At Resolute Forest Products, we rely on the forest to make our products, and respect for the environment is integral to what we do. We work hard to operate in a way that is sustainable and reflects the values of our employees, our customers and the communities in which we operate. We are continuously improving our manufacturing processes and reducing our environmental footprint.
Every consumer decision individuals make has an environmental impact that one needs to be aware of and factor into one's choices.Here are three things to know about paper:
1. Trees are Renewable
Paper is environmentally friendly because it is derived from a completely renewable resource: trees. In North America, there is no deforestation on account of harvesting for the production of forest products1. Deforestation is the permanent removal of forest cover from an area and the conversion of this previously forested land to other uses, such as agriculture or urbanization.
Everything we harvest is grown back, either through natural regeneration or replanting. Visit the Forestry and Fiber Sourcing section of our website to learn more about our forestry practices.
2. Responsible Forestry is Sustainable
It is not enough just to replace trees; forests need to be managed in a sustainable manner, taking environmental, social and economic values into account. Specific action plans should be put in place to:
- Protect wildlife, fish, plants, soil and water
- Conserve biological diversity
- Ensure other land uses, such as recreational spaces and cultural heritage sites
Paper mills and sawmills that have fiber tracking systems in place (chain of custody) can provide the assurance that the fiber supply comes from acceptable sources, such as third-party-certified woodlands and legal harvesting operations. As a consumer, you should look for paper sourced from sustainably managed forests.
At Resolute, we have third-party certified 100% of our managed woodlands to sustainable forest management (SFM) standards. We have also implemented fiber tracking systems at all our pulp and paper mills to ensure that the fiber used — including that purchased from external suppliers — comes from responsible sources and is legally harvested. Visit the Forest Certification section of our website for details.
3. Paper is Recyclable
Keep in mind that nothing goes to waste in forestry. Trees provide the raw material for houses, furniture and shipping/packaging materials, as well as heat and energy, among other uses. But to best ensure the effective use of trees, paper should always be recycled.
Every ton of recyclable paper diverted from landfills conserves landfill space, saves electricity, water and air pollutants, and maximizes the use of the trees required to produce paper products2. Recycling is one of the simplest gestures we can each make to minimize our environmental impact.
In terms of producing paper, adding recycled content is often seen as an environmental quick fix, but the surprising truth is that this is not always the case. If you consider the total environmental footprint of paper production — including the transportation of raw materials and the use of chemicals — at times it can be more environmentally advantageous to use fresh fiber. Furthermore, fiber strands can only pass through the recycling process a certain number of times. Because of this, we need to continue to source fiber from our forests. If not, we would run out of fiber in just a few months3.
At Resolute, we produce 30 different grades of paper with recycled content. In fact, we are one of the leading recyclers of old newspapers and magazines in North America. In 2012, we used 942,000 air dried metric tons (ADMT) of recycled fiber.
You can learn more about our recycling efforts and eco-efficient products elsewhere on our website or at www.paperretriever.com and www.ecorewards.com.
Commitment to Sustainability
We are committed to enhancing our environmental performance and ensuring the responsible use of resources in our manufacturing processes. To read more about our commitment to sustainability, read our Sustainability Report.
If you have any questions, contact us at eco.info@resolutefp.com.
Sources:
1. FPAC, AF&PA
2. earth911.com
3. Metafore — Paper Fiber Life Cycle Research