering paperboard/packaging, paper and the environment. “What these numbers and the data in the full report suggests,” says Mary Anne Hansan, president of the Paper and Packaging Board, “is that when consumers are aware of the benefits of choosing paper and paper packaging, these materials remain valued choices.” Click Read More bellow for additional information.

John Mullinder started his journalistic career in New Zealand before emigrating to Canada in the mid-1980s. Over the past 27 years, Mr. Mullinder has led a national environmental council for the country’s paper packaging industry. Frustrated by encounters with people who knew so little about forestry and paper production but had plenty of opinions about killing and saving trees, John was compelled to write a book called, Deforestation in Canada and Other Fake News. “Many people believe that cutting down trees is deforestation and the emotional image they associate with this is an ugly clear cut,” states Mr. Mullinder. “I debunk these myths with hard facts, well-documented evidence, references and real images of deforestation.” Deforestation is often incorrectly defined and associated with the forestry products industry. In reality, deforestation is defined as the permanent destruction of forests to make the land available for other uses. One reason Mr. Mullinder chose to show an agricultural scene on the cover of his book is to point out that the primary causes of deforestation are due to agriculture, oil and gas projects, and urbanization. Click Read More bellow for additional information.

International Paper is continuing work on its commitment to sustain forests through two new collaborations with the Arbor Day Foundation: the Time for Trees initiative and Community Tree Recovery. As one of 17 founding members of the Arbor Day Foundation's Evergreen Alliance, International Paper is championing the Time for Trees initiative, a commitment to plant 100 million trees in forests and communities worldwide by 2022. The initiative leverages trees as a simple, natural climate solution, improves community resilience and helps preserve clean air and water, healthy food and a livable climate. International Paper has also committed to planting 46,000 trees through the Arbor Day Foundation's Community Tree Recovery program – a public and private partnership aimed at distributing free trees to residents in communities affected by natural disaster. International Paper's support of this program also promotes community resilience, a focus of their community engagement strategy. Click Read More bellow for additional information.

Mondi Group, a global leader in packaging and paper has today released its 2018 reporting suite Sustainable Packaging and Paper by Design, including its full Sustainable Development report and Integrated report and financial statements. The Sustainable Development report shows positive progress on climate change achieved through the introduction of biomass and recovery boilers in Mondi’s mills leading to 100% electricity self-sufficiency, with 64% of fuel from renewable sources. In total, there has been a 14.5% reduction in specific CO2e emissions against the 2014 commitment baseline, continuing the positive trend which shows a 38% reduction since 2004.

The Navigator Company and National Geographic have taken an important step towards protecting the environment by replacing the plastic bags used to encase their magazines with sustainable paper envelopes. Around 150,000 plastic bags were used per year but as of this month, this is set to change. For the first time in Portugal, the magazine will reach its subscribers in a more ecological and environmentally-friendly form, made from The Navigator Company paper.

Employees from DS Smith’s Kemsley Mill in Sittingbourne recently joined Swale Borough Council Park Rangers to clear litter and waste from parkland around the Kemsley site. The clean-up, which was initiated by the Kemsley Charity and Communities Committee on the 4th April, saw a total of 20 volunteers come together to clean the site as part of Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, which runs from 22nd March to 23rd April.

On April 22nd, we celebrated Earth Day. This annual event started back in the 1970s and has made a positive impact on the environment. Earth Day has catapulted public awareness of the environment and action to commit to sustainability that has led to important legislation that can help the planet’s resources sustains for generations to come.

Global packaging leader Smurfit Kappa is investing in a series of upgrades to its flagship kraftliner mill in Piteå, Sweden. The project will focus on increasing the sustainability and efficiency of both its cooking plant and recovery boiler. Other developments planned for the mill include the installation of high-spec purification filters and an advanced combustion system. The work will be carried out during a planned 15-day closure of the mill next month.

Sustainability is the future, which is why Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, finds it a privilege to announce and celebrate that the Company’s enterprise division has now lent a decade of support to the Arbor Day Foundation’s reforestation program. Since 2009, the company’s enterprise division helped contribute to the planting of more than 500,000 trees in the U.S., with this year’s efforts counting toward the Arbor Day Foundation’s Time for Trees initiative, under which the Arbor Day Foundation seeks to plant 100 million trees worldwide by 2022.

We’re kicking off Earth Week 2019 on April 22, which is International Earth Day. While we incorporate sustainability into all parts of our business every day, we are excited to have a whole week dedicated to enhancing nature’s gifts and improving life in our communities. Colleagues and, at many sites, their family members and friends will raise sustainability awareness through volunteering, learning and playing in the world around us.

Sustainability is the new workplace standard: A global, 20,000-participant survey released by HP found that 61 percent of workers believe sustainability is mandatory for businesses. It also found that employees are more productive, motivated and engaged when working for an employer who is leading the charge in social responsibility.

Earth Day is April 22, 2019, and to celebrate, we are sharing some environmental highlights from our businesses. Air, land, and water are areas where the JDI team works every day to reduce our environmental footprint.

Beer doesn’t grow on trees, but one brewer wants you to appreciate them anyway. Just in time for Earth Day, Busch and the National Forest Foundation (NFF) have published a book about America’s trees. The hard-cover coffee table book, made of recycled paper, showcases about two dozen trees in an effort to raise money for conservation efforts and get people adventuring in the great outdoors. The book, “Rooted in Love,” goes on sale today for $20 and will be available through the end of April. All proceeds go directly to the NFF, which helps conserve approximately 200 million acres of forests.

As spring arrives in Geneva, forests are coming back to life and animals are enjoying the first warm days, we hear from Julian Rad, a runner up in our 2018 ‘Experience Forests, Experience PEFC’ photo contest. Julian tells us about his photo ‘Sniffling’ and why forests and wild animals are his favorite photo motives.

The SFI Annual Conference brings together thought leaders and influencers from the forest products industry, conservation and community partners, tribal and Indigenous leaders as well as some of the most engaged forest product customers in North America. This year’s conference will discuss topics of relevance to the American, Canadian and International forest sectors, so mark your calendars and come to the 2019 SFI Annual Conference and please bring a customer or a friend. Check back soon for conference updates.

The 22nd of April marks Earth Day – the world’s largest environmental movement. Earth Day is an annual event that takes place globally to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Commenced in 1970, the event’s mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Here at Two Sides, we are celebrating the event by sharing some positive environmental facts from the world of print and paper and encourage you to join us too. We have plenty of informative resources and shareable content for you to download and share. Use the #EarthDay hashtag in your social media posts to help raise awareness to this global event. We have even got some Twitter friendly videos ready for you to share! Click Read More bellow for additional information.

For the first time, FSC certification is now an option for National Forests, after the final approval in March 2019 of the supplementary requirements to the FSC US Forest Management Standard. These requirements have been incorporated into an updated version of the Standard which is available on the FSC US web site. Should a National Forest choose to pursue FSC certification, the process would apply both the regular FSC Forest Management Standard and the newly approved supplementary requirements. These additional requirements recognize the unique role of National Forests in the United States, holding forest management on these lands to a higher level of expectations. Click Read More bellow for additional information.

“Biomass” isn't a word most people know. But this renewable, cost effective fuel is becoming increasingly important to our planet. It helps reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and curtail the demand for purchased electricity while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. What is biomass? It's fuel from organic materials. The woody biomass GP uses comes mainly from tree waste, such as bark, wood residues and by-products from pulping wood fiber. And it makes up more than 50 percent of the energy we use to run our plants and mills. As whole trees come into sites such as our Alabama River Cellulose (ARC) facility near Monroeville, Alabama, bark is removed from logs before they go into the chipper. The dissolved lignin (black liquor) is later removed leaving behind the cellulose fibers. The bark and the black liquor are then used as biomass fuel. Click Read More bellow for additional information.

Two Sides North America has released an engaging new infographic that illustrates why 118 North American companies and over 360 companies globally have removed ‘go green – go paperless’ and similar environmental claims. Greenwashing is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as, “to make people believe that your company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.” The new infographic counters greenwashing claims and provides fact-based information to bust myths about misleading sustainability claims around paper use and production. More companies, including many of the Fortune 500, are thinking twice about their environmental marketing claims to promote electronic communications over paper. Click Read More bellow for additional information.

Walmart announced today that its suppliers have reported avoiding 3.46 million metric tons (CO2e) of greenhouse gas emissions in the Chinese value chain as part of Project Gigaton China. This is equivalent to the emissions associated with the average annual electricity consumption of over 3 million Chinese households and marks a strong year one result for Project Gigaton China, which Walmart launched one year ago with the aim of preventing 50 million metric tons of emissions in the Chinese value chain alone. It is part of Walmart's global Project Gigaton commitment to work with its suppliers to cut 1 billion metric tons (CO2e) – a gigaton – of greenhouse gas emissions from the global value chain of upstream suppliers and downstream consumers by 2030. Click Read More bellow for additional information.

Smurfit Kappa has joined forces with the Plastic Soup Foundation to stress the growing need for sustainable packaging. The Plastic Soup Foundation is a Dutch organisation which campaigns for an end to the pollution of the world’s oceans. The term ‘plastic soup’, which first became popular in the late 1990s, refers to the pollution of the oceans by plastic including large pieces and tiny micro-plastic and nano-plastic particles, both floating and sunken. A strong synergy exists between the Plastic Soup Foundation’s mission to stop the plastic soup at the source and Smurfit Kappa’s Better Planet Packaging initiative which aims to address the challenge of packaging waste and litter that ends up in oceans and landfill. Click Read More below for additional detail.

U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR) holds a Master’s Degree in Forestry from Yale University and understands better than most that a healthy and sustainably managed forest is not a partisan issue. The use of forest products by society drives a healthy market as well as the incentive for forest owners to manage their forests sustainably. In other words, wood product use, paired with a commitment to recycling and sustainable forest management, including replanting many more trees than we use (standard practice in North America), will result in healthy, vibrant forests. Read the details of Representative Westerman’s story about sustainable forestry, economics, family forests, and forestry jobs in Arkansas and how by working together it makes for healthy forests. https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/434083-the-best-way-to-preserve-forests-use-trees?amp&__twitter_impression=true

Cascades Inc. announced that it is extending its transportation electrification program to all its employees in Ontario . In addition to its 4,400 Quebec -based employees, the Company will now offer its 2,200 employees in Ontario access to the program that encourages individuals to transition from gas to electric or hybrid vehicles. To support its employees to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, the company will also install 30 new 240-volt charging stations at its Ontario facilities, extending the network of the 80 that have already been installed in Québec. It will also provide a financial contribution of up to $2,000 for each employee who purchases an electric vehicle. This is in addition to any government grants that may be in effect. The announcement was made at the Company's Ottawa sorting centre, in anticipation of Earth Day, and in the presence of the environmental leader Dr. David Suzuki and students representing Ontario EcoSchools. Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPM’s new biodiversity target is one of the company’s responsibility targets for 2030. The aim is to preserve biodiversity alongside modern forestry. “We want to preserve and improve the biodiversity in UPM’s own forests in Finland. With this target and through our actions, we seek to open up new opportunities for different land use practises that promote the preservation of natural resources or habitats”, says Timo Lehesvirta, Sustainable Forestry Lead, Forest Global, UPM. UPM has carried out its biodiversity protection programme in the company’s forests for over 20 years. Thanks to the programme, the ratios of tree species have diversified and the amount of deadwood, which is valuable to many forest species, is increasing. Natural variation in forests has been improved through thickets for game, by protecting valuable habitats and buffer zones next to water, and by leaving retention trees and tree groups on harvesting sites. Some species are specialised to grow in conditions that differ from the surrounding forest environment. There are 45,000 protected habitats in UPM forests, and the programme protects all of them. Click Read More below for additional detail.

At its 2019 sustainability milestone summit, Walmart announced that for the first time, checkout carousels at its U.S. stores will include reusable bags that will be available to customers for purchase. The aim of this new campaign is to help reduce plastic waste and increase customer convenience by placing reusable bags in easy to find and highly frequented sections of its stores. As part of the launch, Walmart is rolling out a new assortment of reusable bags that are made with post-consumer recycled content. The new reusable bag initiative will begin rolling out to stores next month and follows a recent announcement by Walmart on a series of plastic waste reduction goals that seek to advance the sustainability of the retailer’s private brand packaging by making it 100 percent recyclable, reusable or industrially compostable by 2025. This year’s milestone summit also featured announcements and updates on several other sustainability initiatives. For example, the event marks the two-year anniversary of Project Gigaton, a platform in which Walmart is working with suppliers to avoid 1 billion metric tons, a gigaton, of emissions from global value chains by 2030. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Kohl’s announced that it has received the 2019 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award for continued leadership and superior contributions to ENERGY STAR. Kohl’s accomplishments will be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 11, 2019. “Kohl’s is proud to receive the 2019 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award,” said Steve Thomas, Kohl’s chief risk and compliance officer. “Our work with ENERGY STAR is just one of the ways we are championing sustainability efforts that reinforce the healthy lifestyle we hope to inspire in our customers. In partnership with ENERGY STAR, Kohl’s continues to evaluate our energy footprint across the country to increase operational efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint." Click Read More below for additional detail.

With Earth Day just around the corner, Cascades invites media representatives to its material recovery facility in Ottawa for a discussion about recovery, recycling, circular economy and environment in the presence of Mario Plourde , President and Chief Executive Officer at Cascades, Dr. David Suzuki , reknown environmentalist, and a group of students involved in the Ontario EcoSchools network. This discussion will be moderated by columnist and animator Frédéric Choinière, well versed in environmental issues. Mario Plourde will also take this opportunity to make a special announcement about a new sustainability initiative that the company will deploy in Ontario. The event will conclude with a tour of the sorting facility to demonstrate the circular path followed by paper and paperboard products after collection in the recovery bin.

Today, Amazon.com announced three new renewable energy projects as part of its long-term goal to power all Amazon Web Services (AWS) global infrastructure with renewable energy. These projects – one in Ireland, one in Sweden, and one in the United States – will deliver wind-generated energy that will total over 229 megawatts (MW) of power, with expected generation of over 670,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable energy annually. The new projects are part of AWS’s long-term commitment to achieve 100 percent renewable energy for its global infrastructure. In 2018, AWS exceeded 50 percent renewable energy for its global infrastructure. For more information, go to https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/sustainability/. Once complete, these projects, combined with AWS’s previous nine renewable energy projects, are expected to generate more than 2,700,000 MWh of renewable energy annually – equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of over 262,000 US homes, which is approximately the size of the city of Nashville, Tennessee. Click Read More below for additional detail.

BillerudKorsnäs’ annual and sustainability report for 2018 is now available in pdf at www.billerudkorsnas.com/investors and is attached to this press release. A digital short version of the report, which is also designed for smartphone and tablet, can be found at https://billerudkorsnas.com/investors/highlights-2018. The printed version of the annual and sustainability report will soon be distributed to shareholders and other stakeholders who have requested to receive it. The printed version of the report can also be ordered via ir@billerudkorsnas.com.

We couldn’t have paper and building products without forests. We rely on forests as a company and even more as a community. GP recognizes that forests are beneficial for more than just products that provide financial gain. They also give us clean air, clean water and a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. Responsible and sustainable forest management must be a top priority for companies like us. At GP, we believe there are some forests that should be protected because of their unique or rare qualities. We have a forest mapping program to identify and protect these endangered forest (EF) areas. It starts with a GIS (geographic information system) process designed for GP by the University of Georgia in its Natural Resources Spacial Analysis Lab. Data sets for the forests in our wood procurement basins are gathered and matched against a set of 12 predetermined criteria that are characteristic of endangered forest areas. These data sets are scored, and the scores determine which forests are considered endangered. Click Read More below for additional detail.

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to approve the Human Health Water Quality Criteria for the state of Idaho. EPA Regional Administrator Chris Hladick approved the criteria on April 4. “We applaud EPA’s decision to approve Idaho’s water quality criteria – action that underscores recognition of and respect for Idaho’s consistent application of stringent and conservative criteria to protect all its waters. States with scientifically-based records of environmental stewardship should serve as an example for others and not be subject to federal decisions that ignore the facts on the ground and the primary role for states in implementing the Clean Water Act.”

In celebration of National Wildlife Week, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is announcing it has received a significant and generous donation. J.D. Irving, Limited has donated $1 million to NCC’s national Landmark Campaign. The gift will allow NCC to conserve more habitat for wildlife, complete conservation science and research projects, as well as fund student internships and volunteer programs. “On behalf of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, I would like to express our gratitude to J.D. Irving, Limited for this outstanding contribution,” said John Lounds, President and CEO of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. “I would also like to thank Jim Irving for his leadership for 17 years on NCC’s national fundraising campaigns, past and present. This donation will help NCC protect more habitat and at-risk species, connect more Canadians to nature, and inspire the next generation of conservation leaders.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

The European Parliament has approved a ban on disposable plastic products, bringing the ban one step closer to reality. The ban would affect a wide range of products that have alternatives, such as straws and cutlery. The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in support of a wide-ranging ban on single-use plastics to counter pollution from the discarded items in waterways and fields. The Parliament backed the ban 560-35. EU member states have given their support but need to vote on the measure for it to go into effect. The ban would be implemented from 2021 and would affect a range of plastic products that have reasonable alternatives, such as plastic cutlery, foam takeout food containers, straws and drink stirrers. Click Read More below for additional detail.

By giving economic value to forests, we can enhance our sustainability efforts as well as our business. That was Domtar CEO John D. Williams’ message at a New York University Stern School of Business event in March. NYU’s Center for Sustainable Business hosted leading academics, investors, corporate sustainability executives and nonprofit leaders to discuss how companies assess sustainability ROI (return on investment). “If we don’t have sustainable forests, we have no business,” Williams says. Domtar recognized this years ago, and we were early adopters of sustainability standards and third-party certification. At the event, Emily Chasan, sustainable finance editor at Bloomberg News, asked Williams several questions about how companies can identify, track and monetize sustainability returns driven by innovation, operational efficiency, employee engagement, brand enhancement and risk mitigation, and how those efforts can lead to better decision-making by the C-suite and investors. Click Read More below for additional detail.

For years, through the voice of actor Sam Elliott, Smokey Bear only said five words: “Only you can prevent wildfires,” but the iconic spokes-bear is receiving help from celebrities to expand his fire safety and wildfire prevention message. An new PSA campaign, developed with the U.S. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, the Ad Council, and Interpublic’s FCB, is introducing ads that incorporate the voices of celebrities Stephen Colbert, Al Roker and Jeff Foxworthy with the CGI-animated Smokey to further address fire dangers like burning yard debris. Foxworthy, to that end, riffs on his famous "you might be a redneck" joke, Roker mentions his well-known catchphrase "your neck of the woods," while Colbert plays off his last name—“Col-Bear.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Did you know that a set of stickers attached to a magazine can cause trouble in the recycling process of the paper? UPM businesses joined forces in developing a new adhesive that allows paper labels to become high-quality paper again after being recycled. Sticker attachments have recently seen a rise in popularity. However, the glues used in stickers have caused problems in the paper recycling process. The problem is not a new one but has become more notable as the quantity of sticker material attached to printed products has increased. Enhancing recyclability was a key target when UPM Raflatac, UPM Communication Papers and UPM’s Central European Research Centre joined forces. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Environment Minister Margaret Miller released her decision today, March 29, on the environmental assessment of Northern Pulp’s proposed effluent treatment plant. The minister’s decision is to require the company to submit a focus report that provides more information. “We make our decisions based on science and evidence” said Ms. Miller. “In this case, I require more information to determine the impacts on the environment.” Through the environmental assessment process, the department received comments from government reviewers and more than 900 submissions from the public. The decision and the comments are available at https://novascotia.ca/nse/ea/Replacement_Effluent_Treatment_Facility_Project/. By April 24, the department will give Northern Pulp terms of reference for the focus report and post them on the department website. The company has up to one year from that date to submit the report. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Holmen has taken a new step in its sustainable strategy work. Holmen’s largest forest holdings are located in northern Sweden, while much of its industrial production takes place in the south. To secure its wood supply and add value to its own forest, Holmen is now going to be transporting its wood south on trains from Green Cargo. “With the planned capacity increase at Braviken Sawmill, we’re keen to establish a reliable and constant supply of wood for our own mills while at the same time increase the value of our forest. We’re pleased to be able to use trains to transport wood from our forests in the north to our mills in the south in an environmentally and economically sustainable way,” says Sören Petersson, Senior Vice President Forest. Click Read More below for additional detail.

India has become the latest country to achieve the PEFC endorsement of its national forest certification system. “PEFC endorsement is a landmark achievement for India, as we have long felt the need for such a country specific and internationally benchmarked forest certification system,” said Vijai Sharma, Chairman of The Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF), our national member for India. “Our newly endorsed national system will allow Indian forest managers to further strengthen their sustainable forest management practices, in line with global standards and multilateral requirements.” NCCF joined the PEFC alliance in 2015 and submitted the national system to PEFC for endorsement in 2017. The system was developed through a multi-stakeholder group including forestry professionals, representatives from government, forest corporations, conservation organisations and industry bodies. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Resolute’s Hialeah tissue mill recently received its EcoLogo certification after completing a comprehensive audit process last December. Products bearing the EcoLogo designation are certified for their reduced impact on the environment. The certification also provides assurance to our customers that our products are produced responsibly. EcoLogo is the world’s second oldest environmental standard and certification organization, and the only North American standard approved by the Global Ecolabeling Network as meeting the international ISO 14024 standard for environmental labels. EcoLogo certification is voluntary, and demonstrates that a product has undergone rigorous scientific testing and exhaustive auditing. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Two Sides North America recently released a fact sheet outlining key facts and figures about the environmental sustainability of the North American pulp and paper industry. The information was compiled from over twenty different reports, studies, and sources. Below are some of the highlights of the fact sheet: Forest area is stable to growing in North America. The key causes of deforestation are not forestry, but rather agriculture, urbanization, hydro and other industrial development (ex: oil and gas). Sustainable forestry practices, either voluntarily or through regulation, ensure that the majority of harvested areas are replanted to regenerate forests. Nearly half of the globally certified forests are located in North America. Forest certification based on standards such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council, promotes strong forest management practices which result in economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just outcomes. Many companies in North America comply with these standards and the forest area certified increases annually. Click Read More below for additional detail.

From the beginning of 2019 approximately one third of the nutrients used by UPM Kaukas mill integrate’s biological wastewater treatment plant has been replaced by Kekkilä Recycling Joutseno composting plant’s side stream: reject water rich in nitrogen. The co-operation is another exciting step towards the 2030 target of using only recycled nutrients for wastewater treatment at all UPM sites around the world. Using recycled nutrients is the third commitment UPM has made to the Baltic Sea Action Group, an organisation devoted to protecting the Baltic Sea. UPM Kaukas uses all the nutrients available at the Joutseno composting plant replacing around 4,5 tonnes of nitrogen each month. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Earlier this month, more than 4,700 government officials and business leaders from around the globe gathered for the fourth UN Environment Assembly, to align on decisions regarding its 2030 agenda. While the focus was on solutions for achieving sustainable consumption and production (UN SDG of Responsible consumption and production), a 2018 ScienceDirect study interestingly points to the importance of forests in contributing to the achievement of other SDGs, concluding that “forests and the services they provide are critical to [all other] SDGs and can advance multiple goals simultaneously”. The United Nations proclaimed March 21st the International Day of Forests, with 2019’s theme as Forests and Education. With deforestation being a notable contributor to global warming (responsible for roughly 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions) protecting forests is crucial to lessening the impacts of climate change and to maintaining “healthy, resilient communities and prosperous economies”. Mining the “urban forest” is key to Rolland’s success in limiting our impact on world forests, and central to our three-pillar 2019 Sustainability Strategy of protecting the planet, while supporting people and optimizing our products: Click Read More below for additional detail.

In Finland, there is more forest than ever and forests are growing faster than ever. Despite this, due to climate change, one of the hottest topics in recent months has been preserving forests as carbon sinks through harvesting restrictions. The discussion has become stuck on the smaller details of different scenarios. People tend to forget the big picture. The big picture is that since the emergence of climate awareness, the entirety of Finland’s forests have already been harvested once. In 1990, when climate reporting began, Finnish forests contained 1.9 billion cubic metres of wood, and the same amount was harvested between 1990 and 2017. However, the forests now contain a record 2.5 billion cubic metres of wood. The forests’ increasing growth can mainly be attributed to good forest management. This, in short, means sensible harvesting, without neglecting the importance of ditching and fertilisation. Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPM continues its long-standing co-operation with the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) to prevent eutrophication in the Baltic Sea and in Finnish waters. "Preventing eutrophication requires collaboration between various parties. We are able to utilise nutritious sidestreams from other operators at our biological treatment plants. This way, we can replace nutrients essential to industrial treatment plants and reduce the amount of nutrients ending up into waters at a local level", explains Eerik Ojala, Director, Responsibility, Production support. In 2016, UPM set a responsibility target to use only recycled nutrients at its wastewater treatment plants by 2030. "So far, our work has progressed well: in 2018, already 22 per cent of all nutrients used by us were recycled. In other words, we are utilising nutritious sidestreams from other local operators in our operations", Eerik Ojala clarifies. Click Read More below for additional detail.

As a producer of metal packaging, Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East is acutely aware of its responsibility to ensure as much of its product remains within the circular economy as possible. In the U.K., for example, some nine billion canned drinks are consumed each year – 30% of which are enjoyed on-the-go. However, only 42% of local authorities provide recycling bins in public spaces – a figure that Crown is committed to help increase.

As a major producer of beverage cans for the U.K. market, Crown is dedicated to ensuring it facilitates and encourages the recycling of as much of that packaging as possible. In addition to supporting a wide range of initiatives – such as the Every Can Counts programme and the Metal Recycles Forever mark – Crown purchases Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) to comply with U.K. packaging waste regulations, the proceeds going towards the recycling infrastructure. Crown recently partnered with Ecosurety to support the “Leeds by Example” initiative in Leeds, U.K., run by the environmental behaviour change charity, Hubbub. The organization’s research showed that the city did not provide on-the-go recycling options for food and beverage packaging. As a consequence, the amount of food and drink packaging placed into general waste bins on the streets of Leeds city centre could fill a 20-foot shipping container every three days. Click Read More below for additional detail.

This World Water Day we wanted to share the efforts of J.D. Irving, Limited to conserve and protect the water that is home to many different species. Throughout our woodlands we have over 27,000 KM (almost 17,000 miles) of protective buffers around lakes and rivers. This is in addition to many conservation efforts with universities and environmental groups. Working with Nature Conservancy of Canada the Tusket River Headwaters have been protected as one of the largest private conservation projects ever in Atlantic Canada. Since then, JDI has worked with local stakeholders and partners to manage and steward this site. Click Read More below for additional detail.

In line with United Nations'World Water Day 2019 theme, "leaving no one behind," Kimberly-Clark is pursuing a global initiative to help communities develop sustainable water management plans for watersheds at risk, using an innovative, web-based analytical tool. The maker of trusted brands including Huggies, Cottonelle and Kotex has partnered with Deltares, an independent institute for applied research in the field of water, to develop WaterLOUPE, a dashboard which visualizes water scarcity risks for an entire watershed as well as specific sectors and sub-groups, such as industrial users, farmers and households. Kimberly-Clark is using the dashboard to raise stakeholder awareness of local water risks and to encourage collaboration between government, business, communities and NGOs to preserve freshwater resources. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced 15 community grants today featuring collaboration between 78 partner organizations. The grants will help communities across the United States and Canada grow their relationship with forests and improve their quality of life. Through these grants, SFI is bringing together a diverse range of organizations to engage and educate youth; train and educate current and future practitioners; support and promote Indigenous, Tribal and Heritage values; and support underserved communities through forestry. Grant project leaders include conservation organizations, environmental education providers, forest-sector non-profit organizations and community and Indigenous groups. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Leading British recycler calls on government to prioritise immediate action as recycling gap threatens to impact UK homes. DS Smith, a leading international packaging provider, has today published new research, in conjunction with Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, showing that the UK will fall short of its 2035 recycling targets by more than a decade1. The Tipping Point report outlines new consumer behaviours which are compounding the recycling challenges the UK is facing, including the rapid adoption of e-commerce and therefore the exponential growth in the delivery of packages. The UK is now the third largest B2C e-commerce market in the world, with around 18% of all retail sales in the UK now made online2. The reality is that 1.9 billion parcels – and the corresponding required packaging – are currently delivered directly to doors across the UK annually3. Within 10 years the number of parcels will have grown by over 50%4. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Each year on March 21, we celebrate the International Day of Forests to raise awareness of the importance of sustainably managed forests. You’ve probably heard many common myths about the pulp and paper industry’s effect on forests, but the truth is that sustainable forestry practices are instrumental (not detrimental) to the health and vitality of our precious forest resources. At Domtar, we understand that the more valuable trees become, the more our environment and the forestry industry will flourish. That’s why our commitment to sustainably managed forests has never been stronger. We help ensure continued viability of the forestry industry for decades to come. Thanks to innovations we’re developing every day, we believe there’s more potential than ever for trees to change the world by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and the amount of harmful plastics getting into landfills and oceans. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Humanity is more aware than ever of its own impacts on the environment, given increased exposure to information in a modern media landscape. The most recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) numbers revealed that Americans produce over four pounds of trash per day, per person. Increasingly, consumers are concerned with living more mindfully and sustainably where possible. As evidenced in a 2018 report by Nielsen, 81 per cent of global consumers surveyed feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment. With media reports attesting to the impact of synthetic materials on our planet (for example with the growing Great Pacific Garbage Patch), consumers have expressed concern with the overuse of synthetics in our day to day lives. Many businesses globally have pledged to lessen their environmental impact by reducing the use of non-renewable materials in their products, including companies like Samsung, Wal Mart, and Ikea. Click Read More below for additional detail.

SCA’s positive trend with increasingly less damage to ancient and cultural remains has continued. The target is zero damage to remains during site preparation and final harvesting operations. “We are moving steadily towards our zero-damage target,” says Anna Cabrajic, forest ecologist at SCA. In 2016, SCA launched an action plan with the goal that no known or registered archaeological or cultural remains would be damaged by forestry operations. The most serious damage is caused by driving over remains during soil scarification and final harvesting operations. In 2018, the total rate of damage was 10.7%, of which 4.8% was caused by site preparation operations. In 2017, the corresponding figures were 23% and 10%, respectively. Click Read More below for additional detail.

DS Smith, the leading provider of sustainable packaging solutions, and energy provider E.ON have today announced the signing of a major agreement to construct a state-of-the-art combined heat and power (CHP) facility at Kemsley Paper Mill in Kent. The facility will replace the existing CHP and extend E.ON’s partnership at the site with DS Smith for the next 20 years. The facility has been specifically designed to set the standards in efficiency, sustainability and reliability. The new plant will enable a carbon reduction of 36,000 tonnes per year. This is the equivalent of 30,000 medium-sized cars driving over 6000 miles1 a year. Once complete, it will have an electrical capacity of c75MW, generating steam and power for DS Smith’s production processes at its flagship Kemsley Mill site. Click Read More below for additional detail.

On 14th of March, Mondi confirmed its four ambitious commitments as part of its efforts to eliminate plastics waste and thereby contribute to a better world. Mondi first started collaborating with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2017, and joined the New Plastics Economy initiative in 2018 to work towards eliminating plastic pollution and creating 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging by 2025. Peter Oswald, said: “We believe all packaging must be ‘fit for purpose’: paper where possible, plastic when useful. Paper is the packaging material of choice as it is naturally compostable and a renewable resource, not just recyclable. Mondi, as the world’s leading producer of kraft paper and paper bags, has many innovative solutions to reduce plastic waste." Click Read More below for additional detail.

Stora Enso has joined the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to eliminate plastic waste and pollution at the source. The Global Commitment and its vision for a circular economy for plastic is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with UN Environment. For Stora Enso, signing the commitment is another step to combat the global problem of plastic pollution by providing renewable alternatives. Stora Enso will contribute by cooperating with customers and suppliers to develop circular and low carbon solutions to replace plastic packaging. The materials are based on wood fibres from sustainably managed forests and plantations. This commitment is an example of the increasing demand for alternatives to plastic, also demonstrated by the EU’s recent policy on single-use plastics. Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPM Raflatac is proud to announce the ambitious commitments it is making to reduce unnecessary plastic packaging as a signatory to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. UPM Raflatac is the only label supplier among the more than 350 organisations announcing commitments, which include many of the world's largest packaging producers, brands, retailers, recyclers, governments and NGOs. "As the world's most sustainable labeling company and a packaging solutions provider, we know collaboration for sustainability is critical. That is why we joined with other leaders in signing the Ellen MacArthur Foundation New Plastics Economy Global Commitment," says Robert Taylor, Sustainability Director, UPM Raflatac. "This is one of the most important steps we have taken as a company to develop more circular solutions for plastic packaging." Click Read More below for additional detail.

TC Transcontinental takes a bold step in becoming the first Canadian-based manufacturer to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. TC Transcontinental is pledging, by 2025, for 100% of its plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable and to achieve a 10% use of post-consumer recycled content on average by weight across all plastics in its product basket. Additionally, the Corporation commits to collaborating towards increasing reuse, recycling and composting rates for plastic in the communities where it operates. Ever since TC Transcontinental adopted its first environmental policy in 1993, the Corporation has demonstrated proven leadership in conducting its business responsibly. Throughout its transformation and steadfast growth in packaging, TC Transcontinental remains driven by its unwavering commitment towards sustainability. Click Read More below for additional detail.

SCS Global Services (SCS) is pleased to announce that it is now offering chain of custody certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Chain of Custody Standard. SFI is a leading, credible certification in North America for responsible forest products. This new service offering leverages SCS as a one-stop shop for the wood and paper industries, providing clients with increased efficiency for dual and triple chain of custody certification to the major three forest sustainability standards. SCS is also currently undergoing accreditation for, and will soon be offering certification services for SFI Forest Management and SFI Fiber Sourcing Standards. “SFI is pleased that SCS Global Services is now an accredited certification body that can deliver certification to the SFI Chain of Custody Standard. We appreciate SCS’ commitment to our efforts to promote the value of sustainably managed forests across the U.S. and Canada,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Auditors from around Southeast Asia are invited to join our Chain of Custody auditor training session, with a special focus on the Due Diligence System (DDS) for sourcing from smallholders. The training takes place in Yangon, Myanmar, 2-3 May, with an optional field trip and demonstration audit on 4 May. Sign up now! The training costs USD350/person for all three days (including field trip). This includes lunch and training material. The training will be in English. You will receive a certificate of attendance after successful completion of the course. Register for the training! Registration deadline is 25 April 2019. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Those figures get worse for millennials – the demographic driving the boom in food delivery ­– with 66% of 18-24 year olds not realising that food packaging tainted with food or an excess of grease can’t be put into the recycling bin (against 34% who knew). Considering that Domino’s sold over half a million pizzas in just one night last December, that’s potentially a lot of cardboard that cannot be recycled. According to the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), empty pizza boxes are fully recyclable, as long as there are no food residues. They add that if more than 50% of the packaging is heavily stained, it may be better suited for other options. Similarly, The Recycling Association say that official guidelines allows stained pizza boxes to be collected and recycled via the municipal waste stream, but food particles are not permissible. To help the problem, Deliveroo have produced 100,000 biodegradable greaseproof paper inserts for the pizza restaurants that use its service. These inserts will catch any food left from the pizza and prevent excess amounts of grease soaking into the base of the box. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The latest results from the off-road vehicle test carried out at Vuosaari Harbour, Helsinki, confirm that renewable UPM BioVerno diesel reduces tailpipe emissions. The test in the Vuosaari Harbour focused on measuring the tailpipe emissions of a Volvo wheel loader. Both the nitrogen oxide and particle emissions were around 10% less when compared to a fossil reference fuel. "The average load of the wheel loader during the test was low. Heavier load would have produced more particles, and there would probably have been greater reduction in particle emissions while using the renewable diesel," estimates Nils-Olof Nylund, Senior Advisor at VTT, the VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland. Click read more below for additional detail.

Last week, both Premier Stephen McNeil and Progressive Conservative leader Tim Houston had an opportunity to debate the future of the forestry sector. Lacking in the conversation was discussion regarding providing Northern Pulp with a short extension to complete its new wastewater treatment facility. “It needs to be said: without Northern Pulp there can be no plan B that does not include massive job losses,” states Jean Francois Guillot, Vice President Operations East with Paper Excellence Canada, owner of Northern Pulp. “The forestry sector’s future was discussed in the legislature last week, but no one discussed a short extension for our wastewater treatment facility.” “Without a short extension, we will be forced by the government to cease operating and that will cost jobs throughout rural Nova Scotia.” Northern Pulp’s new wastewater treatment facility will ensure no untreated wastewater ever leaves the site and will then continue our practice of releasing treated wastewater into the Northumberland Strait. Click read more below for additional detail.

With 26 power-generating dams over its length, the Wisconsin River lives up to its billing as one of America’s hardest working rivers. However, there is growing concern about algal growth — specifically green and blue-green algae — in Wisconsin’s waterways. Much of the algal growth is attributed to high nutrient levels in the water. The vast majority of these nutrients come from nonpoint sources, such as fertilizer runoff from agriculture and contamination from developed urban areas, that eventually reach the river. This is the opposite of a point source, such as our Nekoosa Mill, which returns effluent (or treated wastewater) into the river via a large pipe. While the regulatory path to control nonpoint sources is unclear, Wisconsin has strict regulations that apply to point sources. As concern over algal growth increases, the state has proposed a requirement for point sources to reduce phosphorous levels in effluent by 80 percent or more. That is where our ‘bugs’ come in. Click read more below for additional detail.

This spring, UPM will begin a transplantation project of rare and threatened wood-inhabiting fungi in co-operation with Natural Resources Institute Finland and the University of Helsinki. The aim of the project is to accelerate the reintroduction of species inhabiting deadwood to forests by planting these fungi to deadwood concentrations in the company forests. The project advances UPM's target to improve the biodiversity of the company forests in Finland. Increasing deadwood is a key method for achieving this target. "This is a completely new and a globally unique way to protect biodiversity", says Timo Lehesvirta, Sustainable Forestry Lead at UPM. Volume of decaying wood is the biggest difference affecting to forest species between sites reserved for wood production and natural forests. A quarter, i.e. approximately 5000, of forest species in Finland live on deadwood. Most of them are fungi and insect species. "The mycelia of fungi are grown in petri dishes. The mycelia are transplanted onto wooden pegs planted during the growing season to naturally developed deadwood and to deadwood made for the project", says Timo Lehesvirta. Click read more below for additional detail.

The boiler at the heart of Georgia‐Pacific's Broadway mill in Green Bay, Wisconsin, arrived by barge on the banks of the Fox River more than four years ago. Designed to replace the company's largest coal‐fired unit, the new natural‐gas boiler has dramatically reduced emissions from the manufacturing process, and the surrounding community and environment are seeing the benefits. Sulfur dioxide, or SO2, is a natural byproduct of burning coal, which was needed to produce energy in making everyday household products such as Angel Soft® tissue, Quilted Northern® tissue, and Sparkle® paper towels. Cross‐discipline teams from operations, engineering, environmental, safety, and procurement working together at GP facilities across the country have driven a collective 59 percent reduction in SO2 emissions (nearly 30,000 tons) over the last 5 years, with goals for more reductions. Click read more below for additional detail.

Was timber a key material in one of your construction projects? Did you choose wood for its many aesthetic, natural and architectural properties, or simply because it is the only renewable building material? If yes, you can enter your project for a World Architecture Festival prize! For the second time, PEFC is sponsoring the WAF Best Use of Certified Timber Prize, rewarding architects and project teams for their use of certified timber as a main construction material for buildings outstanding in sustainability, innovation, quality or aesthetics. “We sponsored the prize for the first time last year and were very pleased with the quality and diversity of the entries,” said Fabienne Sinclair, Head of Marketing at PEFC International. “We are excited to see what projects will be submitted this year.” Click read more below for additional detail.

Keep Me Posted (KMP) is a global advocacy campaign working for the right of every consumer to choose, free of charge, how they receive important information from their service providers – on paper or electronically. Overseen by Two Sides North America, the KMP North America campaign will focus on educating and challenging corporations that are removing consumer choice and charging fees for paper. KMP has continued to grow its partnerships with consumer groups in both the United States and Canada. Partners include a diverse set of advocacy groups including the Coalition for Paper Options, Consumer Action, Haven Neighborhood Services, Montana Organizing Project, National Consumers League, Public Interest Advocacy Centre, and The National Grange. The coalition will work to protect the consumer’s right to choose between paper and digital communications. Click read more below for additional detail.

An investigation by Two Sides has found over 40% of local councils to be using unsubstantiated and misleading environmental claims about printed communication. Following an increasing number of individual “Greenwash” cases involving local councils being reported to Two Sides, an investigation was undertaken to identify the scale of misleading claims made by local government. An analysis of a random sample of 100 local councils found 42 to be making unsubstantiated claims about printed communication being bad for the environment. Misleading statements are being used by many of the UK’s largest councils: •“The paperless billing system… is better for the environment and saves money on postage and paper.” Birmingham City Council (1,137,100 residents) •“E-Billing is the fast, efficient, environmentally friendly way to receive your bills.” Liverpool City Council (491,500 residents) •“E-bills are more environmentally friendly as there is no paper or printing. Cardiff Council (362,756 residents). Click read more below for additional detail.

Aragotruf is dedicated to the cultivation of truffles in all its stages – from the plant nursery where we prepare trees for producing the precious mushrooms, until the production, transformation and commercialisation of the black truffle and other truffle products. The family company is based in Graus in the Huesca province, one of the main truffle areas of Spain. From the beginning, we have been committed to the sustainability of the environment in which we grew up and live. Our work allows economic, social and environmental development that values the characteristics of our surroundings. Click read more below for additional detail.

SCA is for the first time reporting the company’s impact on the climate as part of its Annual Report, to be published on February 27. At a seminar in Stockholm, SCA reported the positive effect on the climate from forest growth and substitution, as well as the climate impact of its operations. The net effect is positive and is equivalent to the total of emissions from road freight and domestic air travel in Sweden. During a seminar at the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry on Monday, February 25, SCA reported the climate effect of its operations for some 100 seminar participants, including people in the fields of research, policymaking, government agencies and media. Click read more below for additional detail.

Paper manufacturers encourage forest sustainability through their purchase and use of certified wood fiber and by promoting sustainable forest management policies and practices at home and around the globe. By providing a dependable market for responsibly grown fiber, the paper industry encourages landowners to manage their forestland instead of selling it for development or other non-forest uses.², ³ • Net forest area in the U.S. has been stable since the early 1900’s and has increased from 754 to 766 million acres between 2005 and 2015. Net volume of growing stock increased by over 10% between 2005 and 2015.4 Canada’s forest area of 857 million acres has been quite stable over the past 25 years.5 • Each year forests in the U.S. and Canada grow significantly more wood than is harvested. In the U.S., average net annual increase in growing-stock trees nationwide is about 26 billion ft³.6 In 2015, Canada harvested just over 5.6 billion ft3 of timber, well below the estimated sustainable wood supply level of 7.98 billion ft³.7 Click read more below for additional detail.

Consumers and public and CoC Video 2private organizations are increasingly requesting forest products from sustainably managed forests. But how can they be sure about the origin of the products they buy? The answer is PEFC Chain of Custody certification. PEFC forest certification demonstrates that forests are sustainably managed. But there are many steps of processing before a product reaches consumers. Click read more below for additional detail.

The forest industry is currently mobilizing for a unique project to promote a more low-impact approach to forestry. Komatsu Forest, SCA and the entire forest industry will collaborate to investigate the possibility of developing a low-impact machine, the benefits of which would include less driving damage in the forest. The project involves developing a new generation of forestry machines for more sustainable and low-impact forestry. The idea is to develop a machine that, with low ground pressure, causes less driving damage in the forest and improved driver comfort, at the same time as productivity can increase and there is a more even flow of timber for industry over the year. The participants in the project are: SCA, Holmen, Sveaskog, Norra Skogsägarna, Södra, Mellanskog, Norrskog, Bergvik, Stora Enso, Billerud Korsnäs and Komatsu Forest. Click read more below for additional detail.

UPM supports the academy program of Plant-for-the-Planet, a charitable foundation that wants to contribute to climate protection. The foundation plants trees and organises children academies to promote sustainable thinking and environmental awareness. "In the academies children educate each other as amabssadors for climate justice. They learn concretely how the climate crisis threatens their future and the lives of people worldwide and develop their own actions for their future in groups. Furthermore, they also practice their presentation skills as a core competence for school and everyday life," explains Lisa Kohn, Public Relations, Plant-for-the-Planet. Click read more below for additional detail.

American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman thanked Congress for reaffirming that federal regulatory policy should reflect the carbon neutrality of forest-based renewable biomass. Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations legislation, which passed the House and Senate, contains legislative language to that effect. “We thank our bipartisan Congressional champions for advancing a measure that recognizes long-standing scientific principles and appropriately reflects the paper and wood products industry’s use of carbon neutral biomass for energy production. We are one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the nation and deserve clear public policy that supports our ability to grow the economy, create American manufacturing jobs and stay in step with global competition. We look forward to working with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the United States Department of Agriculture to fully implement this Congressional directive.”

Pratt is America’s 5th largest corrugated packaging company and the world’s largest, privately-held 100% recycled paper and packaging company, with more than 8000 highly-skilled, green-collar employees dedicated to the environment and sustainability. We have a commitment to creating quality green jobs and engaging in the communities where we live and work. Our #1 focus is customer satisfaction. We specialize in building long and profitable partnerships, and we recognize that in order to make our customers happy, our employees and the communities we serve must be happy too. We are pleased to make available our summary of labor practices and accomplishments which we carry into 2019 and beyond! Paramount to our operations is the safety of our workforce. Pratt’s ongoing commitment in this arena includes investment in the most advanced and innovative technology available, coupled with on-going training and preparedness of our employees. Click read more below for additional detail.

Metsä Group is establishing a new demonstration site, called Nemus Futurum, to showcase sustainable forest and nature management in Finland in a way that provides visitors with a unique experience. The guided experience, taking place in the forests surrounding Kirkniemi Manor, combines nature, science and cutting-edge technology. At Nemus Futurum, visitors are given extensive information on best practices in managing different kinds of forests. Relying partly on augmented reality technology, the different forest environments are linked to globally topical sustainability themes, from climate change to biodiversity. Click read more below for additional detail.

The Home Depot® has been highlighted as a global leader on corporate climate action and continues to pursue its sustainability goals with new renewable energy initiatives in 2019. CDP, an environmental impact non-profit, has named The Home Depot to its Climate Change "A" List for its actions to cut carbon emissions and mitigate climate risks. Every year, thousands of companies disclose data about their environmental impacts to CDP for independent assessment and receive scores of A to D- for how effectively they are tackling climate change. Click read more below for additional detail.

Sealed Air Corporation announced they have joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a new global organization comprised of nearly 30 companies to date making a five-year commitment to invest $1.5 billion in solutions to help eliminate plastic waste in the environment. “The Alliance brings together key members across the value chain, from materials suppliers to waste management companies, to jointly develop solutions that minimize and manage plastic waste, as well as promote means to use waste plastics in a circular economy,” said Ted Doheny, Sealed Air President and CEO. “Our increased investments in innovation, including collaborations with partners such as the Alliance, will help us accelerate progress toward our 2025 sustainability goals.” Click read more below for additional detail.

The Finnish Parliament has yesterday 6 February 2019 approved a law that sets a gradually increasing 30% biofuels target for 2030. Furthermore, the law sets a world-leading advanced biofuels target of 10% in 2030. UPM welcomes the Finnish government's ambition to take transport decarbonisation seriously: "UPM is a leading producer of advanced biofuels as defined by the EU Renewable Energy Directive, and we consider this move by Finland as a bold step forward in setting concrete measures for transport decarbonisation," says Sari Mannonen, Vice President, UPM Biofuels. UPM produces wood-based UPM BioVerno renewable diesel at the Lappeenranta Biorefinery in Finland. Click read more below for additional detail.

The state of the province’s forestry sector is grim unless the McNeil government provides a short extension for the completion of Northern Pulp’s Wastewater Treatment Project. “We are ready and willing to see this project through,” said Kathy Cloutier, Director of Corporate Communications for Paper Excellence Canada. “Without a short extension, thousands of jobs throughout the province are at risk.” “We just need a little bit more time.” The proposed plan would mean untreated wastewater will no longer leave the Northern Pulp site prior to being treated and released into the Northumberland Strait. Click read more below for additional detail.

Forestry is to become more digital so the forest can be utilized in a more efficient and sustainable manner. This is SCA’s position and other players in the forest industry who are now launching the joint research program Mistra Digital Forest. Accessibility to major digital information flows is rapidly increasing and is creating new opportunities. By linking together the information flows, the forest industry can improve the efficiency and the added value of the forest at the same time as contributing to greater sustainability through more considerate forest operations. The Mistra Digital Forest research program will therefore focus on the digitalization of the entire forest value chain. “We consider this a very exciting and interesting project that is looking to the future. We can now become even more efficient in the way we use the forest and contribute to a more sustainable society,” says Magnus Bergman, head of technology and operational development at SCA, and continues: “We already work with many digital solutions, but this project offers the potential to form a closer link between the requirements of our sawmills and our method of calculating the optimal way of using the timber. The digital information gives us more opportunity to simplify work processes and provides better support to our machine operators. Click read more below for additional detail.

The chemical industry is faced with enormous challenges in meeting the climate goals set by the European Commission and growing sustainability expectations. Firstly, fossil energy must be further reduced. Secondly, product sustainability must be improved, both during the product’s use and at the end of its lifespan. Last but not least, resource efficiency must be improved, raw material consumption decreased, and ecologically harmful loss pathways must be minimised through the advancement of a stringent circular economy. However, something inextricably linked with the above challenges is oftentimes ignored: The chemical industry can only become a sustainable sector once it bids farewell for good to fossil raw materials such as crude oil, natural gas and coal, and uses nothing but renewable carbon as a raw material in organic chemistry. Click read more below for additional detail.

Metsä Board Corporation has been recognised by CDP for its leadership in developing supplier engagement to tackle climate change and manage carbon emissions. CDP, a non-profit global environmental disclosure platform, has awarded Metsä Board a coveted position on its third annual Supplier Engagement Rating leader board. The leader board comprises of companies from around the world that have been specifically identified as leaders in their efforts and actions to manage carbon emissions and address climate-related issues across their supply chains in the past CDP-reporting year. This recognition further builds upon Metsä Board’s recent achievement of being placed on the 2018 CDP A list for both climate change and water security. Metsä Board also scored A- in the CDP’s Forest programme. Click read more below for additional detail.

Several brands including Procter and Gamble Company, Unilever, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo recently announced their plan to participate in TerraCycle’s Loop Program that develops circular solutions for hard-to-recycle products and packaging. These companies have all agreed to distribute more products in reusable packaging in place of their current one-time-use, disposable packaging. The goal of Loop is to “provide materials to a company that can be used as a sustainable alternative to virgin materials; using less crude oil and instead utilizing a material that would normally be sent to landfill.” Read more about this innovative program at TerraCycle.com and find out more about how you can participate as a consumer at LoopStore.com. Click read more below for additional detail.

We are pleased to announce that the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the American Forest Foundation (AFF) have formed a new partnership to grow the amount of certified family and other small holdings in North America. Through this partnership, SFI and AFF are working together on a Small Lands Group Certification Module (Module), an innovative way to grow certified family lands and small holdings by building on the foundation of SFI's Fiber Sourcing Standard, and drawing on the strengths of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) forest management standard. Under this Small Lands Module, companies certified to the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard will be able to form a new type of certification group to certify small lands within their wood and fiber supply area. Click read more below for additional detail.

The investments of recent years have had a positive effect on both the levels of energy use and CO2 emissions at the Laakirchen paper mill. This improvement is demonstrated clearly by the Paper and Carbon Profiles, which represent the established method within the industry of showing environmental impact and provide an overview of the relevant parameters. Moreover, Laakirchen Papier AG voluntarily commissioned Quality Austria to undertake an examination of these calculations. During 2017, Laakirchen Papier completed a variety of reconstruction and extension measures, in the course of which the raw material used was switched from primary to secondary fibres. This change has contributed greatly to a reduction in the electricity requirement and CO2 emissions during the production of SC paper (product name “Grapho”) to levels that are considerably lower than those prior to the reconstruction and expansion work. Click read more below for additional detail.

Between 2005 and 2015, U.S. forests grew by the equivalent of 2,740 NFL football fields each day. That’s a total of almost 1.3 million acres a year! In the U.S., we grow many more trees than we harvest. In fact, there are 20% more trees today than there were on the first Earth Day Celebration in 1970. Yet, our nation consumes more paper products than many parts of the world. How can this be? It turns out that consumption of paper and other wood products, along with sustainable forest management, is essential to maintaining this growth. Click read more below for additional detail.

Government regulation can be a blessing or a burden. In every case, it’s the result of a public process. In contrast, says Domtar CEO John D. Williams, too many of today’s extra-governmental, voluntary programs — shadow regulations — fall short of this process. Shadow regulations are built on opaque algorithms and are of nebulous value, and they threaten the very transparency that legitimate sustainability regulations are supposed to advance. Recently, Williams spoke to the Charlotte Economics Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, to highlight our commitment to sustainable manufacturing as well as his concern about organizations that solicit and aggregate corporate data and rate companies without transparency or a remedy for inaccuracies. Click read more below for additional detail.

Greif, Inc. announced that it was awarded an A- score for environmental leadership by the non-profit organization CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project). CDP operates a global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage the impact they make on the environment. The A- Leadership distinction outpaces the overall average of a B- score, along with the North America regional average of C on a scale from A to F. "We are thrilled that our efforts in environmental sustainability have been recognized by the CDP," said Pete Watson, Greif's president and chief executive officer. "Environmental impact and management both factor strongly into the decisions we make as a company in the present and with our future strategy. We will continue to enhance our standing as a leader in environmental stewardship." Click read more below for additional detail.

Illegal logging and the international trade in illicitly harvested timber is a serious crime estimated to account for 15-30% of all timber traded1. It is most prevalent and persistent in tropical forest areas worldwide. Illegal logging undermines the legal trade in forest products by depressing prices, contributes to national and global insecurity by spreading corruption and funding militias, affects the health, safety, and livelihoods of communities, and is responsible for deforestation, habitat loss, species extinction, contributions to global warming. It is arguably the greatest and most vexing challenge faced by those seeking to preserve working forests, particularly in tropical regions. Click read more below for additional detail.

The Navigator Company has been rated as a global leader on corporate climate action by environmental impact non-profit CDP, achieving a place on the CDP Climate Change A List. Diogo da Silveira, CEO of The Navigator Company said that "We are proud of this international recognition from CDP and our aim is to go even further: be a Carbon Neutral Company by 2035". The Navigator Company has been recognized for its actions in the last reporting year to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy, based on its 2018 disclosure to CDP. Click read more below for additional detail.

UPS announced the company has been highlighted as a global leader for its corporate climate action efforts by CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project). “It’s rewarding to see UPS’s efforts to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy being recognized,” said Tamara Barker, chief sustainability officer at UPS and vice president of environmental affairs. “UPS will continue to look for ways to lessen its environmental impacts as it’s important for companies to step up to do their part.” Click read more below for additional detail.

Metsä Board has once again been highlighted as a global leader in corporate sustainability by CDP, a non-profit global environmental disclosure platform, by achieving a place on the CDP A List for both climate change and water security. This is the fourth consecutive year that the company has been included on the CDP Water A List and the third consecutive year on the CDP Climate A List. Metsä Board also scored A- in the CDP’s Forest programme. Metsä Board is among the top 27 companies placed on the global Water A List. This achievement is in recognition of Metsä Board’s actions in the last reporting year to manage water more sustainably. Additionally, Metsä Board is among the top 126 of companies featured on the global Climate A List. This positioning is a recognition for the company’s activities in cutting emissions, mitigating climate risks and developing the low-carbon economy. In 2018, over 7,000 companies disclosed through CDP. Click read more below for additional detail.

UPM has been ranked on the 23rd place in the list of 100 most sustainable corporations by the Corporate Knights, the Canadian-based media and research company. UPM is the only company listed in the Paper and Forest Products category. On the same date the company is also highlighted as a global leader on the CDP Forest A List. Corporate Knights analysed some 7,500 companies with revenues more than USD 1 billion. The Global 100 Index use determined quantitative sustainability indicators, including carbon productivity (revenue-to-tonne-CO2 ratio), the percentage of taxes paid and board gender diversity, for example. 50 per cent of each company's score measures the percentage of revenues earned from products and services that have environmental or well-defined social benefits. Click read more below for additional detail.

Stora Enso has been top-rated in combatting global warming by the international non-profit organisation CDP, which works to build a sustainable global economy. CDP has included Stora Enso on its new 2018 Climate A List, which identifies the global companies that are taking leadership in climate action. “We are proud of this recognition of our long-term work to reduce our emissions,” says Noel Morrin, EVP Sustainability at Stora Enso. “For over a decade we have been actively reducing the energy intensity of our operations and our dependence on fossil fuels. In December 2017, Stora Enso became the first forest products company to set ambitious science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout our value chain.” Click read more below for additional detail.

2019 is a very special year for the PEFC family as together we celebrate our 20th anniversary. Before the birth of PEFC, forest certification was designed primarily for large-scale forest owners, managing huge areas of land and able to shoulder the burden of certification. But this meant the millions of small-, family and community forest owners were shut out, unable to afford a certification that was not created for them. It was back in 1999 when European small-forest owners came together to create an international forest certification system that had their needs at heart. On 30 June 1999, PEFC was created! “Having no certification system suitable for smallholders was a serious issue back in the 90s,” said Ben Gunneberg, the CEO of PEFC International since the very beginning. “Not only for the many small-forest owners that could not benefit from certification, but also for the world.” Click read more below for additional detail.

Bloomberg, Cox Enterprises, Gap Inc., Salesforce, and Workday, with guidance from LevelTen Energy and its renewable energy procurement platform, closed 42.5 megawatts of a 100 megawatt North Carolina solar project by global renewable energy developer, service provider and wholesaler, BayWa r.e. This group of companies, coming together as the Corporate Renewable Energy Aggregation Group, is the first example of companies aggregating similar, relatively small amounts of renewable energy demand to collaboratively enter into a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA), collectively acting as the anchor tenant for a large offsite renewable energy project. The unprecedented coordination between five international businesses lays the groundwork for other corporates to procure renewable energy cooperatively, maximizing value and reducing risk. The five members of the group, with support from the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3) and the Business Renewables Center (BRC), began collaborating in late 2017. Many potential renewable energy purchasers have historically been faced with a key problem: businesses looking to procure smaller energy loads have been unable to contract directly with large offsite renewable energy projects due to limited energy demand. This has so far restricted business’s ability to catalyze the development of new renewable energy projects. To solve this problem, the group evaluated several mechanisms for aggregating smaller amounts of renewable energy demand to afford them the collective buying power that is typically necessary to contract directly with a large offsite renewable energy project. Click read more below for additional detail.

PEFC invites stakeholders globally to nominate candidates for the Certification Body Requirements for Chain of Custody Revision Working Group and for our newly established permanent Sustainable Forest Management Working Group. The nomination deadline is 6 February 2019. Please ensure that your nomination represents one or more of the five stakeholder categories below: -Certified PEFC scheme users: forest owners and managers; forest based industry (processing and trade) (max. 5). -Uncertified PEFC scheme users: PEFC scheme assessors; certification bodies; accreditation bodies; consultants (max. 5). -Customers and consumers: retailer organizations; consumer organizations; institutional consumers of forest based products, including governments (max. 5). -Civil society: science, environmental, social and other interest groups (max. 5). -PEFC National Governing Body members (max. 5). Click read more below for additional detail.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) is pleased to name Melina Gerosa Bellows as SFI’s Chief Education Officer. She oversees the overall strategy and implementation of initiatives under SFI's Education pillar. Prior to joining SFI, Bellows worked at National Geographic for 17 years, where she created and launched the award-winning National Geographic Kids brand and served as Chief Education Officer overseeing all of the children's businesses. Bellows is also a best-selling author and an award-winning freelance writer and blogger. “Melina is a visionary leader who believes in the power of words and education to transform lives and the world we all share. Her ability to reach and inspire youth, combined with SFI’s rapidly growing presence in the education space is going to have a huge impact on the next generation and how they care for forests,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. Click read more below for additional detail.

Berry Global Group, Inc. proudly announces they have joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as a founding member. This new organization is currently comprised of 27 companies and is making an initial five-year, $1.5 billion commitment to invest in solutions to eliminate plastic waste in the environment. “This Alliance is different from other organizations in that it spans the value chain. Brand owners, plastic resin producers, chemical companies, converters like ourselves, as well as waste management companies and recyclers, all aligned towards a common goal of how we ultimately end plastic waste,” said Tom Salmon, Chairman and CEO of Berry Global Group, Inc. In addition to the Company’s efforts with the Alliance, Berry also partners with key organizations to encourage recycling as well as internal efforts to improve product recyclability and increase offerings with recycled content. Click read more below for additional detail.

Hydropower is clean and renewable, but harnessing energy from running water can disrupt aquatic ecosystems. New solutions are being tested to help restore fish stocks. While the sun and wind can be unpredictable, hydropower is an emission-free, renewable method of generating electricity that comes with an added advantage: it is rapidly adjustable. There is no debating that hydropower plants have had a significant effect on migratory fish stocks, as they create obstructions that prevent fish from returning to their home stream for spawning. In certain locations, stocks have collapsed to an endangered level. Finland has adopted a National Fish Passage Strategy prioritising the restoration of the natural reproductive cycle of migratory fish in harnessed waterways. This government programme has seen an additional EUR 8 million in funding allocated for the restoration of fish stocks. Collaborative projects have already been completed in ten different river systems. Restoring fish stocks and preserving biodiversity is a long-term effort requiring committed work for many years into the future. Click read more below for additional detail.

We have updated our training schedule with two options for online update trainings in March, each held on two half days. Experienced auditors that need to attend a PEFC recognized training can sign up for one of those online trainings. One will be held on 6 and 7 March 2019, both days from 13:30 - 17:00 CET, the other one on 13 and 14 March 2019 from 9:00 - 12:30 CET. The fee for each of the trainings is CHF 500. The online training is a form of blended learning. You will do an online case study exercise in preparation for the online classroom training. The training will update you on PEFC activities, key elements of the PEFC Chain of Custody standard and discussion of the case study exercise. You will receive a certificate of attendance after successful completion of the course. With this certificate you can demonstrate compliance with the PEFC training requirements. Click read more below for additional detail.

EcoVadis is the leading system for evaluating and rating global corporations’ suppliers, and has conducted over 45 000 assessments in 150 countries. Companies using EcoVadis’ services include Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, L’Oréal and Heineken. “We’ve been working hard for some time on integrating sustainability issues into all aspects of our business instead of viewing them as separate issues. This is one of many testaments that Holmen and our paperboard mills have a very strong sustainability profile,” said Elin Swedlund, sustainability manager at the Holmen Group. Both Iggesund Mill and its sister facility in Workington were assigned Gold Standard, the highest rating. This means both paperboard mills are among the top one per cent of all companies assessed by EcoVadis, and among the top two per cent of paper industry companies assessed. Click read more below for additional detail.

Do you prefer to receive important documents digitally or on paper? Either way, we believe you should be able to choose. Unfortunately, corporations don’t often give consumers a choice between digital and paper communications. The default is frequently digital, and consumers can find it difficult to revert to paper communications. To make matters more challenging, the choice to receive paper often comes at a cost. Keep Me Posted advocates for your right to choose how you receive information — printed or digitally. The campaign also asks companies to eliminate the extra fees associated with paper communications and to ask consumers for consent before replacing paper with digital documents. “We are a pro-citizens’-rights campaign. We are standing up for people who may be disadvantaged by their lack of choice on how to receive important communications, and for people who don’t agree to the switch to digital that is being imposed on them,” says Phil Riebel, president of Two Sides North America, the organization that developed and operates the North American campaign. “Our goal is to generate grassroots support to protect the consumer’s right to choose between paper, digital and any other available delivery method,” says Riebel. “We present independent research to quantify negative impacts and penalties for consumers who are denied paper communications, and we monitor service providers’ digital communication policies, both to educate consumers and to urge companies to do the right thing by giving consumers free and viable choices.” Click read more below for additional detail.

APRIL Group was announced as the winner of the Best UN Sustainable Development Goals Program Award at the Sustainable Business Awards (SBAs) Indonesia. The award recognizes APRIL Group for its work to measure the impact of its operations and strategically align its sustainability investments moving forward, using the global framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the SBA ceremony at the Mandarin Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sihol Aritonang, President Director, PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper, the operating arm of APRIL Group, accepted the award from the Minister of National Development Planning, Indonesia, Bambang Brodjonegoro, and Shinta Kamdani, President, Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development (IBCSD). APRIL also received a Special Recognition award in the Business Responsibility and Ethics category. Click read more below for additional detail.

Glatfelter announced that it has entered into a consent decree with the United States Government, the State of Wisconsin, and Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, under which Glatfelter expects to fully resolve its liability for the Lower Fox River and Green Bay environmental remediation and related Superfund litigation. The consent decree is subject to approval by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The Lower Fox River and Green Bay site involves the remediation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the bed of the river, and has been the source of complex, multi-party litigation since 2008. Under the terms of the settlement, Glatfelter agrees to pay to the United States $20.5 million to resolve all claims for past government cleanup, enforcement, and oversight costs and natural resources damages. Glatfelter will also be responsible for payment of future oversight costs. In addition, Glatfelter will be primarily responsible to perform the long-term monitoring and maintenance work in certain portions of the site, with Georgia-Pacific performing that work in other portions of the site. Click read more below for additional detail.

Hans who is responsible for sustainability issues in the SCA Forestry business area, will be new Director General of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) International. The Forest Stewardship Council is an international member organization that works for environmentally adapted, socially responsible and economically viable use of the world's forests. During the 25 years since the FSC was founded, they have created a certification system that gathers environmental organizations, industrial representatives, trade unions, indigenous population and other stakeholders for solution-oriented dialogue on forestry. Click read more below for additional detail.

Domtar is taking the lead in educating the next generation of paper industry professionals about our supply chain, paper production, sustainably forestry initiatives and more. Our mill in Kingsport, Tennessee, recently hosted a networking and educational event for sales and marketing professionals from several of our merchant partners. The participants, who are relatively new to the paper industry, came away from the event with a better understanding of how we source trees, make paper and follow sustainable practices. The event included industry and company overviews, a tour of the Kingsport Mill, a meeting with mill leaders, a visit to the Ridgefields converting facility and presentations from various Domtar professionals, including those in sustainability and marketing. Click read more below for additional detail.

Klabin’s Puma unit in Ortigueira, Paraná was awarded ISO 50001 certification, making it the first plant in the country’s pulp and paper industry to follow the best practices required by said certification. This recognition attests to the unit's efforts to improve its energy performance and efficiency just little more than two years after its start-up. “The certification, which was obtained after a series of audits, reinforces Klabin’s commitment to sustainable development and recognizes the engagement and dedication of all professionals involved in the topic, whether employees, contractors or suppliers," said Sadi Oliveira, Industrial Pulp Officer at Klabin. “We’re very pleased with the certification, which represents yet another achievement.” Click read more below for additional detail.

The holiday season is fun, festive and a time meant for giving. It’s joyous to decorate and make gifts look fancy, but the added touches for allure can cause confusion on what to recycle once the fun has ended. Our homes are filled with cards from family and friends, cardboard boxes from shopping online to find the right gift and wrapping materials to ensure the surprise is spectacular. But which of these are recyclable? Here are some tips to help you make the right decision on whether to put these common holiday items in the recycling or the trash bin. Remember: when it doubt, throw it out. “Wishcycling”—the act of putting something in your recycling bin in the hope that someone, somewhere will figure out what to do with it along the way—actually impedes the recycling process. Click read more below for additional detail.

Set-up by APRIL Group, a leading producer of fiber, pulp and paper, RER is managed under 60-year ecosystem restoration licenses issued by the government of Indonesia. A key element of the program is the use of an integrated production protection ring landscape model, where plantation operations on the perimeter of the restoration area not only provide protection from fire and encroachment, but also support ecosystem restoration and forest protection. The RER program has achieved some extraordinary results since work began, including the documenting of the presence of hundreds of species of fauna and flora and the total absence of fire from the concessions. As of June 2018, there are now 757 recorded plants and animal species resident in the RER area, ranging from birds, reptiles to diversify trees and plants. Click read more below for additional detail.

“Costco’s private-label brand encompasses a diverse portfolio of product categories. By joining How2Recycle, Costco is empowering their members to properly prepare a wide array of packaging types and materials for recycling. Costco is well poised to help recover large quantities of material by featuring consistent, accurate recycling messaging on package,” said Caroline Cox, How2Recycle project associate. Costco will be rolling out the label on a variety of packages including Kirkland Signature Organic Raw Kombucha Ginger Lemonade, Baby Wipes and Facial Wipes. Click read more below for additional detail.

The American Forest & Paper Association recently recognized our Hawesville Mill in Kentucky for its water conservation efforts with a 2018 Leadership in Sustainability Award. Hawesville water conservation efforts will save nearly 3.2 million gallons of water per day. Hawesville Mill applied continuous improvement principles to make small, relatively inexpensive upgrades, repairs and process changes that not only save money but, more importantly, also conserve vital water resources for our operations and the ecosystem around our facility. Click read more below for additional detail.

Gabon’s aspiration to become a world leader in certified tropical wood has taken a big step towards realization, following a special certification forum organized by the Ministry of Water and Forests in late November. Responding to the recent declaration by President Ali Bongo Ondimba that all Gabon’s forest concessions are to be certified by 2022, the forum was organized to develop concrete steps in order to reach this target. The most significant move was the recommendation from stakeholders to the government that all forest concessions within the country should be able to prove the legality of their wood by 2022. Furthermore, all concessions should be moving towards certification, such as PAFC (PEFC members in central Africa) by 2024. Click read more below for additional detail.

American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers announcement of a new proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. “We are pleased to see action being taken on an issue that has stymied past administrations. Stakeholders, including forest products manufacturers and state and local governments, deserve the clarity and certainty that this rule provides as they work to ensure our nation’s waters are clean. As one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the nation with a successful record of implementing sustainable manufacturing principles, we consider that a ‘win-win’ for the environment and economic growth and job creation.”

After significant consultation with key stakeholders, Canada’s Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry released a report entitled: “Feast or Famine: Impacts of climate change and carbon pricing on agriculture, agri-food and forestry.” Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) was very pleased to participate in this important dialogue, which culminated in the publication of today’s report. The Senate findings included a list of 16 recommendations, many of which underscore the importance of the Canada’s forests and the forest products sector in addressing the climate change challenge. Click read more below for additional detail.

UPM increases the IFRS fair value of its forest assets in Finland, mainly due to higher forest growth estimates. In addition, the company adjusts its long-term wood price estimates slightly. The impact of these changes on the fair value of forest assets is approximately EUR 320 million and will be reported as an item affecting comparability in Q4 2018 under Other operations. The updated forest growth model indicates higher forest growth volumes that are explained mainly by sustainable forest management. "UPM's own forests are strategic source for UPM's wood supply. Active, timely and sustainable forest management combined with high quality seedling material have increased UPM's own forests' growth significantly over the years. Increasing forest growth and carbon sequestration enable higher sustainable harvesting volumes from UPM's own forests now and in the future," says Sauli Brander, Senior Vice President, Wood Sourcing and Forestry Northern Europe. Click read more below for additional detail.

UPM Raflatac is pleased to announce its RafCycle® recycling solution has expanded to the United States and Canada. Now, brands in this region can give new life to their self-adhesive label waste that would otherwise be landfilled. Converter and printer Fort Dearborn Company as well as several brand owners are participating in the launch. UPM Raflatac collects the paper and PET liner waste from its RafCycle partners and recycles it into new materials, which provides numerous benefits to printers, packers, brand-owners, and, of course, the environment. Turning waste into a resource is a key concept in the circular economy and an important part of UPM Raflatac's approach to labeling a smarter future beyond fossils. Collaboration across the value chain is important to making the RafCycle program successful in delivering more sustainable packaging solutions. Click read more below for additional detail.

European institutions have agreed on the Renewable Energy Directive REDII for the 2020s after the European Council adopted the agreement made earlier this summer. UPM welcomes the agreement that will increase the use of renewable energy to 32% in 2030 and requires 14% bioenergy to be used in transport. All the EU member states are obliged to implement a binding advanced biofuel blending mandate starting 2022. UPM Biofuels is one of the front-runners in the advanced biofuels industry. The UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery, the world's first to produce wood-based renewable diesel and naphtha on a commercial scale, has proven the potential as a significant producer of truly sustainable advanced biofuels. UPM BioVerno, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% compared with fossil fuels, has found a solid marketplace. Click read more below for additional detail.

There was a long period when having a live Christmas tree was a big no-no, for reasons I can no longer remember. First, folks got upset about people buying trees instead of cutting their own. Then there was the controversy about people getting their own instead of cutting one. Actually, I think it had more to do with the disposal of the tree than anything else. There are a staggering 25 million to 30 million trees purchased every year in the U.S. Burning them in the chimney creates creosote problems. Landfill space is scarce and expensive. A live tree can stay in the house for about four weeks at most, then spend the next four centuries in the landfill. This is not a sustainable practice when you consider the number of trees involved. Click read more below for additional detail.

Kimberly-Clark, along with its partners from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), were honored by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) with a 2018 Leadership Award for Kimberly-Clark and WWF's "Heart Your Planet" collaboration. The program was unanimously selected for the Uncommon Partnership award for its success in engaging consumers to look for the WWF Panda logo and FSC® label on product packaging to support responsible forest management. "Kimberly-Clark continues to lead the U.S. tissue industry as a producer and influencer in promoting the importance of making more responsible products that use FSC®-certified fiber," said Jay Gottleib, president of Kimberly-Clark's North American Family Care business. "We are proud to have the WWF Panda logo and FSC® label printed on our packaging. This shows our support for these organizations, and demonstrates to our consumers that by using their favorite paper towel, facial and bath tissue, they are helping protect our forests." Click read more below for additional detail.

COP24 starts today, and once again, climate change is in the global spotlight. At PEFC, we have spent nearly 20 years helping to mitigate climate change through the promotion of sustainable forest management. With the inclusion of trees outside forests, we are now further enhancing our positive impact. We know that healthy, well-managed forests help combat climate change. By capturing and storing carbon, forests remove significant volumes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Through certification, we demonstrate their responsible management and enhance the value to these forests, ensuring they remain forests and continue to carry out their vital climate change mitigation actions. Click read more below for additional detail.

Cardboard boxes — corrugated packaging, in industry speak — are the most widely-recycled packaging material in the nation. In 2017, nearly 90 percent of cardboard boxes used in the U.S. were recovered for recycling. Most cardboard boxes are used for shipments of consumer products to retailers. Many of these large stores – think Walmart, Target, supermarket chains and shopping malls – have machines onsite to turn the unpacked cardboard boxes into neat bales of broken down, flat cardboard that are then sold to paper recyclers. It’s an efficient process that delivers optimum quality material to make new cardboard boxes. The rise of e-commerce has many people turning to the internet for their shopping, leading to a lot of cardboard boxes being delivered directly to consumers’ homes instead of retailers. The recovery rate of cardboard boxes from households varies, but tends to be lower than the rate from retail stores. Click read more below for additional detail.

When you’re wrapped up in the excitement of Christmas, keeping sustainability in mind can be difficult. That’s why we’ve put together these handy guidelines to illustrate just how simple it can be to have a green Christmas! https://www.dssmith.com/recycling/insights/blogs/2018/11/christmas-recycling

Forest Stewardship Council announced its 2018 FSC Leadership Awards in a celebration to be held in conjunction with the Greenbuild Conference. Recognizing enduring commitments to forest conservation, the Awards highlight the people and companies whose work demonstrates uncommon excellence in the field of responsible forest management. “FSC received an unusually large number of Awards submissions this year, which indicates the high level of enthusiasm, passion, and progress that powers FSC’s growth today,” said Corey Brinkema, president of the Forest Stewardship Council U.S. “This year’s winners demonstrate that we can in fact conserve forests even as we use forest products in our businesses and our daily lives,” he added. Click read more below for additional detail.

Earlier this year, Starbucks sent 18 truckloads of old paper cups to a paper mill in Wisconsin to prove a point: Contrary to a widespread myth, paper coffee cups can be recycled cost-effectively. The cups–25 million in total, from excess inventory that the coffee chain otherwise would have sent to landfill–were processed at the mill. Then the recycled fiber was sent to another partner to be incorporated into paperboard for new Starbucks cups. The pilot project was a way to “demonstrate that a coffee cup can be turned back into a coffee cup,” says Jay Hunsberger, VP of sales for North America from Sustana, the mill that recycled the old cups. At the mill, the cups were mixed with water and ground into a pulp with a seven-foot-tall corkscrew to begin to separate the plastic lining that helps keep coffee cups from getting soggy. The fibers were screened and washed to finish the separation, then made into sheets and sent to WestRock, a packaging company, to be made into paperboard. At a third company, Seda, the board was printed with the Starbucks logo and shaped into new cups. Click read more below for additional detail.

UPM has published a new biodiversity commitment, which is one of the company's responsibility targets for 2030. The new commitment and programme will be presented today at the Conference of the Parties (COP14) of the United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The aim of the commitment is to continuously improve the diversity of UPM's own forests in Finland. The company owns 570,000 hectares of forest, and managing these forests sustainably is essential to ensure the supply of wood. UPM's own forests are strategically significant for wood supply, forest research, development of industry's best practices and training of employees. Improving biodiversity is part of the company's sustainable forest management. This protects water resources, promotes multiple use of forests and ensures the growth of forests that act as carbon sinks to mitigate climate change. Click read more below for additional detail.

South Africa has become the latest country to achieve PEFC endorsement of its national forest certification system, which is great news for the country’s many small-forest owners. “We are excited and energized to receive PEFC endorsement of our national system,” said Craig Norris, Chairman of the South African Forestry Assurance Scheme (SAFAS). “We have been working for five years to find solutions that will make forest certification accessible to the many smaller scale forestry operations within our country.” Click read more below for additional detail.

The annual Green Apple Awards, which recognise, reward, and promote environmental best practice around the world, saw Nicholas Power, Head of Key Accounts and Supplier Management at DS Smith Recycling, collect the award on 12th of November 2018 at a carbon-neutral ceremony in the Houses of Parliament. DS Smith won the award due to its long-standing partnership with Tesco, which has seen the national retailer divert 100% of its residual waste from landfill. The company was also recognised for its wide range of innovative projects, including logistics excellence, having helped Tesco to double the amount of waste carried in one load, which has halved the number of trips required for transporting waste streams. “We’re pleased to have received this award for environmental best practice, which highlights the dedication of teams across Tesco and DS Smith in allowing this partnership to achieve its full potential. Click read more below for additional detail.

The US shopping phenomenon is now part of the British retail calendar. So how can we ensure that Black Friday doesn’t negatively impact on recycling systems, and ensure that the packaging that protects all those goods that we buy does actually get recycled? Tom Campbell-White, European Strategic Development Director at DS Smith Recycling, explains. Since landing on our shores in 2010, Black Friday, and its younger sibling Cyber Monday, have led to a sharp spike in purchases made both online and instore over the third weekend in November, leading to the weekend being known as the “holiday shopping weekend”. According to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), three-quarters of retailers offered some form of promotion last year, and sales online far exceeded those on the high street. Research from November 2017 showed that 72% of people shopped on their computers or their phones,1 but this year, e-commerce sales are expected to be even higher – 98% of Black Friday shoppers in the UK are planning to shop online.2 Click read more below for additional detail.

PEFC invites stakeholders around the world to comment on the revised national forest certification system of Luxembourg, following its submission to PEFC for re-endorsement. To give your feedback, head to our Online Consultation Tool. PEFC Luxembourg joined the PEFC alliance back in 2002 and first achieved endorsement of its system in 2005. The national system was re-endorsed in both 2010 and 2014, and there are now over 35,000 hectares of PEFC-certified forest area in the country. We need your comments! The deadline is 14 January 2019. Click read more below for additional detail.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) is pleased to announce the election of four new members to its board of directors: Lillian “Ebonie” Alexander, Executive Director, Black Family Land Trust; Kevin Edgson, President and CEO, EACOM Timber Corporation; Brent Keefer, President, Hancock Timber Resource Group; and Dan Lambe, President, Arbor Day Foundation. These new board members will not only advance SFI’s work within its four pillars – standards, conservation, education, and community – but will strengthen the intersections between them. “These four board members join us at a critical juncture given SFI’s current work to set our strategic direction for the next five years. I’m looking forward to working closely with each of them and am confident that their diverse experience and leadership skills will bring fresh perspective to SFI’s future plans,” said Mark Rodgers, President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity Canada and Chair of the SFI Board of Directors. “The diversity and independence of our board is one of SFI’s defining characteristics and a foundation for our success. Each board member brings a range of impressive talents and skills to the table and I’m eager to see us all working together on behalf of sustainable forests,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. Click read more below for additional detail.

Midland Paper Packaging & Supplies today announced that Bill Rojack, Vice President, has been elected to the Two Sides North America Board of Directors. Two Sides is a global independent non-profit organization created to promote sustainability as well as the responsible production and use of print and paper. An initiative by companies from the Graphic Communications Industry (including forestry, pulp, paper, finishing, publishing, printing, envelopes, and postal operators), Two Sides’ goal is to dispel common environmental misconceptions by providing users with verifiable information on why Print and Paper is an attractive, practical and sustainable communication medium. Midland Paper has supported Two Sides in their important work since Two Sides NA established its North American presence in 2011. Says Rojack, “I’m excited to take a leadership role in an organization I consider critical to the forest products industry. Two Sides NA doesn’t just promote the importance of print and paper, it advocates for truth and clarity vs. mis-messaged environmental claims and greenwashing. Click read more below for additional detail.

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman commended the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for organizing the America Recycles Day Recycling Summit. On Thursday afternoon, she will join industry executives in addressing the EPA headquarter-based summit and in signing an EPA pledge to help identify solutions to issues facing the U.S. recycling system. “Our industry shares concerns over the challenges facing the U.S. recycling system. Recovered paper markets are complex, dynamic and efficient, yet the paper and paper-packaging industry continues to innovate and adapt to market demands to drive future success. Moreover, paper, by weight, is the most recycled material from municipal solid waste streams in the United States today, and we have met or exceeded a 63 percent recovery rate for paper and paper-based packaging for each of the last nine years. Click read more below for additional detail.

“What is the value PEFC as a sustainability organisation can deliver – beyond certification?” asked Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International CEO and Secretary General, during his reflections at the 23rd PEFC General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. “Currently, around 10% of forests are certified globally, and our current approach is certainly suitable to more than double this number, but we now need to start addressing the needs of the remaining 80% of global forestry to ensure it too becomes sustainable and is key in addressing societal challenges such as climate change.” “Sustainable forest management is goes beyond safeguarding forest as an ecosystem. It is also about securing sustainable livelihoods for the hundreds of millions of people living, working and depending on forests. It is also about rural communities, about indigenous people, about small, family run enterprises, providing countless jobs far away from cities. “It is about all of us truly valuing the numerous benefits forests provide us with.” Click read more below for additional detail.

As the PEFC alliance grows, we continue to work together as a global team, collaborating and supporting each other: moving forward together – and 2018 has been a great example of this. From increasing access to PEFC certification for smallholders through Trees outside Forests, to collaborating with the fashion industry to promote the use of innovative forest-based fibres, we are unlocking new opportunities for certification. We are driving innovation through projects and partnerships worldwide, not forgetting vital outreach with key sectors such as the architect and construction community and awareness raising with consumers through our photo contest. Click read more below for additional detail.

At the annual meeting of Two Sides’ Country Managers in London on November 5th 2018, representatives from Australia, Europe, New Zealand, North America, South America and South Africa determined to continue efforts to stop organizations from making misleading, anti-print and paper claims in their customer communications. Since its inception, Two Sides’ anti-greenwash campaign has investigated 921 organizations worldwide. Of these, over two-thirds were found to be using unsubstantiated claims regarding paper’s impact on the environment, usually in breach of local advertising regulations. After being challenged by Two Sides, a total of 335 organizations have now removed or changed their messaging. In a joint statement, Two Sides’ Country Managers stated: “We are thrilled to be able to report the latest global anti-greenwash results. The Anti-Greenwash campaign is such an important initiative because without Two Sides’ intervention there would be no other body holding these organizations to account. But despite the success of the campaign, as well as clear rules on unsubstantiated environmental claims, greenwash tactics are still commonplace. Everyday, new claims are brought to the attention of Two Sides, from some of the world’s largest companies telling tens-of-millions of their customers that paper is bad for the environment.” Click read more below for additional detail.

November is a great month to renew your commitment to reduce, reuse, recycle, and buy recycled! Did you know the national recycling rate has increased over the past 30 years to its current rate of 34%? The paper recycling rate is even higher! In 2017, 65.8 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling. This is double the annual paper recovery rate since 1990. To read more about this incredible paper recycling success story, visit PaperRecycles.org. In an effort to increase recycling across the country, Keep America Beautiful started the initiative, America Recycles Day, to encourage organized events that reduce total waste produced and maximize landfill diversion. It is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. In celebration and recognition of the day, we encourage everyone to take the #berecycled pledge. Click read more below for additional detail.

American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance to modernize ambient air policy under the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) program. EPA released a draft memo with the updated guidelines for receptor placement. “Applying decades-old ambient air policy under the NAAQS implementation program, represents an unrealistic ‘once-size-fits-all’ modeling approach. Paper and wood products manufacturers welcome EPA’s recognition that times and technology have changed by taking action to modernize ambient air policy. “By clarifying where the public is truly exposed, EPA eliminates many hypothetical modeling scenarios that can bog down projects unnecessarily. For example, assessments have been done for areas inside property boundaries where the public does not have legal access. Using receptor locations where the general public has legitimate and realistic access makes scientific and common sense. This action takes a long-overdue first step toward ensuring real-world air quality modeling is used to determine any air quality impacts from a project.”

Auditors from Bulgaria and surrounding countries are invited to join our PEFC Chain of Custody auditor training. The training takes place in Sofia, Bulgaria from 27-28 November 2018, and is specifically suited for both existing and future auditors, but interested consultants and companies are welcomed too. The training will take place at the Forest Institute at the BAS, Sofia, 132 "Kl.Ohridski" Blvd. The cost for the two-day training is CHF 500 per person. The training will be in English, with simultaneous interpretation in Bulgarian language provided. You will receive a certificate of attendance after successful completion of the course. With this certificate you can demonstrate compliance with the PEFC training requirements. Click read more below for additional detail.

UPM celebrates its 20th anniversary in China with a ceremony at the national booth of Finland at the China International Import EXPO (CIIE) together with government officials from Finland and China, business partners and customers. During the ceremony, Jussi Pesonen, President and CEO of UPM and Bernd Eikens, Executive Vice President of UPM Specialty Papers shared UPM's continued commitment and vision for the Chinese market. In the past 20 years, UPM has invested more than USD 2 billion in China, which is the single largest investment from Finland. UPM's environmental investments amount to USD 80 million. "UPM has witnessed the development of China's economy; which provides great potential for all of us," says Jussi Pesonen. "Today, we can proudly say that China plays an increasingly strategic role in UPM's global development. As China continues its transformation towards a green economy, we provide the most innovative and responsible forest-based solutions that support sustainable development." Click read more below for additional detail.

Smallholders are vital to the concept of meaningful sustainable commodity production. They are not only significant producers of wood-based and agricultural products, but they rely on forest and farm land for their livelihoods,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, speaking yesterday at Innovations Forum’s Sustainable Landscape Conference 2018. “If we fail to integrate them meaningfully into global supply chains, we fail in promoting sustainability in general and more specifically, the sustainable livelihoods of hundreds of million rural based families.” Addressing the unique needs of smallholders - which differ from country to country, from community to community, from sector to sector – requires bottom-up processes. Processes that ensure smallholders are an integral part of the conversation on establishing and securing the future of sustainable supply chains. “One size doesn’t fit all,” Mr Gunneberg emphasized. Click read more below for additional detail.

imberly-Clark Corporation has been recognized with two prominent awards for its efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint. The company received the 2018 Responsible Business Award for Climate Action from Ethical Corporation, and earned its sixth consecutive SmartWay® Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for leadership in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency. Kimberly-Clark won top honors for its global Energy & Climate program at the 9th annual Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards. The Climate Action Award recognized the company's innovative strategies to reduce the climate impacts of its operations through energy conservation, transformative LEAN energy management programs and the increased use of alternative energy sources including renewable energy. Click read more below for additional detail.

Join us at a special event in Singapore, 29 November, as we bring together two case studies to get regional actors collaborating. In a call for action, we will discuss new and emerging technologies to be utilized in sustainable forest management and responsible trade. The following organizations will highlight their commitment to sustainable forest management and responsible trade: PEFC International: We will share our experiences in helping stakeholders to develop systems in the region, especially for smallholders. Represented by: Richard Laity, Southeast Asia Development Officer. Trimble Forestry: Leading technology provider for integrated forestry solutions will be discussing the importance of forestry technology in Southeast Asia as well as providing live demos of their products. Represented by: Jani Kaskinen, Managing Director and Andrew Zhu, APAC Sales Manager. Double Helix: Innovation and technology in verification systems; scientific testing - DNA and Isotope analysis and document verification system at a consignment level. Represented by : Darren Thomas, CEO. Rumble Tools: Leveraging on the use of drones for assessment, monitoring and fighting fires. Represented by: Matti Naakka, Director, Naaka Enterprises. Click read more below for additional detail.

American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the joint Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy letter to Congress on biomass carbon neutrality. “We are encouraged that the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the United States Department of Agriculture are committed to taking action on the Congressional directive to produce clear, science-based policies that reflect the carbon neutrality of biomass and recognize it as a renewable energy source. More than seven years of policy uncertainty in this area jeopardizes our companies’ ability to invest in biomass and build and upgrade their facilities. Removing that barrier clears the way for future economic growth and job creation and helps ensure the U.S. is in step with global competitors. That’s a winning combination for everyone.” Click read more below for additional detail.

“We are ready and prepared to assist our country in achieving its objective to become the world leader in certified tropical timber,” said Rose Ondo, President of PAFC Gabon. "We share this ambition, which will increase the competitiveness of Gabonese forest products while at the same time safeguarding our unique forest ecosystem and improving the life of people and communities who depend on forests for their livelihoods." PAFC Gabon, as a grassroots organization that is governed and administered by local stakeholders, is well positioned to support its government’s goal of dramatically increasing both the uptake of certification and the expansion of sustainable forest management in the country. Click read more below for additional detail.

Repsol and Saica Natur have signed a new collaboration agreement in order to maximize the use of low density polyethylene film (LDPE) waste and take a new step in the transition towards a circular economy. With this project, Repsol and Saica Natur intend to combine their knowledge and skills to achieve new polyolefins that incorporate post-consumer recycled material. With a special goal to ensure quality consistency for more demanding applications, from the technical point of viewwhere recycling has hardly penetrated yet. This way, Saica Natur contributes not only with its expertise as a waste manager but also as a low density polyethylene (LDPE) recycled pellets producer. Repsol, the market leader in polyolefins in Spain and Portugal, provides the capabilities of its Technology Center, as well as its experience in the development of new products for its value chain. This agreement falls under Reciclex project, one of Repsol’s strategic pillars to promote the circular economy of its materials. Click read more below for additional detail.

The Virginia Department of Forestry today announced that it has certified all of Virginia’s State Forests to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and American Tree Farm System standards. These certified forests cover more than 68,000 acres. The state forests system is self-sustaining and receives no general funds, so they must support operations through timber sales like other private landowners. Certification of Virginia state forest lands demonstrates for Virginia landowners how certification can be part of their land management efforts while validating that working forests are sustainable. “The commitment to sustainability within Virginia State Forests began in 1919 with the gift of 588 acres of land in Prince Edward County from Emmett D. Gallion for the purpose of advancing the cause of forestry in Virginia,” said State Forests Manager Gary Heiser. “Since that time, the state forests have grown in acres, productivity and biological diversity through the dedication of many state forest employees committed to responsible forest management.” Click read more below for additional detail.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has today become one of the first signatories of The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment which will work towards eliminating plastic pollution and creating 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging by 2025. Mondi has pledged to increase investment in research and development, and drive deeper collaboration throughout its supply chain to move away from non-renewable and non-recyclable plastic. It will use its expertise in paper-based and flexible plastic packaging to enhance its product design and thereby achieve 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025. Click read more below for additional detail.

With over 20,000 PEFC Chain of Custody certified companies worldwide, our Chain of Custody standard – in addition to delivering PEFC-certified products to the marketplace - has a tremendous impact on internal management processes of numerous businesses along the timber value chain. This means we must ensure the standard is the best it can be: that it is straightforward to use, that it meets customer expectations, and that it respects the integrity of our requirements and our system. We regularly review all of our standards to integrate best practices, lessons learnt, and stakeholder expectations, and the Chain of Custody standard is part of the current cycle of standards revision. Click read more below for additional detail.

Amcor Chief Executive Officer Ron Delia signed the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment on behalf of the company’s 33,000 people. The commitment, which is sponsored by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, was announced today at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali, Indonesia. Amcor is a core partner of the EMF’s New Plastics Economy initiative. “Plastic packaging is vital for products used by billions of consumers around the globe,” said Amcor’s Mr. Delia. “It’s highly effective and easy to adapt, so that those products are safe, nutritious and effective. “We’re constantly innovating to make plastic packaging even better, including in protecting the environment.” For example, last month Amcor announced a breakthrough, flexible-plastic film that provides high-barrier protection, can be used in sterilized packaging and is recyclable. Click read more below for additional detail.

Sealed Air Corporation announced a bold sustainability and plastics pledge to design and advance their innovative packaging solutions to be 100% recyclable or reusable by 2025. The company will accelerate its use of recycled materials, expand reuse models for packaging and lead the collaboration with partners worldwide to ensure execution. “At Sealed Air, we strive to leave our world, environment and communities better than we found them by leading innovative efforts to create differentiated, sustainable solutions,” said Ted Doheny, Sealed Air President and CEO. “Our history of sustainability is strengthened through our new sustainability and plastics pledge and, as an industry leader, it’s our responsibility to build a waste-free future, keep our oceans clean and leave a lighter carbon footprint.” Click read more below for additional detail.

UPM Raflatac has signed up to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment among 250 organisations including many of the world's largest packaging producers, brands, retailers and recyclers, as well as governments and NGOs. The Global Commitment and its vision for a circular economy for plastic is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with UN Environment. The commitment has been officially unveiled at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali today Monday, October 29. By signing the commitment UPM Raflatac wants to demonstrate its commitment to labeling a smarter future beyond fossils. By developing sustainable labeling solutions and partnerships UPM Raflatac supports brand owners in eliminating unnecessary plastic packaging and achieving their target of 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Click read more below for additional detail.

The Forest Management and Wetland Stewardship Initiative (FMWSI), a partnership between Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the forest industry, including Millar Western, has launched new reference materials to assist practicing foresters in minimizing operational impacts on waterfowl, their nests and eggs, also referred to as “incidental take”. The newly released resources comprise Forestry and Waterfowl: Assessing and Mitigating Risk – Technical Report and the companion plain-language Practitioner Guide. The Technical Report provides a detailed rationale and methods supporting the steps of the decision-making approach, while the Practitioner Guide walks forest practitioners through the decision-making process and shares migratory-bird best management practices, all in an accessible format. Click read more below for additional detail.

“We are absolutely delighted that our Chairman, Peter Latham, has been honoured with the TTJ Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International CEO. “Peter has dedicated his working life to the timber industry, and now as Chairman of PEFC, he is leading our organization forward as we begin to implement our new strategy. I couldn’t imagine anyone more deserving.” The annual TTJ Lifetime Achievement Award rewards outstanding achievement in the timber sector. Now in its 22nd year, the TTJ Awards highlight the timber sector as a major, modern and forward-looking industry and recognize its achievements in areas that are vital to business success. Peter Latham OBE, who served as Chairman of James Latham from 2006 to 2017 and is currently the Chairman of PEFC International, received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his 44-year career in the industry. Click read more below for additional detail.

The packaging leader has had a long-term commitment to making real and measurable progress against its five strategic sustainability priorities of forest, climate change, water, waste and people. Earlier this year, Smurfit Kappa announced that it had met, and in some cases exceeded, its previous sustainability goals in the areas of people, climate change and water with the last two goals achieved three years ahead of their 2020 deadline. While Smurfit Kappa’s paper-based packaging is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable, the paper production process itself is resource-intensive so a new set of goals has been outlined to build on the progress already made. These are: Maintaining >90% chain of custody certification of annual customer deliveries; Maintaining 100% chain of custody operating system certification; Assessing energy usage reduction opportunities in converting operations by 2020; Performing water risk assessments for paper mills not yet assessed by 2020; Decreasing water discharge intensity by 60% by 2025 compared to 2005; Decreasing paper mill fossil intensity by 40% by 2030 compared to 2005; Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill by 30% by 2025. Click read more below for additional detail.

Walmart announced that it has reached an agreement with SunPower to have the commercial energy provider install solar systems at 19 stores and two distribution centers in Illinois. As part of the project, a mix of rooftop and ground-mount solar systems are expected to account for 23 megawatts, with start of construction targeted for the first half of 2019. This commitment moves Walmart closer to its 2025 goal of supplying its global operations with 50 percent renewable energy. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, the amount of anticipated annual carbon offset by this initiative will be equal to the amount of carbon sequestered by over 24,000 acres of U.S. forest in one year – the size of Elgin, Ill. Walmart is financing the solar projects through a power purchase agreement (PPA) arranged by SunPower, allowing Walmart to buy power at competitive prices and hedge against future utility rate increases with no upfront capital costs. Click read more below for additional detail.

DS Smith Plastics is doing their best to recycle wasted expanded foam products and with the help of local communities, more foam products than ever have been disposed of properly. One of the struggles with plastic products is that many facilities do not have designated services to dispose of the leftover packaging, this is especially the case when it comes to foam products like expanded polypropylene and polystyrene. In order to combat bad practices in the disposal of used expanded foam DS Smith Plastics, Foam Products is pushing to make it easier for anybody to correctly recycle any waste or littered products in convenient recycling collection posts. In many communities that house a DS Smith Plastics manufacturing facility, there can be excess plastic that communities have used, so to make it easier to dispose of, there are now labeled posts near every site that is checked and collected by the DS Smith Plastics team. Click read more below for additional detail.

Stora Enso’s Sustainability Report 2017 has been included in the top ten sustainability reports globally according to the latest Reporting matters publication by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). In WBCSD’s Reporting matters publication, Stora Enso’s Sustainability Report is praised for its disclosure of internal sustainability management processes. The external assurance of the report’s sustainability information also received good feedback as it strengthens the credibility of Stora Enso’s disclosure. “We are proud of our transparent reporting being acknowledged,” says Noel Morrin, EVP Sustainability at Stora Enso. “It is especially encouraging to see that the four-tier reporting structure we use to present the most material opportunities and challenges is recognised as good practice.” Click read more below for additional detail.

Our sustainable forestry practices help ensure we leave the forests we depend on, and the communities we’re a part of, better off for the long term. We work with landowners, conservation groups and others who share our commitment to preserve forestland. These efforts have many environmental and social benefits, including the protection of water supplies, the promotion of biodiversity and the preservation of hunting, fishing and camping grounds. One example is a large preservation project that will protect 32,600 acres of forestland known as Clarion Junction Forest. This land surrounds our Johnsonburg Mill, which is located between Pennsylvania Game Commission lands and the Allegheny National Forest. We purchased the land in partnership with the Conservation Fund’s Working Forest Fund program, and we will sustainably manage it as a working forest and a timber source for the Johnsonburg Mill while also preserving the natural habitat of many species of wildlife. Click read more below for additional detail.

Sustainable forestry and its role in the consumer goods industry is on the agenda for the Consumer Goods Forum’s Sustainable Retail Summit, taking place 25-26 October in Lisbon, Portugal. Zero-net deforestation is a key objective of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) and many of its member companies. To achieve it, the CGF has recognized forest certification as an important tool within its sourcing guidelines. Sustainably managed forests provide many of the elements necessary for life on earth — air, water, food and shelter. Moreover, wood is renewable and one of the most environmentally friendly raw materials available, and the great news is, it is used in many of the products procured or manufactured by CGF members. Click read more below for additional detail.

J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI)’s forestry and forest products operations continue to identify ways to reduce and reuse waste, and put to beneficial use within our business and community. Lake Utopia Paper has recently completed a $28.8 Million environmental upgrade. Their new Environmental Treatment Facility takes wastewater and converts the organic material to renewable biogas. It is then converted to steam, which provides energy to the mill. Lake Utopia Paper has seen a 23% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. “This is a brand-new state of the art facility, that will serve Lake Utopia Paper for the long term,” said Rick Wasson, Manager of Technical Operations. “It will provide stability to the environmental system to ensure we are always meeting and extending our compliance obligations.” Click read more below for additional detail.

“We are entering a new age for timber, a new industrial revolution for timber,” said Peter Latham, Chairman of PEFC international, speaking today at the first Malaysian Timber Conference. MTC Peter 2018“This isn’t just a climate-positive story of using a renewable crop, a crop that can still lock in the carbon when at the end of its use; but also one in which certification can demonstrate how we look after our forests, how we cooperate with indigenous people, how we protect worker’s rights, and so much more.” Peter addressed the global supply and demand for forest certification and certified timber, its associated challenges and trends, and the outlook and opportunities for forest certification, during his speech on ‘Certification: opening or closing doors to global markets for tropical hardwood’. “In terms of global fibre consumption, tropical hardwood is a small part, but it is at the top of the pyramid, it is the prestige product,” Peter explained. Click read more below for additional detail.

SCA has filed a formal complaint against ASI, and has also informed FSC about the consequences for SCA due to the fact that important parts in a recent report from ASI is misleading and also was published on their website. SCA has been certified according to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC©) forest management standard since 1999. To confirm that the forest operations meet the FSC-standard, SCA is audited by a third-party certification company, SGS. In August 2017, Accreditation Services International (ASI) evaluated SGS performance during a surveillance audit of SCA forest operations. The report from ASI was finalized and distributed to SGS in July 2018. Click read more below for additional detail.

Paper-based packaging provider Smurfit Kappa is celebrating the first annual European Paper Bag day at its Sangüesa Paper Mill in Spain, to promote the use of paper carrier bags as an alternative to plastic bags. The milestone day was created by “The Paper Bag” platform, Europe’s leading association for kraft paper manufacturers and paper bag producers, to educate consumers about the benefits of opting for paper carrier bags. Less than 1 per cent of the plastic bags used every year are recycled. Smurfit Kappa drew on its high quality paper portfolio to produce an efficient alternative for paper bag producers which is strong, performs well in wet conditions and is safe for food contact. To mark European Paper Bag day, the Sangüesa mill cooperated with the Navarra Government by supplying the paper to produce 130,000 paper bags for distribution through local shops, supermarkets and consumers across the Navarra region. Click read more below for additional detail.

Amazon announced that it will invest $10 million in Closed Loop Fund to support recycling infrastructure in the United States. Amazon’s investment will increase the availability of curbside recycling for 3 million homes in communities across the country, making it easier for customers to recycle and further develop end markets for recycled commodities. The investment will divert 1 million tons of recyclable material from landfill into the recycling stream and eliminate the equivalent of 2 million metric tons of CO2 by 2028—equivalent to shutting down a coal-fired power plant for six months. Roughly half of Americans today lack access to convenient, sufficient curbside recycling at their homes. Closed Loop Fund finances the building of advanced recycling infrastructure and services, bringing this invaluable service to the community while saving taxpayers and municipalities money. Click read more below for additional detail.

“Certifying Trees outside Forests creates a win-win-win situation,” said Thorsten Arndt, Head of Communications at PEFC International, during the International Softwood Conference 2018* in Riga, Latvia, last week. “We can positively impact the lives of small famers and improve the management of trees in agriculture, whilst increasing the amount of wood available to society for products from sustainably managed sources.” “We will also enable cities to certify urban trees and parks, making it possible for them to provide assurances to their inhabitants that city trees are managed sustainably and raising awareness of the tremendous services that trees in cities provide to urban populations,” he added. PEFC is well-positioned to further expand the area of certified forests, explained Mr. Arndt. With the PEFC General Assembly expected to approve the revised sustainable forest management standard in November, trees outside forests will be eligible for certification. Click read more below for additional detail.

Postmark, Inc. has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print and paper. “Postmark wants to be a responsible partner in the graphic communications value chain. As an equipment manufacturer, we also want to spread the positive environmental story about print and paper. We look forward to working with the Two Sides network to achieve this,” said Morten Nielsen, President & CEO, Postmark.

We proudly present the last two shortlisted projects for the World Architecture Festival’s Best Use of Certified Timber Prize supported by PEFC: a hotel that revived a historic mountain village in Italy, and a visitor centre in China, that takes its guests back in time. The Zallinger Chalets are located in theZallinger Chalets WAF midst of a UNESCO world heritage site in the Italian Alps, where they revived the spirit of a historic mountain village. Originally consisting of a chapel and seven barracks, the village has changed significantly over the years. Through the traditional construction style, as well as the use of timber as the main construction material, the architects have brought back the charm of the little alpine village of 1850. Located in Hebei, China, and surrounded by Mulan Weichang WAFMongolian grasslands, the Mulan Weichang Visitor Centre was inspired by the shape of the traditional yurt camps of Mongolian nomads. The aim of the architects was to blend the building seamlessly into the surrounding nature. They achieved this by applying techniques from the local architecture and by using local materials, such as stone, wooden beams and rattan. Click read more below for additional detail.

Customers of fast-casual restaurants increasingly value corporate sustainability practices according to a new study released by Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), the 2018 Paper & Packaging Consumer Trends Report. More than half of consumers (55 percent) are willing to pay more for fast food products packaged in sustainable materials, with 35 percent agreeing they would pay up to 10 percent more. Moreover, compared to five years ago, the sustainability of food packaging is more important to nearly two in three Americans today (65 percent), holding especially true among Baby Boomers (67 percent) and Millennials (66 percent). “Consumers demand smarter packaging that serves both quality and sustainability functions, so it is crucial for the food industry to adopt recyclable and naturally compostable solutions and phase out disposable food packaging like plastics and polystyrene,” said Ian Lifshitz, vice president of sustainability and stakeholder relations, APP. “As brands,they also have the opportunity to win over consumers who choose companies that place sustainability at the heart of their business.” Click read more below for additional detail.

Visitors to London’s South Bank last month saw a dramatic change to the city’s skyline, all in support of the UK mental health and the anti-stigma campaign, Time to Change. As part of the annual London Design Festival, and designjunction, Head Above Water was a breath-taking, 9 metre high sculpture by British designer, Steuart Padwick. This piece of public art sought to stimulate the discussion to eradicate mental health-related stigma and discrimination. The project used precision engineered, renewable and sustainable PEFC-certified cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels supplied by StoraEnso. Installation was carried out by structural engineering experts Ramboll, making Head Above Water a model of sustainable, smart design and build. Click read more below for additional detail.

Irving Pulp & Paper (IPP) of Saint John will pay a $3.5 Million penalty related to 3 counts of effluent discharges into the Saint John River, subject to court approval October 9. The Crown and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) acknowledge there was no evidence of any fish mortality or environmental harm in the river at the time. However, the company did fail the prescribed test under Section 3 of the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations (under the Fisheries Act) that requires 50% or more of rainbow trout tested to survive 96 hours in 100% effluent. IPP has worked hard to meet and exceed all environmental regulations. The company pioneered and patented the world’s first reverse osmosis system in a pulp mill in 1998 to meet new environmental regulations at the time. This technology and others were part of an investment of over $250 million to avoid the installation of an effluent treatment facility that the mill’s neighbours did not want. This pollution prevention system collects, treats and discharges effluent within the pulp mill, re-uses treated effluent and minimizes final effluent volume and content. The company was internationally recognized for this effort and the discoveries by research teams, including those from the University of New Brunswick, who determined the positive impacts of the system on fish health. Click read more below for additional detail.

Stora Enso and energy company Gasum have signed a contract to build a biogas plant at Stora Enso’s Nymölla paper mill in Sweden. The plant, built and operated by Gasum, will turn the mill’s wastewater effluent into renewable energy. Gasum plans to upgrade the biogas into Liquefied Biogas (LBG) and sell it as fuel for cars, buses, trucks, and ferries. The expected LBG production of the plant is 75-90 GWh per year, equivalent to the amount of fuel needed annually for more than 200 average long haul lorries in Sweden. Production is expected to start during 2020. “We are happy to be part of a project that will turn waste into valuable renewable energy,” says Michael Lindemann, Mill Director at Nymölla Mill. “For Stora Enso, substituting fossil-based fuels in our society with renewable solutions is a vital way to combat global warming. The cooperation with Gasum is a good example of the collaborative efforts Stora Enso is taking to do this.” Click read more below for additional detail.

“No economic growth is good for a country if it stays in the hands of the few. The same applies for forestry,” said Tiina Huvio, Chair of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) Steering Committee, and Programme Director for the Finnish Agri-agency for Food and Forest Development (FFD). “To build sustainable wealth, you need to include smallholders in the value chain. Steps taken towards group certification, allowing small-size forest owners to participate, are also steps towards a stable society.” Click read more below for additional detail.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for UPM's possible Kotka Biorefinery in Finland has been completed and given to the authorities for their final conclusions. The UPM Kotka Biorefinery would produce approximately 500,000 tonnes of advanced biofuels made from sustainable raw materials for use in the road transport, marine and aviation sectors. The biorefinery's products could also be used for replacing fossil raw materials in the chemical industry. The renewable and sustainable raw materials and efficient processes of the possible Kotka Biorefinery enable significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil-based fuels and products. Click read more below for additional detail.

We have launched an initiative aiming to increase cup recycling within the UK. Our Specialty Cup range of single wall hot cups and paper vending cups now have a brand new, modern design with a QR code and a message to ‘please recycle this cup’. The QR code can be scanned by a mobile phone which will lead the consumer to a web page which contains details of the growing numbers of cup recycling sites and schemes across the UK. “We were renewing our single wall and paper vending cup offering and wanted to bring in new, modern colors. In addition to focusing on the cup aesthetic and functionality, we also wanted to do more to help to communicate the recycling message”, says Becci Eplett, Marketing Manager for Huhtamaki UK. Click read more below for additional detail.

Since Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited, or APRIL, a leading pulp and paper manufacturer, adopted a sustainable forest management policy in 2014, its stakeholder advisory committee has played an important role in advising and monitoring the implementation of the company's commitment across the social, environmental and governance spheres, as well as engaging regularly with nongovernmental organizations to listen to their views. The committee, which by its constitution is independent of the company and comprised of national and international experts on forestry, social issues and business, meets three times a year. It also appoints an assurance provider to evaluate APRIL's sustainable policy implementation. In its 2018 report, the stakeholder advisory committee reviewed the full four years of APRIL's efforts in responsible fiber supply, landscape-level conservation and restoration of natural forest, reduction of forest fires, transparency and supplier compliance with the sustainable forest management policy. Click read more below for additional detail.

Paper or plastic? It’s a debate that has raged for years about a variety of goods, including grocery bags, food packaging materials, lollipop sticks, personal care items and other single-use products. The latest item to make headlines is the humble straw. Plastic drinking straws are ubiquitous, but they may soon take a backseat to paper drinking straws. A series of highly publicized California rulings has sparked a growing movement to ban plastic drinking straws in the United States, with proponents citing environmental concerns. One of the newest laws on the California books makes it illegal for restaurant servers to give guests plastic straws unless asked. Several California cities have followed suit by enacting local ordinances that ban the distribution or sale of plastic drinking straws in some food-service establishments. And it’s not just in California. Several major U.S. cities are putting laws in place to discourage the use of plastic drinking straws and stirrers. Amidst the growing debate, public pressure has also driven businesses — from Starbucks and Bon Appétit to SeaWorld and Disney — to announce their own plans to eliminate plastic drinking straws. Click read more below for additional detail.

Sustainably grown renewable wood fibre is Finland’s most significant natural resource. Wood-based biomaterials are already being used to manufacture competitive, environmentally friendly products, and their use will increase in the future. To introduce these possibilities, Metsä Group presents the world’s first biodegradable film production – Intelligent Fibre. With its rich forest resources, Finland is the world's No. 1 country in bioeconomy. Metsä Group is a Finnish forest industry company leading the way – we base our business on the resource-efficient use of renewable natural resources and recyclable materials. The current welfare society is a product of the fossil economy, but we see that the unsustainable consumption can no longer continue. The core idea behind bio and circular economy is that every part of a tree and all fractions are used for purposes that create the highest added value. The Intelligent Fibre campaign reveals the future use of wood: all featured objects – the shoe, the headphones and the scale model of the bioproduct mill – are made of biodegradable materials. Click read more below for additional detail.

Sustainability is much bigger than recyclability. On this episode, Jesse considers often overlooked aspects of the packaging supply chain to determine its environmental impact.

Smurfit Kappa has begun operating a sophisticated Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP) to reduce emissions and increase the profitability of its Townsend Hook Paper Mill in Kent. The new CHP, which provides steam and electricity for the paper machine, will slash the mill’s carbon footprint by at least 15%. Earlier this year, Smurfit Kappa reported reaching its fossil CO2 emission reduction target three years ahead of schedule.

Avery Dennison is excited to announce winning the 2018 Sustainability Award for its new Sustainability Procurement Program at the Label Industry Global Awards ceremony last night in Rosemont, Illinois. The Label Industry Global Awards, created in 2004 to celebrate innovation and excellence, are presented annually during Labelexpo. The sustainability award is presented for a specific sustainable product or process by a supplier/converter company in the label industry introduced during 2017, that has a demonstrable impact in the industry.

Over the past two decades, the company’s approach to sustainability reporting has evolved significantly: from focusing solely on environmental commitments and actions to evaluating every part of the business and its impact, including societal and supplier governance. The 2018 Sustainability Report provides an updated overview of how the company is striving to drive its sustainability agenda across all areas of business, and the progress towards its goals in protecting food, people and futures.

Tens of billions of single-use coffee cups, many of which could have been recycled, end up in landfills each year in the United States. This is because of either ineffective cup collection and separation at the municipal level, or because of technical difficulties with cups at most recycling facilities. Sustana however, has continuously invested in resources to recycle coffee cups at scale, proving that the wide-scale recycling of single-use coffee cups is possible.

As autumn arrives in Geneva, Marco Bertolini’s appropriately named ‘Autumn in the forest’ is this month’s photo in the spotlight. A runner-up in our 2017 ‘Experience Forests, Experience PEFC’ photo contest, Marco shares the story behind his photo and explains why for him autumn is the most fascinating time of the year.

The second public consultation on the revised FSC® Trademark Use Guide for Promotional Licence Holders ends on 1 October 2018. Please submit your comments by then through our online consultation platform. The aim of the revision is to streamline the trademark use requirements to make it easier for non-certificate holders to promote FSC-certified products while ensuring that the changes do not compromise the credibility of FSC. It will also address Motion 29/2014 ("The Logo Motion").

UPM has been recognized as a Global Compact LEAD company for its strong engagement to the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. The recognition was addressed to only 34 global companies at the Global Compact Leaders Summit in New York on 24 September 2018. "LEAD companies represent the highest level of engagement with the UN Global Compact," says Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. "Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and creating the world we want will not happen without bold actions from the responsible business community," Kingo says.

University of Virginia Printing and Copying Services 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 are proud to have UVA Printing and Copying Services join us as a member organization. Our Two Sides coalition of university members is now at 14 and includes many schools with in-house printing facilities, and those that offer graphic communications as well as Paper Science & Engineering programs. They are a key part of our network to ensure the facts about print and paper reach the students, teachers and parents,” said Phil Riebel, Two Sides North America President. Click Read More below for additional information.

The UPS Foundation, which leads global citizenship and philanthropy programs for UPS, announced it will award nearly $2.7 million in grants to preeminent environmental organizations worldwide. The missions of these organizations align with The UPS Foundation and the company’s environmental sustainability goals, which address creation of global standards and best practices as well as other issues such as renewable energy sources and reducing its absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from global ground operations. This announcement comes after The UPS Foundation recently awarded $10 million in grants to 44 organizations that advance diversity and inclusion around the world. The most significant grants will advance The UPS Foundation’s commitment to fund the planting of “15 Million Trees By 2020” in urban and rural areas around the globe. Last year, the program funded the planting of more than 2.7 million trees, bringing the number of total trees planted to over 12.5 million - 84% to its goal. Click Read More below for additional information.