AF&PA Supports NY Legislature’s Decision to Shelve and Improve EPR Proposal

Sustainable forestry is about caring for the long-term resilience of forests and is often wrongly associated with the environmentally and socially destructive practice of deforestation. Deforestation is one of the largest contributors to climate change because when trees are lost to forest fires or die and decay due to insects or disease without proper regeneration, the stored carbon is permanently released into the atmosphere. Forests are considered carbon sinks, because as trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the air, converting it into plant matter by way of photosynthesis. It’s well-documented that the destruction of these naturally occurring carbon sinks is detrimental to our environment and the balance of global temperatures. The commitment made in November 2022 at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) is evidence of this significance, with leaders representing over 85% of the world’s forests pledging to halve and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030.

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) can now add Inteplast Engineered Films (IEF) to its roster of members, which includes the likes of DuPont, Hello Fresh, Clorox, and Fitbit. IEF, a manufacturer of technologically advanced film for printers, converters, and various markets, is excited to join forces with SPC’s growing collective focused on this area of sustainable and eco-friendly innovation. IEF, already expanding its sustainable film portfolio, expects to take advantage of forging partnerships within this valuable network of progressive brands such as Amazon, FedEx, and many more.

Though no larger than mustard seeds, the fruit of the Brassica carinata plant carries huge promise for carbon-neutral traffic. The “bio” prefix in biofuels might suggest a straightforward option for mitigating climate change. But cultivating plants as feedstock for biofuels is not entirely unproblematic. Not all methods of crop cultivation are sustainable, or climate friendly. And, moreover, if fields are allocated for cultivating biofuel feedstock, will there be enough land left over for farming food crops to feed the ever-growing global population? These are among many complex issues coming under increased scrutiny as the menace of climate change looms larger. Brassica carinata, however, is a plant that seems perfect for the biofuels industry. The grain is unfit for human consumption, yet it contains oil that is highly suitable as raw material for biofuel. As carinata grows in winter outside the normal planting season, it can be sown in the same fields as summer food crops. However, only 30% of land is currently in productive use during winter with winter.