Environmental Management – Sustainable Forests

Fibre sourced for pulp production now comes under new initiatives that include Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) and Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI).

• FSC – Forest Stewardship Council

  FSC is an international non-governmental organisation founded in 1993, whose task is to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests. Forests certified against FSC standards are located in more than 60 countries. The Council has defined ten general principles of forest management. Fulfilling the FSC standard requires independent third-party verification. Under the FSC Scheme, certification bodies provide two separate kinds of guarantees – Forest Certification and Chain of Custody.

  Forest Certification

  In order to certify a forest, an evaluation is carried out by the certification body on forest management systems, policies and social impacts.

  Chain of Custody

  A labelling system for wood and paper products which means that they are certified at each stage of their manufacture from forest to finished product. Through this process, chain of custody certification verifies that products from certified forests are not mixed with products from uncertified forests.

• PEFC – Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes

  PEFC is, by area, the world’s largest forest certification system. It is an umbrella organisation for the mutual recognition of national or regional forest certification schemes which meet internationally recognised requirements for sustainable forest management. PEFC includes forest certification, Chain of Custody and product labelling. Fullfilling the PEFC standard requires independent third-party verification.

• SFI – Sustainable Forestry Initiative

  SFI is one of the world's largest sustainable forestry and certification programs. It is a system of principles, objectives and performance measures that integrates growing and harvesting trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil, water quality and certain aspects of social responsibility. SFI is based on responsible practices, regulation and democratic processes and sound science.

Each of these initiatives ensures the fibre used is renewable and that the plantation forests are sustainable.

Environmental Management – Paper Manufacturing

Paper mills offer an extensive range of stocks that are manufactured under Environment Manager Systems that include continuous improvement systems such as:

• ISO 14001

  International environmental standards that promote continuous improvement in the development and monitoring of industry wide practices and policies.

• EMAS – Eco Management and Audit System

  Used by the European Union since 1995 and regarded as the superior environmental standard. The scheme requires transparent public reporting, monitoring, auditing and employee involvement in its implementation. EMAS is designed to deliver continual improvements in a company's environmental performance.

Bleaching Process

When wood is pulped, it becomes naturally discoloured. The environmental challenge is to bleach the pulp while minimising harmful side-effects on the environment.

• Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF)

  Pulp is bleached using processes that do not use elemental chlorine gas, reducing significantly the amount of toxins released.

• Totally Chlorine Free (TCF)

  A pulp bleaching process that avoids the use of all chlorine, in elemental or compound form.

Recycled

To obtain the Recycled label, a paper must contain recovered materials. Recycled paper can be 100% recycled or consist of a mixture of pre and post consumer waste along with some virgin fibre to add strength.

• Pre Consumer Waste

  Only types of waste from the mill itself such as offcuts or mill broke.

• Post Consumer Waste

  Waste collected after the consumer has used and disposed of it. Recovered printed materials that can be de-inked to form a recycled pulp.

Summary

By specifying environmentally preferred paper stocks, you are endorsing a process that includes:

• wood fibre from sustainable forests
• elemental and totally chlorine free bleaching processes
• Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to ensure continuous reduction of environmental impacts
• comparable cost, whiteness and smoothness to traditional stocks
• recycled stocks with a combination of pre and post consumer materials