Argentine forest certification system submitted for assessment

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement in opposition to the Maine Legislature’s passage of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging (LD 1541): ”American Forest & Paper Association members have a measurable record of success in making paper and paper-based packaging more sustainable and circular through market-based approaches. Maine’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging ignores the fact that our industry has achieved a consistently high paper recycling rate. Last year, nearly two-thirds of all paper was recycled, and for over a decade, paper recycling has met or exceeded 63 percent. “We urge Governor Janet Mills to veto Maine LD 1541. The current bill has direct consequences for Maine’s businesses and manufacturers, including the forest products industry, which operates 35 facilities and employs more than 13,000 people in the Pine Tree State. This legislation does not recognize the material recovery and market development achievements of the paper industry, and it should be based on sound policy that benefits the environment, consumers and reflects best practices for doing business and creating jobs.”

The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations’ (ICFPA) launched its 2017 Sustainability Progress Report. It is the sixth biennial report highlighting ICFPA members’ progress on the sustainability commitments agreed upon in the 2006 CEO Leadership Statement on Sustainability. “We are proud to announce our global industry’s continuous progress, which represents our commitment to social and environmental aspects associated with forest management and the manufacture of forest-based products,” said ICFPA President Jane Molony. “We look forward to continuing to supply the growing global demand for sustainable products, including fuel, fiber and forest products, while moving towards a greener economy.” Click Read More below for additional information.

RETEC Technologies has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print and paper. “Our team has developed RF3 as a substitute for Wax and Polyethylene coatings so that the material can be repulped, recycled and composted. Our Founder, Francois Dandenault, has perfected this Repulpable Fast Film Formation (RF3) Technology and it is now available to the Packaging and Printing markets. We are very excited to join Two Sides North America, to promote the responsible production, use and reuse of fiber,” says Dan Hoffman, Business Development Manager, RETEC Technologies.