AF&PA Wins Telly Award for Improving Paper Recycling Video

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman released the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule on its Risk Management Program. “In meetings with EPA and in our comments on the rule, we raised a number of concerns that have gone unaddressed in this final rule: that’s disappointing. High on that list is the application of the Safer Technology Alternatives Analysis. We believe it should be an enforcement tool used on a case-by-case basis, not an industry requirement as the final rule indicates. Additionally, we think the requirement for third party audits are less robust than internal auditors who know location and processes. “Our manufacturers continue to make improvements and are committed to providing a safe workplace for our employees and the communities that surround our facilities. Unfortunately, adding an additional layer of regulation could impede, rather than promote, safety improvements as well as creating additional burdens.”

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

This month’s Member Spotlight features Rolland Enterprises Inc. A leading North American producer of uncoated papers, Rolland manufactures papers with up to 100% post-consumer content. With operations in Quebec and Wisconsin, the company’s operations include a paper mill and converting facility, as well as two state-of-the-art facilities that produce premium recycled pulp. Founded in 1882, Rolland’s enduring commitment to quality, innovation and sustainable manufacturing include sustainable sourcing, energy efficiency, water conservation, wastewater treatment technology, recycling of process byproducts and a continuing focus on further reducing its environmental footprint. Rolland uses the life cycle assessment (LCA) process to guide its sustainability improvement objectives and makes the results of its LCAs public, confirming the company’s environmental stewardship to its many stakeholders. For example, an LCA identified a gap in the company’s water consumption which enabled it to improve its water recycling systems. Today, Rolland’s paper mill has a closed-loop system that uses six times less water and recycles the water 30 times. One of the company’s most successful environmental innovations is the use of 93% renewable biogas energy to manufacture products at its paper mill — the only mill in North America to use primarily biogas for energy. An eight-mile-long pipeline feeds the mill with purified methane gas captured at a nearby landfill. This reduces Rolland’s annual CO2 footprint by 70,000 tons or the equivalent of taking 23,400 compact cars off the road for one year.