Understanding the Eco Paper Universe

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Agenda Introductions to Canopy and the EPN Why it’s important to choose the Best Eco-Paper Solutions The Paper Steps Navigating Paper Labels and Certifications Questions

Conserves biodiversity and endangered forests by shifting North American businesses away from papers derived from ancient and endangered forests, globally We work collaboratively through the entire paper supply chain to bring eco-papers to market Known as Markets Initiative until 2009 Best known as the organization behind the greening of Harry Potter and facilitating Canadian Geographic to print on the ‘Wheat Sheet’ Steering Committee Member of the Environmental Paper Network

Environmental Paper Network and Common Vision Represents over 100 organizations working together to accelerate social and environmental transformation in the pulp and paper industry. Goals are to protect the world’s last endangered forests, safeguard our global climate, and ensure abundant, clean drinking water and respect for community and indigenous rights. The Network developed the Common Vision as a framework to guide necessary shifts in production and consumption. Pillars in the Common Vision 1. Minimize paper consumption 2. Maximize recycled content 3. Source fiber responsibly 4. Encourage cleaner production practices Developed www.whatsinyourpaper.com and the Paper Steps

The importance of choosing the best Eco-Paper
P&W 6% average recycled content; Newsprint 33% average recycled content
The balance still comes from virgin fiber
Forest clear cuts cause forest fragmentation and/or degradation
Not all certification systems are created equal. Some allow up to 120 acre clear cuts (about 90 football fields) and do not protect threatened or endangered species or High Conservation Value Forest areas
Unsustainable logging can be both legal and certified
Conversion of natural forests to tree farms
Extensive illegal logging around the world, including Indonesia and Russia
Carbon rich intact forests like the PNW or the Boreal or Indonesia
Areas with significant cultural and biodiversity impacts (caribou, tiger, orangutan habitat or homes or territories of indigenous peoples in South America, Asia, Indonesia and even Canada)

beauty sask - GL

The importance of choosing the best Eco-Paper
Energy, water and chemical intensive to pulp virgin tree pulp
(see Susan Kinsella’s webinar on Dispelling Myths for more information)
Using tree biomass for energy is not carbon neutral
( see Carbon Neutral Fact Sheet, EPN and Science , 325:529, October 23, 2009 with research from Princeton)
Some mills in NA still have effluent issues
NA has low paper recovery rates compared to some countries: USA 57.4% (AF&PA 2008) compared to ~75% in Germany (CEPI 2005)
43.6% of P&W paper recovered (AF&PA 2005)
Excessive paper in land fill results in potent greenhouse gas emissions (Methane) as it decomposes

Forests and Climate
Carbon values and biodiversity vary by forest type
What’s meaningfully sustainable in the Boreal is different than that which is sustainable in the Pacific North West, the US SE, Indonesia etc
Cookie cutter certifications/approaches do not address this, nor do some national laws
‘ Forests are well known for their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, but when they are destroyed they release CO2 into the air. This helps explain why Indonesia, a developing country with high rates of deforestation, now has one of the highest emissions rates in the world.
Forest loss contributes as much as 12-15% to annual greenhouse gas emissions, about the same as the entire global transportation sector. It will be practically impossible to avoid dangerous climate change without addressing this problem. That is why forests must be part of the solution.’
Source:
www.Illegal-logging.info
Maintained by Energy, Environment and Development Program of
Chatham House and financing from UK Department of International Development

“ Curbing deforestation is a highly cost-effective way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and has the potential to offer significant reductions fairly quickly.” — Stern Review, p.537

Solutions 1. Maximize paper efficiencies 2. Give purchasing preference to paper from the Superior or top steps of the Paper Steps 3. Support chlorine free/advanced bleaching technologies 4. Support agricultural residue paper development 5. If you need to buy paper with virgin tree fiber source virgin from FSC certified forests

Environmentally Responsible Fibre Attributes Post-Consumer Pre-consumer (deinked) Agricultural residue FSC certified virgin free of Endangered or High Conservation Value Forest fibre Cleaner Production Technologies are also included in each step

Environmentally Inferior Paper Very few if any environmental attributes Little if any recycled content Virgin tree fiber is not from FSC certified forests and may be from Endangered or High Conservation Value Forests

Transitional Paper At least 10% of the fibre has environmental attributes 10% Post-Consumer or 10% Agricultural Residue And/or FSC Mixed Sources certified No controversial fibre sources ECF, not EC

Improved Paper At least 50% of the fibre has environmental attributes 30% PCR minimum if paper has virgin tree fibre FSC certification if more than 50% virgin No controversial fibre sources EECF, PCF or TCF, not ECF

Superior Paper = Greenest of the Green 100% of the fibre has environmental attributes 50% PCR minimum if paper has virgin tree fibre Virgin from FSC certified tenures With no ‘controlled wood’ or controversial fibre sources PCF or TCF

Where do I find the best Eco-Papers? There are almost 700 FSC papers on market = Transitional and higher # of Superior or FSC papers suitable for book, magazine, catalogue and newspaper publishers more than doubled in the last 18 months 350+ papers in the Eco Paper Database - papers with the highest eco attributes as identified in the Paper Steps Searchable database of P&W and packaging papers Contains the best eco papers in each paper type Searchable by Paper Step www.canopyplanet.org/EPD/index.php If you have manufacture a paper you think should be in the database let us know, we’ll review the specs and add it if it fits the criteria

128 Superior Papers in Eco-Paper Database Superior Coated Freesheet 5 Coated Groundwood 7 Uncoated Freesheet 55 Copy Paper 22 Uncoated Groundwood 16 Packaging/Board 13 Envelopes 4 Other 6 www.canopyplanet.org/EPD/index.php

Benefits of buying ‘Superior’ Eco-Paper No new trees needed if 100% post consumer recycled or agricultural residue Maximizes the life cycle of paper already in the system Supports paper recycling and deinking infrastructure Supporting FSC results in more sustainable on the ground logging - e.g.35 million+ ha now certified in Canada Uses less energy, water and chemicals in production Supports advanced pulping and bleaching technologies (e.g. extended and oxygen-based delignification, maximal effluent recovery and the use of non chlorine-based bleaching chemicals) Considered a ‘low carbon’ and ‘low biodiversity’ paper option May cost more, but you reduce your environmental impact as much as possible

Labels you might see on Superior Paper:
3rd Party Certification and other Designations
FSC recycled
FSC/PEFC Recycled
Ancient Forest Friendly TM - Canopy’s ‘designation’ applies to fiber content and bleaching

Certifications and Other labels you might see on Transitional, Improved or Superior papers:
Green Seal - on some Superior papers - certifies recycled content
Ecologo - currently no recycled content minimums but most Ecologo paper is also Superior - check recycled content
WWF Panda - can apply to Superior papers but can also be found on Transitional papers
Rainforest Alliance endorsed/certified - can apply to Superior papers but can also be found on Transitional papers
Recycled mobius loop/symbol - not regulated
CFPA - PCF or TCF - applies to bleach process only
Green-E - applies to energy, not fiber content
Biogas - Cascades brand
Wind energy - can also be seen on papers that are not Superior
Acid Free

Labels and Certifications that do not apply to ‘Environmentally Superior Papers’:
‘ Recyclable’ or ‘Renewable’ or ‘Sustainably Harvested’ - they might be but just because this claim is made does not mean it is ‘Superior’
Carbon Neutral
- especially on virgin papers because they usually do not look at the loss of biomass associated with logging forest of origin
- can be a mill claim that is not 3rd party audited
- may apply to some Superior paper from certain mills
Elemental Chlorine Free = Transitional category
Chlorine Free - could mean ECF
Woodfree
SFI, CSA, PEFC certified virgin
FSC controlled wood - is not from an FSC certified tenure
ISO 14001

Questions? Eco Paper Database www.canopyplanet.org/EPD/index.php The Paper Steps www.whatsinyourpaper.com Common Vision www.environmentalpaper.org [email_address]

Understanding the Eco Paper Universe

by New Leaf Paper on Mar 18, 2010

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Understanding the Eco Paper Universe — Presentation Transcript