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Environment

KAMLOOPS, BC, April 3, 2021 (Kamloops This Week) -Odour resulting from the Domtar pulp mill high stack in Kamloops was reduced in 2020, compared to the two years prior, but community odour complaints increased.

According to Domtar’s 2020 Annual Air Report — which is a requirement as part of the mill’s air permit and was sent to the city at the beginning of March — mill stack odour last year was “slightly lower” than the previous two years and remains significantly down following improvements beginning in 2013.

Despite that, however, the company said community complaints about odour in fact rose last year. There were 50 complaints in 2020, compared to 36 complaints in 2019.

Kamloops This Week - 2020 data says pulp mill smell was reduced, but odour complaints rose

Fastmarkets RISI is not responsible for the reliability or availability of content on external websites.

2020 pulp mill smell was reduced at Domtar's Kamloops, SC, mill, but odor complaints rose

Posted in: Environment 04/03/2021 - 16:20

KAMLOOPS, BC, April 3, 2021 (Kamloops This Week) -Odour resulting from the Domtar pulp mill high stack in Kamloops was reduced in 2020, compared to the two years prior, but community odour complaints increased.

According to Domtar’s 2020 Annual Air Report — which is a requirement as part of the mill’s air permit and was sent to the city at the beginning of March — mill stack odour last year was “slightly lower” than the previous two years and remains significantly down following improvements beginning in 2013.

Despite that, however, the company said community complaints about odour in fact rose last year. There were 50 complaints in 2020, compared to 36 complaints in 2019.

Kamloops This Week - 2020 data says pulp mill smell was reduced, but odour complaints rose

Fastmarkets RISI is not responsible for the reliability or availability of content on external websites.

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CINCINNATI, OH, March 26, 2021 (Press Release) -Procter & Gamble has established an ambition to achieve 100% Forest Stewardship Council® certification for wood pulp sourced for its Charmin, Puffs and Bounty products by 2030. The company expects to reach its previous goal – nearly doubling its FSC-certified fiber use to 75% by 2025 – three years ahead of schedule. P&G works within its operations and through its supply chain and nonprofit partners to help keep forests as forests and champion higher standards for responsible forestry.

Through its accelerated action, P&G aims to protect, grow, and restore forests for the benefit of communities and wildlife.

Protecting forests through certification

Today all of Charmin, Puffs, and Bounty products use 100% third-party certified pulp – 75% of which will be FSC certified before 2022. P&G considers certification an important tool to help us deliver on our goal to respect workers and Indigenous Peoples and protect habitats for wildlife.

The company prefers FSC certification, which is recognized by many non-governmental organizations for protecting forests, biodiversity, and the rights of local and Indigenous communities. Yet the availability of FSC-certified wood pulp is insufficient to meet market demand. For more than five years, P&G has been working with experts to increase the number of forest acres that are FSC-certified in the U.S. and Canada.

To demonstrate its continued commitment to transparency, P&G tracks and annually reports the amount of wood pulp it purchases from suppliers certified under each forest certification system it uses, sharing data on sourcing volume, regions, tree harvesting age, and more.

Growing one tree for every one used

P&G only sources fiber for its Charmin, Puffs, and Bounty products from working forests, which provide a renewable supply of wood for the more than 5,000 items that people use every day. For every tree P&G uses, at least one is regrown.

Supporting restoration of forests in need

In addition to prioritizing FSC-certified sourcing, P&G strives to advance the protection of forests beyond where the company sources, working with nonprofit partners and others to restore forest habitats through projects such as:

  • Collaborating with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 1 million trees between 2020 and 2025.
  • Partnering with World Wildlife Fund to accelerate forest landscape restoration and rehabilitation planning efforts in the Atlantic Forest on Brazil’s east coast.
  • Working with the Rainforest Alliance – an international nonprofit working to create a better future for people and nature – to invest in the development and launch of the Forest Allies Community of Practice.

These actions help bring to life P&G's Ambition 2030 goal of protecting and enhancing forests. View P&G’s blog for details about the company’s responsible forestry commitment.

P&G accelerates commitment on responsible forestry, targets 100% FSC certification for wood pulp

Posted in: Environment 04/02/2021 - 16:22

CINCINNATI, OH, March 26, 2021 (Press Release) -Procter & Gamble has established an ambition to achieve 100% Forest Stewardship Council® certification for wood pulp sourced for its Charmin, Puffs and Bounty products by 2030. The company expects to reach its previous goal – nearly doubling its FSC-certified fiber use to 75% by 2025 – three years ahead of schedule. P&G works within its operations and through its supply chain and nonprofit partners to help keep forests as forests and champion higher standards for responsible forestry.

Through its accelerated action, P&G aims to protect, grow, and restore forests for the benefit of communities and wildlife.

Protecting forests through certification

Today all of Charmin, Puffs, and Bounty products use 100% third-party certified pulp – 75% of which will be FSC certified before 2022. P&G considers certification an important tool to help us deliver on our goal to respect workers and Indigenous Peoples and protect habitats for wildlife.

The company prefers FSC certification, which is recognized by many non-governmental organizations for protecting forests, biodiversity, and the rights of local and Indigenous communities. Yet the availability of FSC-certified wood pulp is insufficient to meet market demand. For more than five years, P&G has been working with experts to increase the number of forest acres that are FSC-certified in the U.S. and Canada.

To demonstrate its continued commitment to transparency, P&G tracks and annually reports the amount of wood pulp it purchases from suppliers certified under each forest certification system it uses, sharing data on sourcing volume, regions, tree harvesting age, and more.

Growing one tree for every one used

P&G only sources fiber for its Charmin, Puffs, and Bounty products from working forests, which provide a renewable supply of wood for the more than 5,000 items that people use every day. For every tree P&G uses, at least one is regrown.

Supporting restoration of forests in need

In addition to prioritizing FSC-certified sourcing, P&G strives to advance the protection of forests beyond where the company sources, working with nonprofit partners and others to restore forest habitats through projects such as:

  • Collaborating with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 1 million trees between 2020 and 2025.
  • Partnering with World Wildlife Fund to accelerate forest landscape restoration and rehabilitation planning efforts in the Atlantic Forest on Brazil’s east coast.
  • Working with the Rainforest Alliance – an international nonprofit working to create a better future for people and nature – to invest in the development and launch of the Forest Allies Community of Practice.

These actions help bring to life P&G's Ambition 2030 goal of protecting and enhancing forests. View P&G’s blog for details about the company’s responsible forestry commitment.

Read more

WASHINGTON, DC, April 1, 2021 (Press Release) -In a major victory for cleaning up the Potomac River, the owners of the closed Luke paper mill in Western Maryland have agreed to clean up toxic pollution that has been seeping into the waterway and pay the state a $650,000 penalty. The pollutants leaking  into the river include “black liquor,” a caustic byproduct of the paper pulping process, as well as contaminants associated with coal ash waste.

To resolve a pair of federal lawsuits over the pollution, Verso Corporation and Verso Luke LLC signed aconsent decreewith the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, represented by the Environmental Integrity Project, and the Maryland Department of the Environment.

“Credit is due to the Potomac Riverkeeper Network for raising the alarm about the toxic waste flowing from the mill – and to Maryland officials for then joining our citizen action to ensure a more robust and thorough remedy,” said Natalia Cabrera, attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP).  “This consent decree requires an extensive, comprehensive cleanup and years of follow up water quality monitoring to make sure the pollution stops, permanently.”

Brent Walls, the Upper Potomac Riverkeeper, said: “This long-awaited resolution of an even longer-standing pollution problem was hard won, but, as always in protecting our precious river, was well worth the struggle. Through diligence — and innovation in our use of drone technology to obtain photographic evidence — we, with our dedicated partners at Environmental Integrity Project — have finally achieved the basis to assure the health of the river.”

The settlement requires Verso to investigate and identify the sources and the extent of contamination at the mill, including the area around a million-gallon storage tank that had at one time held black liquor. The company must also develop and implement a comprehensive plan to clean-up all the contamination so that public health and the environment, particularly the river, are protected.

In addition to cleaning up the area around the former black liquor tank, Verso is also required to pump and treat contaminated groundwater, close a coal ash waste lagoon, and conduct monthly water quality sampling in the river and groundwater for at least three years following all cleanup measures to make sure that pollution from the site is no longer harming the river.

The Verso Luke paper mill closed on May 31, 2019, after 131 years of operation.  The company said at the time that the closure was due to “continuing decline in customer demand for the grades of coated free-sheet paper produced at the mill, along with rising input costs, a significant influx of imports,” and other factors.

Shortly before the closure, on April 6, 2019, a fisherman notified the Potomac Riverkeeper that black waste was leaking into the North Branch of the Potomac River. Soon after, the Potomac Riverkeeper notified state authorities.

The investigation that followed identified many potential sources of the black discharge that was occurring from multiple seeps along the mill’s banks, along with pollutants from coal ash waste areas. The tar-like gunk is so acidic it could burn people who touch it. And the wastes contain metals such as arsenic, mercury, and lead, which are highly toxic to aquatic life.

The Potomac Riverkeeper Network and their attorneys at the Environmental Integrity Project sent a notice of intent to sue Verso on November 19, 2019 for creating an imminent endangerment under federal hazardous waste law (the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act). The groups then filed a federal lawsuit on March 24, 2020.

In partnership with the Potomac Riverkeeper’s efforts to address the toxic pollution, on May 28, 2020, Maryland’s Attorney General and Maryland Department of the Environment also filed a federal lawsuit against Verso on May 28, 2020, and joined the Potomac Riverkeeper’s action.

The Potomac Riverkeepers Network, EIP, and the Maryland Attorney General’s Office then worked together to hammer out the consent decree that imposes the $650,000 penalty on Verso and demands the cleanup and monitoring.

For a copy of the consent decree,click here.

The Environmental Integrity Project is an 18-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Washington D.C., dedicated to enforcing environmental laws and strengthening public policy to protect public health and the environment.

Potomac Riverkeeper Network is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization with three regional Waterkeeper branches: Potomac Riverkeeper, Upper Potomac Riverkeeper, and Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Our mission is to protect the public’s right to clean water in our rivers and streams. We stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment.

Source: Environmental Integrity Project

Verso to pay $650,000 penalty and clean up toxic black sludge polluting Potomac River after Luke, MD, mill closure

Posted in: Environment 04/01/2021 - 19:28

WASHINGTON, DC, April 1, 2021 (Press Release) -In a major victory for cleaning up the Potomac River, the owners of the closed Luke paper mill in Western Maryland have agreed to clean up toxic pollution that has been seeping into the waterway and pay the state a $650,000 penalty. The pollutants leaking  into the river include “black liquor,” a caustic byproduct of the paper pulping process, as well as contaminants associated with coal ash waste.

To resolve a pair of federal lawsuits over the pollution, Verso Corporation and Verso Luke LLC signed aconsent decreewith the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, represented by the Environmental Integrity Project, and the Maryland Department of the Environment.

“Credit is due to the Potomac Riverkeeper Network for raising the alarm about the toxic waste flowing from the mill – and to Maryland officials for then joining our citizen action to ensure a more robust and thorough remedy,” said Natalia Cabrera, attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP).  “This consent decree requires an extensive, comprehensive cleanup and years of follow up water quality monitoring to make sure the pollution stops, permanently.”

Brent Walls, the Upper Potomac Riverkeeper, said: “This long-awaited resolution of an even longer-standing pollution problem was hard won, but, as always in protecting our precious river, was well worth the struggle. Through diligence — and innovation in our use of drone technology to obtain photographic evidence — we, with our dedicated partners at Environmental Integrity Project — have finally achieved the basis to assure the health of the river.”

The settlement requires Verso to investigate and identify the sources and the extent of contamination at the mill, including the area around a million-gallon storage tank that had at one time held black liquor. The company must also develop and implement a comprehensive plan to clean-up all the contamination so that public health and the environment, particularly the river, are protected.

In addition to cleaning up the area around the former black liquor tank, Verso is also required to pump and treat contaminated groundwater, close a coal ash waste lagoon, and conduct monthly water quality sampling in the river and groundwater for at least three years following all cleanup measures to make sure that pollution from the site is no longer harming the river.

The Verso Luke paper mill closed on May 31, 2019, after 131 years of operation.  The company said at the time that the closure was due to “continuing decline in customer demand for the grades of coated free-sheet paper produced at the mill, along with rising input costs, a significant influx of imports,” and other factors.

Shortly before the closure, on April 6, 2019, a fisherman notified the Potomac Riverkeeper that black waste was leaking into the North Branch of the Potomac River. Soon after, the Potomac Riverkeeper notified state authorities.

The investigation that followed identified many potential sources of the black discharge that was occurring from multiple seeps along the mill’s banks, along with pollutants from coal ash waste areas. The tar-like gunk is so acidic it could burn people who touch it. And the wastes contain metals such as arsenic, mercury, and lead, which are highly toxic to aquatic life.

The Potomac Riverkeeper Network and their attorneys at the Environmental Integrity Project sent a notice of intent to sue Verso on November 19, 2019 for creating an imminent endangerment under federal hazardous waste law (the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act). The groups then filed a federal lawsuit on March 24, 2020.

In partnership with the Potomac Riverkeeper’s efforts to address the toxic pollution, on May 28, 2020, Maryland’s Attorney General and Maryland Department of the Environment also filed a federal lawsuit against Verso on May 28, 2020, and joined the Potomac Riverkeeper’s action.

The Potomac Riverkeepers Network, EIP, and the Maryland Attorney General’s Office then worked together to hammer out the consent decree that imposes the $650,000 penalty on Verso and demands the cleanup and monitoring.

For a copy of the consent decree,click here.

The Environmental Integrity Project is an 18-year-old nonprofit organization, based in Washington D.C., dedicated to enforcing environmental laws and strengthening public policy to protect public health and the environment.

Potomac Riverkeeper Network is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization with three regional Waterkeeper branches: Potomac Riverkeeper, Upper Potomac Riverkeeper, and Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Our mission is to protect the public’s right to clean water in our rivers and streams. We stop pollution to promote safe drinking water, protect healthy habitats, and enhance public use and enjoyment.

Source: Environmental Integrity Project

Read more

FORT MILL, SC, March 30, 2021 (Press Release) -Domtar’s support of American Forest Foundation (AFF) biodiversity conservation initiatives is helping protect at-risk or endangered wildlife, especially in the Southeastern United States.

With help from Domtar and others, AFF is expanding a model designed to enlist landowners in the effort to ensure that biodiversity thrives in a forest habitat.

“Domtar has long recognized the role that family farms and rural landowners play in environmental stewardship, including maintaining habitat for a diverse range of species,” says Paige Goff, vice president for sustainability at Domtar. “This type of engagement fits our goals as well as AFF’s.”

AFF’s biodiversity conservation program began with a pilot project in Alabama that focused on the management of the longleaf pine, home to more than 800 plant and animal species.

AFF recruited landowners as partners, offering technical and financial resources for habitat improvements in exchange for 10 years of access to allow low-cost surveys for populations of gopher tortoise on the land. The pilot has been a success; the number of known tortoise populations in the state, as recorded in these surveys, has increased nearly four-fold.

With help from Domtar and other sponsors, this biodiversity conservation model is expanding beyond the pilot region into new areas and different species.

“We believe this early success can be seen across the tortoise range,” says Chris Erwin, AFF’s director of biodiversity and Southern conservation. “By working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to apply the pilot to a range-wide approach, we can achieve greater biodiversity and prove this concept as an avenue to healthy forests for all manner of wildlife.”

AFF plans to engage at least 500 landowners in habitat management and species population monitoring on at least 109,000 acres. Erwin says that achieving this goal would have a major effect on maintaining and enhancing the biodiversity of the region, catalyzing the long-term survival of 500 populations of at least five at-risk species.

Domtar supports American Forest Foundation biodiversity conservation initiatives to help protect at-risk or endangered wildlife

Posted in: Environment 04/01/2021 - 13:26

FORT MILL, SC, March 30, 2021 (Press Release) -Domtar’s support of American Forest Foundation (AFF) biodiversity conservation initiatives is helping protect at-risk or endangered wildlife, especially in the Southeastern United States.

With help from Domtar and others, AFF is expanding a model designed to enlist landowners in the effort to ensure that biodiversity thrives in a forest habitat.

“Domtar has long recognized the role that family farms and rural landowners play in environmental stewardship, including maintaining habitat for a diverse range of species,” says Paige Goff, vice president for sustainability at Domtar. “This type of engagement fits our goals as well as AFF’s.”

AFF’s biodiversity conservation program began with a pilot project in Alabama that focused on the management of the longleaf pine, home to more than 800 plant and animal species.

AFF recruited landowners as partners, offering technical and financial resources for habitat improvements in exchange for 10 years of access to allow low-cost surveys for populations of gopher tortoise on the land. The pilot has been a success; the number of known tortoise populations in the state, as recorded in these surveys, has increased nearly four-fold.

With help from Domtar and other sponsors, this biodiversity conservation model is expanding beyond the pilot region into new areas and different species.

“We believe this early success can be seen across the tortoise range,” says Chris Erwin, AFF’s director of biodiversity and Southern conservation. “By working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to apply the pilot to a range-wide approach, we can achieve greater biodiversity and prove this concept as an avenue to healthy forests for all manner of wildlife.”

AFF plans to engage at least 500 landowners in habitat management and species population monitoring on at least 109,000 acres. Erwin says that achieving this goal would have a major effect on maintaining and enhancing the biodiversity of the region, catalyzing the long-term survival of 500 populations of at least five at-risk species.

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WINTERTHUR, Switzerland, March 31, 2021 (Press Release) -Sulzer is expanding its presence in Denmark with the construction of a new service center that will provide its full range of product sales and maintenance services throughout the region, all from under one roof. The new facility will join Sulzer’s global network of service centers that work together to deliver local support backed by worldwide expertise.

The new service center will create synergies in sales and maintenance processes and will enable customers to realize improved efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness in their operations, in line with Sulzer’s stated goals for sustainable development. The new facility is centrally located in Middelfart, Denmark, with excellent transport links to many of Sulzer’s key customers in markets that include water and wastewater, pulp and paper, oil and gas as well as chemical processing. It will provide businesses with access to new equipment sales in addition to services for pumps, electromechanical equipment and turbomachinery. It will also offer a conveniently located base for Sulzer’s growing team of field service engineers.

Daniel Bischofberger, Division President Rotating Equipment Services at Sulzer, adds: “This new facility is the latest in a rapidly expanding network of Sulzer service centers. They have a proven role in helping the company to develop closer relationships with customers across the globe and increasing distribution efficiencies for spare parts.”

The purpose-built 1’728 m2 service center will include some 1’300 m2 of workshop space, helping Sulzer to optimize workflow and ensure fast turnarounds on projects, providing an efficient service for customers.

Sulzer expands its sales and aftermarket business with construction of new service center in Denmark

Posted in: Environment 04/01/2021 - 09:19

WINTERTHUR, Switzerland, March 31, 2021 (Press Release) -Sulzer is expanding its presence in Denmark with the construction of a new service center that will provide its full range of product sales and maintenance services throughout the region, all from under one roof. The new facility will join Sulzer’s global network of service centers that work together to deliver local support backed by worldwide expertise.

The new service center will create synergies in sales and maintenance processes and will enable customers to realize improved efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness in their operations, in line with Sulzer’s stated goals for sustainable development. The new facility is centrally located in Middelfart, Denmark, with excellent transport links to many of Sulzer’s key customers in markets that include water and wastewater, pulp and paper, oil and gas as well as chemical processing. It will provide businesses with access to new equipment sales in addition to services for pumps, electromechanical equipment and turbomachinery. It will also offer a conveniently located base for Sulzer’s growing team of field service engineers.

Daniel Bischofberger, Division President Rotating Equipment Services at Sulzer, adds: “This new facility is the latest in a rapidly expanding network of Sulzer service centers. They have a proven role in helping the company to develop closer relationships with customers across the globe and increasing distribution efficiencies for spare parts.”

The purpose-built 1’728 m2 service center will include some 1’300 m2 of workshop space, helping Sulzer to optimize workflow and ensure fast turnarounds on projects, providing an efficient service for customers.

Read more

LEICESTER, UK, March 31, 2021 (Press Release) -Leicester-based waste management and recycling firm, Casepak has won a tender to process circa 10,000 tonnes of mixed material from Tewkesbury Borough Council.

The new three-year contract will see dry, mixed recyclables collected from homes and businesses in Walsall before being sent to Casepak’s 165,000 tonne capacity Materials Recycling Facility (MRF).

The material will comprise paper, cardboard, plastics, cartons, glass and metals.

Georgina Cullen, Casepak’s Business Development Director, said: “We are delighted to be working with Tewkesbury Borough Council. At present, the council’s recycling rate stands at 51%, and we are going to work with them very closely to help boost this figure.

“Casepak will assist Tewkesbury Borough Council to improve the volume of high-quality material that is collected for recycling, and reduce the amount of contaminated items entering the recycling stream. We will also be supporting the Council with a range of initiatives, including assisting with communications to help residents improve recycling practices.”

Peter Tonge, Head of Community Services at Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “We are delighted that we will be working in partnership with Casepak, one of the UK’s leading recycling and waste management companies.

“In line with the council’s commitment to providing a recycling service that is easy for residents to use, householders will be able to carry on placing all their recyclable materials together in their blue bin, without the need for sorting. Casepak’s MRF will sort our mixed recycling efficiently and effectively, which will help us to achieve an increase in our recycling rate.”

The dry, mixed material will be collected from a transfer station before being taken to Casepak’s MRF on the Braunstone Frith Industrial Estate in Leicestershire to be processed.

Casepak secured the new contract after a competitive tender process. The three-year contract commenced on 29 March 2021 and includes an option to extend for a further four years.

UK's Casepak receives three-year recycling contract to process 10,000 tonnes of mixed material from Tewkesbury Borough Council

Posted in: Environment 04/01/2021 - 07:32

LEICESTER, UK, March 31, 2021 (Press Release) -Leicester-based waste management and recycling firm, Casepak has won a tender to process circa 10,000 tonnes of mixed material from Tewkesbury Borough Council.

The new three-year contract will see dry, mixed recyclables collected from homes and businesses in Walsall before being sent to Casepak’s 165,000 tonne capacity Materials Recycling Facility (MRF).

The material will comprise paper, cardboard, plastics, cartons, glass and metals.

Georgina Cullen, Casepak’s Business Development Director, said: “We are delighted to be working with Tewkesbury Borough Council. At present, the council’s recycling rate stands at 51%, and we are going to work with them very closely to help boost this figure.

“Casepak will assist Tewkesbury Borough Council to improve the volume of high-quality material that is collected for recycling, and reduce the amount of contaminated items entering the recycling stream. We will also be supporting the Council with a range of initiatives, including assisting with communications to help residents improve recycling practices.”

Peter Tonge, Head of Community Services at Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “We are delighted that we will be working in partnership with Casepak, one of the UK’s leading recycling and waste management companies.

“In line with the council’s commitment to providing a recycling service that is easy for residents to use, householders will be able to carry on placing all their recyclable materials together in their blue bin, without the need for sorting. Casepak’s MRF will sort our mixed recycling efficiently and effectively, which will help us to achieve an increase in our recycling rate.”

The dry, mixed material will be collected from a transfer station before being taken to Casepak’s MRF on the Braunstone Frith Industrial Estate in Leicestershire to be processed.

Casepak secured the new contract after a competitive tender process. The three-year contract commenced on 29 March 2021 and includes an option to extend for a further four years.

Read more

SUNDSVALL, Sweden , March 31, 2021 (Press Release) -In February 2021, the Land and Environmental Court in Östersund upheld an appeal from the Skydda Skogen (Protect the Forest) association regarding a number of harvesting notifications on SCA land in Jämtland and Härjedalen. The Court also found in favor of a harvesting ban at the harvesting sites in question. SCA is now appealing this ruling to the Supreme Land and Environmental Court.

In accordance with the Swedish Forestry Act, SCA reported the planned harvesting to the Swedish Forest Agency. The Agency had no objections and accordingly, after a period of six weeks, the landowner is free to implement the planned harvesting.

The Skydda Skogen association conducted inventories in the areas in question and submitted the results to the Swedish Forest Agency in the form of findings of red-listed plant and animal species. When the Swedish Forest Agency did not act on this information, Skydda Skogen appealed the Agency’s decision – or, more correctly, that it refrained from making a decision. This appeal was upheld by the Land and Environmental Court in Östersund, which also referred the case back to the Swedish Forest Agency and ruled in favor of a harvesting ban.

This ruling has now been appealed by SCA.

Jonas Mårtensson, President, Forest, comments: “We have taken adequate measures to protect the species found on the planned harvesting sites and there is no reason or obligation for the Forest Agency to act.”

“We want the Supreme Land and Environmental Court to examine whether the Swedish Forest Agency’s normal processing of a normal harvesting notification really can be subject to an appeal. If that is the case, then an environmental organization can appeal each and any planned harvesting. This would bring an unreasonable planning situation within forestry and there would be an equally unreasonable workload for the Forest Agency and for the legal system.”

“Swedish forestry policy is based on the cooperation between forest owners and a competent agency. If this court ruling is deemed valid, it would comprehensively alter the planning terms for forestry.”

Approximately 60,000 harvesting notifications are submitted to the Swedish Forest Agency by forest owners in Sweden each year. The number of harvesting notifications submitted by SCA per year is 5 000.

SCA appeals Land and Environmental Court ruling and harvesting ban

Posted in: Environment 03/31/2021 - 12:30

SUNDSVALL, Sweden , March 31, 2021 (Press Release) -In February 2021, the Land and Environmental Court in Östersund upheld an appeal from the Skydda Skogen (Protect the Forest) association regarding a number of harvesting notifications on SCA land in Jämtland and Härjedalen. The Court also found in favor of a harvesting ban at the harvesting sites in question. SCA is now appealing this ruling to the Supreme Land and Environmental Court.

In accordance with the Swedish Forestry Act, SCA reported the planned harvesting to the Swedish Forest Agency. The Agency had no objections and accordingly, after a period of six weeks, the landowner is free to implement the planned harvesting.

The Skydda Skogen association conducted inventories in the areas in question and submitted the results to the Swedish Forest Agency in the form of findings of red-listed plant and animal species. When the Swedish Forest Agency did not act on this information, Skydda Skogen appealed the Agency’s decision – or, more correctly, that it refrained from making a decision. This appeal was upheld by the Land and Environmental Court in Östersund, which also referred the case back to the Swedish Forest Agency and ruled in favor of a harvesting ban.

This ruling has now been appealed by SCA.

Jonas Mårtensson, President, Forest, comments: “We have taken adequate measures to protect the species found on the planned harvesting sites and there is no reason or obligation for the Forest Agency to act.”

“We want the Supreme Land and Environmental Court to examine whether the Swedish Forest Agency’s normal processing of a normal harvesting notification really can be subject to an appeal. If that is the case, then an environmental organization can appeal each and any planned harvesting. This would bring an unreasonable planning situation within forestry and there would be an equally unreasonable workload for the Forest Agency and for the legal system.”

“Swedish forestry policy is based on the cooperation between forest owners and a competent agency. If this court ruling is deemed valid, it would comprehensively alter the planning terms for forestry.”

Approximately 60,000 harvesting notifications are submitted to the Swedish Forest Agency by forest owners in Sweden each year. The number of harvesting notifications submitted by SCA per year is 5 000.

Read more

LINCOLN, RI , March 10, 2021 (Press Release) -We’ve used our paper expertise to create a more sustainable single-use custom face mask…

Unique paper design, for these unique times

We all know by now that wearing a face mask is a simple way for every shopper, customer or office worker to help stop the spread of COVID-19. However, it’s also led to a huge increase in plastic waste ending up in landfills and oceans. Our team looked at the needs of businesses and customers alike and set about creating a more sustainable single-use option. And now it’s here.

The design takes inspiration from the Japanese art of kirigami (a skillful paper folding and cutting technique). This ensures that our Paper Face Mask covers the nose and mouth comfortably and securely, while adapting to all kinds of adult faces. And, because it’s been designed with businesses that require some face-to-face interaction in mind, we’ve also made sure you can be heard clearly while wearing it – say goodbye to those muffled mask conversations (yes, we’ve all been there).

Tested. And then tested. And tested again.

Research shows that the Paper Face Mask is just as effective as a single-use plastic mask. So you won’t be compromising on safety. Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) tested it against a disposable plastic mask and found both masks reduced the amount of droplets expelled in a forward direction, compared to not wearing a face covering. Based on the use of relative pixel brightness as a proxy for the measurement of droplets, results from RIT indicate similar levels of droplet expulsion for the Paper Face Mask and a disposable plastic face covering. (You can read all about the tests here)

Personalized masks to match your brand

With a fully customizable front, you can feature your brand logo, designs, or anything you want on your custom masks. The only limit is your imagination.

Recycled AND recyclable

Unlike most single use masks, ours are 100% recycled AND recyclable. No additional glue or elastics is used, only recycled paper. Our single-use, lightweight face coverings are die cut from a single sheet of Mohawk’s recycled Cotton paper (110lb, 18pt). Plus, every custom mask is made, printed, and packed in the USA. Did someone say eco-friendly?

A reminder…

Please remember that our face mask is not a medical-grade mask, or item of personal protective equipment (PPE). Wearing one is an added measure, not a replacement for any other rules – so please keep washing those hands, keeping your distance and following the appropriate guidelines.

Moo to create more sustainable single-use custom paper face mask covers

Posted in: Environment 03/31/2021 - 10:03

LINCOLN, RI , March 10, 2021 (Press Release) -We’ve used our paper expertise to create a more sustainable single-use custom face mask…

Unique paper design, for these unique times

We all know by now that wearing a face mask is a simple way for every shopper, customer or office worker to help stop the spread of COVID-19. However, it’s also led to a huge increase in plastic waste ending up in landfills and oceans. Our team looked at the needs of businesses and customers alike and set about creating a more sustainable single-use option. And now it’s here.

The design takes inspiration from the Japanese art of kirigami (a skillful paper folding and cutting technique). This ensures that our Paper Face Mask covers the nose and mouth comfortably and securely, while adapting to all kinds of adult faces. And, because it’s been designed with businesses that require some face-to-face interaction in mind, we’ve also made sure you can be heard clearly while wearing it – say goodbye to those muffled mask conversations (yes, we’ve all been there).

Tested. And then tested. And tested again.

Research shows that the Paper Face Mask is just as effective as a single-use plastic mask. So you won’t be compromising on safety. Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) tested it against a disposable plastic mask and found both masks reduced the amount of droplets expelled in a forward direction, compared to not wearing a face covering. Based on the use of relative pixel brightness as a proxy for the measurement of droplets, results from RIT indicate similar levels of droplet expulsion for the Paper Face Mask and a disposable plastic face covering. (You can read all about the tests here)

Personalized masks to match your brand

With a fully customizable front, you can feature your brand logo, designs, or anything you want on your custom masks. The only limit is your imagination.

Recycled AND recyclable

Unlike most single use masks, ours are 100% recycled AND recyclable. No additional glue or elastics is used, only recycled paper. Our single-use, lightweight face coverings are die cut from a single sheet of Mohawk’s recycled Cotton paper (110lb, 18pt). Plus, every custom mask is made, printed, and packed in the USA. Did someone say eco-friendly?

A reminder…

Please remember that our face mask is not a medical-grade mask, or item of personal protective equipment (PPE). Wearing one is an added measure, not a replacement for any other rules – so please keep washing those hands, keeping your distance and following the appropriate guidelines.

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