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HELSINKI, June 17, 2021 (Press Release) -Yesterday, UPM Raflatac helped launch The U.S. Plastics Pact's (“U.S. Pact”) “Roadmap to 2025,” an aggressive national strategy illustrating how the U.S. Pact, UPM Raflatac and fellow signatories, known as Activators, will achieve each of the U.S. Pact’s four 2025 targets through specific actions, responsibilities, and interim timeframes to realize a circular economy for plastics in the United States by 2025.

Launched in August 2020, The U.S. Plastics Pact is a consortium led by The Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact network, which unites a holistic ecosystem of cross-industry stakeholders behind a common vision and national strategy to address plastic waste at its source by 2025.

“It has been exciting to be part of the U.S. Plastics Pact since its inception and work with these incredible and passionate individuals. The launch of the Roadmap illustrates how far we have come in a very short time. We have set some ambitious goals and laid out the details of our execution plan in the Roadmap,” says Kyle Strenski, Business Director, HPC, Food and Beverage, at UPM Raflatac Americas

UPM Raflatac joins other stakeholders across the plastics value chain in achieving systemic change and accelerating progress toward the following 2025 targets by inspiring and supporting upstream innovation through coordinated initiatives such as rethinking products, packaging, and business models in order to transition away from today’s take-make-waste model to a circular economy where plastics never become waste:

Define a list of packaging to be designated as problematic or unnecessary by 2021 and take measures to eliminate them by 2025.

100% of plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.
By 2025, undertake ambitious actions to effectively recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging.
By 2025, the average recycled content or responsibly sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging will be 30%.
UPM Raflatac is committed to creating value from sustainable bio-innovations, such as UPM Raflatac Forest Film wood-based film. The company focuses on creating products that reduce the use of virgin fossil-based materials and treat waste as a valuable resource.

The U.S. Pact’s Roadmap is designed to kick-start action and help U.S. industry leaders and packaging producers develop a national strategy, advance shared goals, and measure the strength of progress through annual reporting. This national strategy will assist Pact Activators in reaching ambitious goals by 2025 that they could not otherwise meet on their own through sharing knowledge, optimizing investments, identifying gaps, overcoming systemic barriers, and implementing policies.

The Roadmap holds UPM Raflatac and other Activators of the U.S. Pact accountable to sustainability objectives by creating the pathway in which companies, governments and NGOs can successfully ensure that plastics remain in the U.S. economy and out of the environment for years to come.

UPM Raflatac

UPM Raflatac is leading in sustainable labeling through our innovative self-adhesive label materials and services. We offer high-quality paper and film label stock for branding and promotion, informational labels, and labels with functionality. We operate a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices. Our company employs around 3,000 people and made sales of EUR 1.6 billion (USD 1.9 billion) in 2020. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM.

The Recycling Partnership

The Recycling Partnership is the action agent transforming the U.S. residential recycling system for good. Our team operates at every level of the recycling value chain and works on the ground with thousands of communities to transform underperforming recycling programs and tackle circular economy challenges. As the leading organization in the country that engages the full recycling supply chain, from working with companies to make their packaging more circular and help them meet climate and sustainability goals, to working with government to develop policy solutions to address the systemic needs of the U.S. recycling system, The Recycling Partnership positively impacts recycling at every step in the process. Since 2014, the nonprofit change agent diverted 375 million pounds of new recyclables from landfills, saved 968 million gallons of water, avoided more than 420,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases, and drove significant reductions in targeted contamination rates. Learn more at recyclingpartnership.org

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit www.worldwildlife.org learn more and keep up with the latest sustainability news by following @WWFBetterBiz on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here. 

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact Network

Since 2016, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative has rallied businesses and governments behind a positive vision of a circular economy for plastic. Its 2016 and 2017 New Plastics Economy reports captured worldwide headlines, revealing the financial and environmental costs of waste plastic and pollution.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact Network is a globally aligned response to plastic waste and pollution, which enables vital knowledge sharing and coordinated action. It is a network of national and regional (multi-country) initiatives which brings together key stakeholders to implement solutions towards a circular economy for plastic, tailored to each geography. Each initiative is led by a local organisation and unites businesses, government institutions, NGOs and citizens behind a common vision, with an ambitious set of local targets.

UPM Raflatac helps launch US Plastics Pact's “Roadmap to 2025” strategy to achieve circular economy goals

Posted in: Packaging Technology 06/18/2021 - 07:23

HELSINKI, June 17, 2021 (Press Release) -Yesterday, UPM Raflatac helped launch The U.S. Plastics Pact's (“U.S. Pact”) “Roadmap to 2025,” an aggressive national strategy illustrating how the U.S. Pact, UPM Raflatac and fellow signatories, known as Activators, will achieve each of the U.S. Pact’s four 2025 targets through specific actions, responsibilities, and interim timeframes to realize a circular economy for plastics in the United States by 2025.

Launched in August 2020, The U.S. Plastics Pact is a consortium led by The Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact network, which unites a holistic ecosystem of cross-industry stakeholders behind a common vision and national strategy to address plastic waste at its source by 2025.

“It has been exciting to be part of the U.S. Plastics Pact since its inception and work with these incredible and passionate individuals. The launch of the Roadmap illustrates how far we have come in a very short time. We have set some ambitious goals and laid out the details of our execution plan in the Roadmap,” says Kyle Strenski, Business Director, HPC, Food and Beverage, at UPM Raflatac Americas

UPM Raflatac joins other stakeholders across the plastics value chain in achieving systemic change and accelerating progress toward the following 2025 targets by inspiring and supporting upstream innovation through coordinated initiatives such as rethinking products, packaging, and business models in order to transition away from today’s take-make-waste model to a circular economy where plastics never become waste:

Define a list of packaging to be designated as problematic or unnecessary by 2021 and take measures to eliminate them by 2025.

100% of plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.
By 2025, undertake ambitious actions to effectively recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging.
By 2025, the average recycled content or responsibly sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging will be 30%.
UPM Raflatac is committed to creating value from sustainable bio-innovations, such as UPM Raflatac Forest Film wood-based film. The company focuses on creating products that reduce the use of virgin fossil-based materials and treat waste as a valuable resource.

The U.S. Pact’s Roadmap is designed to kick-start action and help U.S. industry leaders and packaging producers develop a national strategy, advance shared goals, and measure the strength of progress through annual reporting. This national strategy will assist Pact Activators in reaching ambitious goals by 2025 that they could not otherwise meet on their own through sharing knowledge, optimizing investments, identifying gaps, overcoming systemic barriers, and implementing policies.

The Roadmap holds UPM Raflatac and other Activators of the U.S. Pact accountable to sustainability objectives by creating the pathway in which companies, governments and NGOs can successfully ensure that plastics remain in the U.S. economy and out of the environment for years to come.

UPM Raflatac

UPM Raflatac is leading in sustainable labeling through our innovative self-adhesive label materials and services. We offer high-quality paper and film label stock for branding and promotion, informational labels, and labels with functionality. We operate a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices. Our company employs around 3,000 people and made sales of EUR 1.6 billion (USD 1.9 billion) in 2020. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM.

The Recycling Partnership

The Recycling Partnership is the action agent transforming the U.S. residential recycling system for good. Our team operates at every level of the recycling value chain and works on the ground with thousands of communities to transform underperforming recycling programs and tackle circular economy challenges. As the leading organization in the country that engages the full recycling supply chain, from working with companies to make their packaging more circular and help them meet climate and sustainability goals, to working with government to develop policy solutions to address the systemic needs of the U.S. recycling system, The Recycling Partnership positively impacts recycling at every step in the process. Since 2014, the nonprofit change agent diverted 375 million pounds of new recyclables from landfills, saved 968 million gallons of water, avoided more than 420,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases, and drove significant reductions in targeted contamination rates. Learn more at recyclingpartnership.org

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit www.worldwildlife.org learn more and keep up with the latest sustainability news by following @WWFBetterBiz on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here. 

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact Network

Since 2016, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative has rallied businesses and governments behind a positive vision of a circular economy for plastic. Its 2016 and 2017 New Plastics Economy reports captured worldwide headlines, revealing the financial and environmental costs of waste plastic and pollution.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact Network is a globally aligned response to plastic waste and pollution, which enables vital knowledge sharing and coordinated action. It is a network of national and regional (multi-country) initiatives which brings together key stakeholders to implement solutions towards a circular economy for plastic, tailored to each geography. Each initiative is led by a local organisation and unites businesses, government institutions, NGOs and citizens behind a common vision, with an ambitious set of local targets.

ATLANTA, June 17, 2021 (Business Wire) -WestRock Company, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, has announced an expansion of its produce packaging offerings with the launch of its EverGrow Collection.

WestRock has achieved a proprietary approach for a produce packaging collection made using sustainably sourced wood fiber. WestRock EverGrow packaging is curbside recyclable when emptied and flattened, supporting the company’s ambition to reduce waste and build a 100 percent reusable, recyclable and compostable product portfolio.

“WestRock’s new EverGrow Collection is an excellent example of how we are innovating to improve the sustainability of our products while helping our customers meet their sustainability goals,” said Patrick Kivits, president of Consumer Packaging at WestRock. “We’ve leveraged our material science, structural design and packaging automation expertise to develop a collection of truly differentiated packaging solutions for our produce customers that are functional, recyclable and eye-catching.”

WestRock has worked with growers and retailers for generations to provide highly differentiated, fiber-based corrugated packaging and automation solutions. The EverGrow Collection is a natural extension. Its baskets, carriers, punnets and tills have been thoughtfully designed for easy stacking, operational efficiencies and superior branding at retail.

WestRock customer Niagara Orchards and Vineyard Corp was able to utilize these design features when the company launched its new paperboard produce carriers last year.

“We set out to deliver a 100% recyclable and sustainable container for the industry that is easy to pack, stack and handle,” said Spenser Greenfield, General Manager of Niagara Orchard and Vineyard Corp. “With the help from WestRock, we at Niagara Orchard and Vineyard Corp are now doing our part to move the produce industry away from plastic.”

About WestRock

WestRock partners with our customers to provide differentiated, sustainable paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock’s team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

WestRock launches new EverGrow collection expanding its produce packaging offerings

Posted in: Packaging Technology 06/17/2021 - 08:52

ATLANTA, June 17, 2021 (Business Wire) -WestRock Company, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, has announced an expansion of its produce packaging offerings with the launch of its EverGrow Collection.

WestRock has achieved a proprietary approach for a produce packaging collection made using sustainably sourced wood fiber. WestRock EverGrow packaging is curbside recyclable when emptied and flattened, supporting the company’s ambition to reduce waste and build a 100 percent reusable, recyclable and compostable product portfolio.

“WestRock’s new EverGrow Collection is an excellent example of how we are innovating to improve the sustainability of our products while helping our customers meet their sustainability goals,” said Patrick Kivits, president of Consumer Packaging at WestRock. “We’ve leveraged our material science, structural design and packaging automation expertise to develop a collection of truly differentiated packaging solutions for our produce customers that are functional, recyclable and eye-catching.”

WestRock has worked with growers and retailers for generations to provide highly differentiated, fiber-based corrugated packaging and automation solutions. The EverGrow Collection is a natural extension. Its baskets, carriers, punnets and tills have been thoughtfully designed for easy stacking, operational efficiencies and superior branding at retail.

WestRock customer Niagara Orchards and Vineyard Corp was able to utilize these design features when the company launched its new paperboard produce carriers last year.

“We set out to deliver a 100% recyclable and sustainable container for the industry that is easy to pack, stack and handle,” said Spenser Greenfield, General Manager of Niagara Orchard and Vineyard Corp. “With the help from WestRock, we at Niagara Orchard and Vineyard Corp are now doing our part to move the produce industry away from plastic.”

About WestRock

WestRock partners with our customers to provide differentiated, sustainable paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock’s team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

ATLANTA, June 17, 2021 (Business Wire) -WestRock Company, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, has announced an expansion of its produce packaging offerings with the launch of its EverGrow Collection.

WestRock has achieved a proprietary approach for a produce packaging collection made using sustainably sourced wood fiber. WestRock EverGrow packaging is curbside recyclable when emptied and flattened, supporting the company’s ambition to reduce waste and build a 100 percent reusable, recyclable and compostable product portfolio.

“WestRock’s new EverGrow Collection is an excellent example of how we are innovating to improve the sustainability of our products while helping our customers meet their sustainability goals,” said Patrick Kivits, president of Consumer Packaging at WestRock. “We’ve leveraged our material science, structural design and packaging automation expertise to develop a collection of truly differentiated packaging solutions for our produce customers that are functional, recyclable and eye-catching.”

WestRock has worked with growers and retailers for generations to provide highly differentiated, fiber-based corrugated packaging and automation solutions. The EverGrow Collection is a natural extension. Its baskets, carriers, punnets and tills have been thoughtfully designed for easy stacking, operational efficiencies and superior branding at retail.

WestRock customer Niagara Orchards and Vineyard Corp was able to utilize these design features when the company launched its new paperboard produce carriers last year.

“We set out to deliver a 100% recyclable and sustainable container for the industry that is easy to pack, stack and handle,” said Spenser Greenfield, General Manager of Niagara Orchard and Vineyard Corp. “With the help from WestRock, we at Niagara Orchard and Vineyard Corp are now doing our part to move the produce industry away from plastic.”

About WestRock

WestRock partners with our customers to provide differentiated, sustainable paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock’s team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

WestRock launches new EverGrow collection expanding its produce packaging offerings

Posted in: Environment 06/17/2021 - 08:52

ATLANTA, June 17, 2021 (Business Wire) -WestRock Company, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, has announced an expansion of its produce packaging offerings with the launch of its EverGrow Collection.

WestRock has achieved a proprietary approach for a produce packaging collection made using sustainably sourced wood fiber. WestRock EverGrow packaging is curbside recyclable when emptied and flattened, supporting the company’s ambition to reduce waste and build a 100 percent reusable, recyclable and compostable product portfolio.

“WestRock’s new EverGrow Collection is an excellent example of how we are innovating to improve the sustainability of our products while helping our customers meet their sustainability goals,” said Patrick Kivits, president of Consumer Packaging at WestRock. “We’ve leveraged our material science, structural design and packaging automation expertise to develop a collection of truly differentiated packaging solutions for our produce customers that are functional, recyclable and eye-catching.”

WestRock has worked with growers and retailers for generations to provide highly differentiated, fiber-based corrugated packaging and automation solutions. The EverGrow Collection is a natural extension. Its baskets, carriers, punnets and tills have been thoughtfully designed for easy stacking, operational efficiencies and superior branding at retail.

WestRock customer Niagara Orchards and Vineyard Corp was able to utilize these design features when the company launched its new paperboard produce carriers last year.

“We set out to deliver a 100% recyclable and sustainable container for the industry that is easy to pack, stack and handle,” said Spenser Greenfield, General Manager of Niagara Orchard and Vineyard Corp. “With the help from WestRock, we at Niagara Orchard and Vineyard Corp are now doing our part to move the produce industry away from plastic.”

About WestRock

WestRock partners with our customers to provide differentiated, sustainable paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock’s team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

HARTSVILLE, SC, June 17, 2021 (Globe Newswire) -Sonoco, one of the most sustainable, global diversified packaging companies, today announced it is expanding recovery and recycling of scrap materials from the production of its iconic EnviroCan paper containers in the U.S. to be used as raw material at three of its uncoated recycled paperboard mills to produce new paperboard.

According to Elizabeth Rhue, Sonoco’s staff vice president of Sustainability, Sonoco expects to divert from landfills approximately 3,300 tons of scrap materials annually from four of its U.S. paper container operations in West Chicago, Ill., Greenville, Wisc., Jackson, Tenn., and Norwalk, Calif. This material, which is projected to equal approximately 165 truckloads, will be sent to Sonoco paper mills in Menasha, Wisc., Newport, Tenn., and City of Industry, Calif., where it will be used as raw material to produce 100 percent recycled paperboard, with up to 85 percent post-consumer fiber.

“Sonoco is uniquely positioned as a leading recycler, paper mill operator and packaging converter to help deliver end of life solutions across our consumer and industrial packaging platforms. We are taking the lead to further demonstrate our ability to recycle our paper containers with metal ends not only through the steel stream, as they are largely done today, but also through the paper stream. And, we look forward to growing consumer access to increase recycling of our paper cans through post-consumer recycling streams,” said Rhue.

According to Tim Davis, division vice president and general manager of Sonoco’s U.S./Canada paper operations, this collaboration across Sonoco’s U.S. vertically integrated manufacturing network further demonstrates the flexibility the Company has to recycle and process fiber-based packaging through conventional paper mill pulping systems. Sonoco currently is working with the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) to recycle its paper containers in the U.K. at its Stainland, paper mill, in West Yorkshire, U.K., to produce 100 percent recycled coreboard.

Rhue concluded, “This is one of many steps Sonoco is taking to further our commitment to responsible material sourcing at our manufacturing operations, while reducing wastes out of our operations and delivering on our 2025 commitment to increase the volume of packaging by weight that is recycled or caused to be recycled through Sonoco’s recycling facilities and paper mills.”

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a global provider of consumer, industrial, healthcare and protective packaging. With annualized net sales of approximately $5.2 billion, the Company has 19,000 employees working in approximately 300 operations in 34 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is committed to creating sustainable products, services and programs for our customers, employees and communities that support our corporate purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life. The Company was listed as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 2021 as well as being included in Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies for the third year in a row.

Sonoco expands recycling of scrap materials from production of its iconic EnviroCan as raw material usage for production of new paperboard

Posted in: Environment 06/17/2021 - 08:33

HARTSVILLE, SC, June 17, 2021 (Globe Newswire) -Sonoco, one of the most sustainable, global diversified packaging companies, today announced it is expanding recovery and recycling of scrap materials from the production of its iconic EnviroCan paper containers in the U.S. to be used as raw material at three of its uncoated recycled paperboard mills to produce new paperboard.

According to Elizabeth Rhue, Sonoco’s staff vice president of Sustainability, Sonoco expects to divert from landfills approximately 3,300 tons of scrap materials annually from four of its U.S. paper container operations in West Chicago, Ill., Greenville, Wisc., Jackson, Tenn., and Norwalk, Calif. This material, which is projected to equal approximately 165 truckloads, will be sent to Sonoco paper mills in Menasha, Wisc., Newport, Tenn., and City of Industry, Calif., where it will be used as raw material to produce 100 percent recycled paperboard, with up to 85 percent post-consumer fiber.

“Sonoco is uniquely positioned as a leading recycler, paper mill operator and packaging converter to help deliver end of life solutions across our consumer and industrial packaging platforms. We are taking the lead to further demonstrate our ability to recycle our paper containers with metal ends not only through the steel stream, as they are largely done today, but also through the paper stream. And, we look forward to growing consumer access to increase recycling of our paper cans through post-consumer recycling streams,” said Rhue.

According to Tim Davis, division vice president and general manager of Sonoco’s U.S./Canada paper operations, this collaboration across Sonoco’s U.S. vertically integrated manufacturing network further demonstrates the flexibility the Company has to recycle and process fiber-based packaging through conventional paper mill pulping systems. Sonoco currently is working with the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) to recycle its paper containers in the U.K. at its Stainland, paper mill, in West Yorkshire, U.K., to produce 100 percent recycled coreboard.

Rhue concluded, “This is one of many steps Sonoco is taking to further our commitment to responsible material sourcing at our manufacturing operations, while reducing wastes out of our operations and delivering on our 2025 commitment to increase the volume of packaging by weight that is recycled or caused to be recycled through Sonoco’s recycling facilities and paper mills.”

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a global provider of consumer, industrial, healthcare and protective packaging. With annualized net sales of approximately $5.2 billion, the Company has 19,000 employees working in approximately 300 operations in 34 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is committed to creating sustainable products, services and programs for our customers, employees and communities that support our corporate purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life. The Company was listed as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 2021 as well as being included in Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies for the third year in a row.

BOSTON, June 16, 2021 (PRNewswire) -Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, today announced that it will sell its hydroelectric assets on the Presumpscot River in Maine to Dichotomy Power LLC, pending satisfactory completion of regulatory and other approvals. The move is designed to allow Sappi to focus on its core competencies and is consistent with Sappi's recent restructuring of the Westbrook site.

"We are happy to have found a strategic buyer in Dichotomy Power, a company with a wealth of expertise in this area, so that Sappi can continue to focus on its core competencies," said Mike Haws, President and CEO, Sappi North America. "Today's announcement allows us to redeploy resources to further develop our growing businesses."

"Dichotomy Power is pleased to have reached an agreement with Sappi North America, Inc. to acquire their Presumpscot River hydroelectric facilities," said Ian Clark, CEO of Dichotomy Power LLC. "We are proud to carry on a history of successful traditions that started in 1878 with mechanical waterpower. Dichotomy looks forward to investing in the facilities to increase renewable energy production while honoring the commitments made to the agencies, communities, regulators and stakeholders who helped craft the new licenses."

The deal is expected to close by the end of calendar year subject to regulatory and other approvals.

About Sappi North America, Inc.

Sappi North America, Inc., headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. The success of our three diversified businesses – high-quality graphic papers, pulp, and packaging and speciality papers – is driven by strong customer relationships, best-in-class people and advantaged assets, products and services. Our high-quality graphic papers, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset, and Flo, are the key platform for premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of dissolving pulp with our Verve brand, a sustainable fiber, which is used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods. We deliver sustainable packaging and specialty papers for luxury packaging and folding carton applications with our single-ply packaging brands, Spectro and Proto, and for the food and label industries with our specialty papers, LusterPrint and LusterCote. We are also one of the world's leading suppliers of casting and release papers with our Ultracast, PolyEx and Classics lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries. Customers rely on Sappi for high technical, operational and market expertise; products and services delivered with consistently high quality and reliability; and, state-of-the-art and cost-competitive assets and innovative spirit.

Sappi North America, Inc. is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 150 countries.

About Dichotomy Power LLC

Dichotomy Power LLC is a New York-based renewable-energy company engaged in the business of acquiring, renovating as needed, and operating hydroelectric assets in the United States, principally in the Northeast. Founded in 2019, Dichotomy creates value for stakeholders by working alongside regulators and local communities to enhance the fundamental value embedded in each operated renewable energy facility while preserving the environmental and social contributions these assets carry.

Sappi North America agrees to sell its hydroelectric assets to Dichotomy Power

Posted in: Bio-Insight 06/17/2021 - 02:33

BOSTON, June 16, 2021 (PRNewswire) -Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, today announced that it will sell its hydroelectric assets on the Presumpscot River in Maine to Dichotomy Power LLC, pending satisfactory completion of regulatory and other approvals. The move is designed to allow Sappi to focus on its core competencies and is consistent with Sappi's recent restructuring of the Westbrook site.

"We are happy to have found a strategic buyer in Dichotomy Power, a company with a wealth of expertise in this area, so that Sappi can continue to focus on its core competencies," said Mike Haws, President and CEO, Sappi North America. "Today's announcement allows us to redeploy resources to further develop our growing businesses."

"Dichotomy Power is pleased to have reached an agreement with Sappi North America, Inc. to acquire their Presumpscot River hydroelectric facilities," said Ian Clark, CEO of Dichotomy Power LLC. "We are proud to carry on a history of successful traditions that started in 1878 with mechanical waterpower. Dichotomy looks forward to investing in the facilities to increase renewable energy production while honoring the commitments made to the agencies, communities, regulators and stakeholders who helped craft the new licenses."

The deal is expected to close by the end of calendar year subject to regulatory and other approvals.

About Sappi North America, Inc.

Sappi North America, Inc., headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. The success of our three diversified businesses – high-quality graphic papers, pulp, and packaging and speciality papers – is driven by strong customer relationships, best-in-class people and advantaged assets, products and services. Our high-quality graphic papers, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset, and Flo, are the key platform for premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of dissolving pulp with our Verve brand, a sustainable fiber, which is used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods. We deliver sustainable packaging and specialty papers for luxury packaging and folding carton applications with our single-ply packaging brands, Spectro and Proto, and for the food and label industries with our specialty papers, LusterPrint and LusterCote. We are also one of the world's leading suppliers of casting and release papers with our Ultracast, PolyEx and Classics lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries. Customers rely on Sappi for high technical, operational and market expertise; products and services delivered with consistently high quality and reliability; and, state-of-the-art and cost-competitive assets and innovative spirit.

Sappi North America, Inc. is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 150 countries.

About Dichotomy Power LLC

Dichotomy Power LLC is a New York-based renewable-energy company engaged in the business of acquiring, renovating as needed, and operating hydroelectric assets in the United States, principally in the Northeast. Founded in 2019, Dichotomy creates value for stakeholders by working alongside regulators and local communities to enhance the fundamental value embedded in each operated renewable energy facility while preserving the environmental and social contributions these assets carry.

MONTREAL, June 15, 2021 (Press Release) -TC Transcontinental is proud to release its 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Progress Report, which outlines the results achieved in the course of its three-year 2019-2021 Acting Together CSR Plan and its 11 objectives around four axes: its employees, its operations, its products and its communities. Highlights of the report include innovative projects related to our commitment to the circular economy of plastics and the reduction of the corporation’s carbon footprint, in addition to an excellent performance on employee-related goals, including a reduction in the health and safety incident rate and an increased balance in gender diversity.

"The achievements reflected in this progress report are supported by strong governance and oversight of TC Transcontinental's corporate strategy and sustainability objectives, by its Board of Directors and its Governance and Social Responsibility Committee. These achievements also demonstrate the resilience and agility of the Corporation's leadership and its employees," said Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board of TC Transcontinental. In 2020, we continued our efforts to increase the representation of women in our leadership teams and are very proud to have surpassed our initial target by reaching 31% of women in leadership positions in our Packaging, Printing and Media Sectors."

"Today more than ever, TC Transcontinental is a corporation that is mobilized to create value for society as a whole," said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. While the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic are undeniable, they have not stopped our efforts in sustainable development. With our successful integration into flexible packaging and our continued leadership in the circular economy for plastics, we continue to work with stakeholders while investing in our recycling as well as research and development activities. It is with a spirit of collaboration and a continued growth mindset for the long term that we will begin the next phase in 2022, to create our next CSR plan."

As a reminder, in 2021, TC Transcontinental was ranked as one of the world’s 100 most sustainable corporations on the renowned Corporate Knights ranking, placing 45th, on top of finishing 2nd in the packaging industry. According to Corporate Knights, TC Transcontinental is among the top 50 corporations, in part because of its high score in clean investments, as well as the diversity of its Board of Directors and Senior Management.

About TC Transcontinental

TC Transcontinental is a leader in flexible packaging in North America, and Canada’s largest printer. The Corporation is also the leading Canadian French-language educational publishing group. For over 45 years, TC Transcontinental's mission has been to create quality products and services that allow businesses to attract, reach and retain their target customers.

Respect, teamwork, performance and innovation are the strong values held by the Corporation and its employees. TC Transcontinental's commitment to its stakeholders is to pursue its business activities in a responsible manner.

Transcontinental Inc., known as TC Transcontinental, has close to 8,000 employees, the majority of which are based in Canada, the United States and Latin America. TC Transcontinental had revenues of approximately C$2.6 billion for the fiscal year ended October 25, 2020.

TC Transcontinental releases its 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility progress report

Posted in: Environment 06/16/2021 - 12:54

MONTREAL, June 15, 2021 (Press Release) -TC Transcontinental is proud to release its 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Progress Report, which outlines the results achieved in the course of its three-year 2019-2021 Acting Together CSR Plan and its 11 objectives around four axes: its employees, its operations, its products and its communities. Highlights of the report include innovative projects related to our commitment to the circular economy of plastics and the reduction of the corporation’s carbon footprint, in addition to an excellent performance on employee-related goals, including a reduction in the health and safety incident rate and an increased balance in gender diversity.

"The achievements reflected in this progress report are supported by strong governance and oversight of TC Transcontinental's corporate strategy and sustainability objectives, by its Board of Directors and its Governance and Social Responsibility Committee. These achievements also demonstrate the resilience and agility of the Corporation's leadership and its employees," said Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board of TC Transcontinental. In 2020, we continued our efforts to increase the representation of women in our leadership teams and are very proud to have surpassed our initial target by reaching 31% of women in leadership positions in our Packaging, Printing and Media Sectors."

"Today more than ever, TC Transcontinental is a corporation that is mobilized to create value for society as a whole," said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. While the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic are undeniable, they have not stopped our efforts in sustainable development. With our successful integration into flexible packaging and our continued leadership in the circular economy for plastics, we continue to work with stakeholders while investing in our recycling as well as research and development activities. It is with a spirit of collaboration and a continued growth mindset for the long term that we will begin the next phase in 2022, to create our next CSR plan."

As a reminder, in 2021, TC Transcontinental was ranked as one of the world’s 100 most sustainable corporations on the renowned Corporate Knights ranking, placing 45th, on top of finishing 2nd in the packaging industry. According to Corporate Knights, TC Transcontinental is among the top 50 corporations, in part because of its high score in clean investments, as well as the diversity of its Board of Directors and Senior Management.

About TC Transcontinental

TC Transcontinental is a leader in flexible packaging in North America, and Canada’s largest printer. The Corporation is also the leading Canadian French-language educational publishing group. For over 45 years, TC Transcontinental's mission has been to create quality products and services that allow businesses to attract, reach and retain their target customers.

Respect, teamwork, performance and innovation are the strong values held by the Corporation and its employees. TC Transcontinental's commitment to its stakeholders is to pursue its business activities in a responsible manner.

Transcontinental Inc., known as TC Transcontinental, has close to 8,000 employees, the majority of which are based in Canada, the United States and Latin America. TC Transcontinental had revenues of approximately C$2.6 billion for the fiscal year ended October 25, 2020.

ZURICH, Switzerland, June 15, 2021 (Press Release) -Engaging nearly 100 organizations, the Roadmap outlines actions and responsibilities to achieve reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025.

Amcor announced its support for the launch of the U.S. Plastics Pact’s Roadmap to 2025, an aggressive national strategy for how the U.S. Pact, Amcor and other signatory organizations – known as Activators – will achieve four 2025 targets. Launched today, the plan delineates specific actions, responsibilities and timeframes necessary to realize a circular economy for plastics in the United States.

Launched in August 2020, the U.S. Plastics Pact is a consortium led by The Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global network. The network creates a holistic ecosystem of industry stakeholders with a common strategy: to address plastic waste at its source.

“Amcor is committed to creating responsible packaging that is recycled and reused,” said Amcor VP of Sustainability David Clark. “Our innovation is designing more and more of our packaging to be recycled and using more recycled content, but we need progress on infrastructure and consumer participation too.

That is why we are proud to support the rollout of the U.S. Plastics Pact Roadmap – which shows how cooperation across the value chain can help us solve the problem of waste in the environment.”

As a U.S. Pact Activator, Amcor joins others in the plastics value chain to drive progress through systemic change toward the 2025 targets:

Define a list of packaging to be designated as problematic or unnecessary by 2021 and take measures to eliminate them by 2025.
100% of plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
By 2025, undertake ambitious actions to effectively recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging.
By 2025, the average recycled content or responsibly sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging will be 30%.

The U.S. Pact Roadmap is designed to advance these goals and measure progress through annual reporting.

"The Roadmap is designed to help U.S. industry leaders act on the significant, systemwide change needed to realize a circular economy for plastics by 2025.” said U.S. Plastics Pact Executive Director Emily Tipaldo. “The timeframe is short, and the workload is immense, but if we choose to do nothing, the visions of a circular economy across the U.S. will give way to the status quo. We look forward to working with all our Activators to drive this critical change."

Amcor supports launch of U.S. Plastics Pact’s Roadmap to 2025 as opportunity to drive circular economy progress

Posted in: Environment 06/16/2021 - 12:26

ZURICH, Switzerland, June 15, 2021 (Press Release) -Engaging nearly 100 organizations, the Roadmap outlines actions and responsibilities to achieve reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025.

Amcor announced its support for the launch of the U.S. Plastics Pact’s Roadmap to 2025, an aggressive national strategy for how the U.S. Pact, Amcor and other signatory organizations – known as Activators – will achieve four 2025 targets. Launched today, the plan delineates specific actions, responsibilities and timeframes necessary to realize a circular economy for plastics in the United States.

Launched in August 2020, the U.S. Plastics Pact is a consortium led by The Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global network. The network creates a holistic ecosystem of industry stakeholders with a common strategy: to address plastic waste at its source.

“Amcor is committed to creating responsible packaging that is recycled and reused,” said Amcor VP of Sustainability David Clark. “Our innovation is designing more and more of our packaging to be recycled and using more recycled content, but we need progress on infrastructure and consumer participation too.

That is why we are proud to support the rollout of the U.S. Plastics Pact Roadmap – which shows how cooperation across the value chain can help us solve the problem of waste in the environment.”

As a U.S. Pact Activator, Amcor joins others in the plastics value chain to drive progress through systemic change toward the 2025 targets:

Define a list of packaging to be designated as problematic or unnecessary by 2021 and take measures to eliminate them by 2025.
100% of plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
By 2025, undertake ambitious actions to effectively recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging.
By 2025, the average recycled content or responsibly sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging will be 30%.

The U.S. Pact Roadmap is designed to advance these goals and measure progress through annual reporting.

"The Roadmap is designed to help U.S. industry leaders act on the significant, systemwide change needed to realize a circular economy for plastics by 2025.” said U.S. Plastics Pact Executive Director Emily Tipaldo. “The timeframe is short, and the workload is immense, but if we choose to do nothing, the visions of a circular economy across the U.S. will give way to the status quo. We look forward to working with all our Activators to drive this critical change."

WASHINGTON, DC, June 15, 2021 (Press Release) -Continuing its leadership in sustainability, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today announced Better Practices, Better Planet 2030: Sustainable Products for a Sustainable Future, a new set of sustainability goals for the paper and wood products industry.

“We have been and will continue to be a leader in sustainability,” said AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock. “The paper and wood products industry was one of the first U.S. manufacturing industries to adopt quantifiable sustainability goals back in 2011, and today these new ambitious goals will build upon that success in the decade ahead.”

Better Practices, Better Planet 2030 advances the industry’s comprehensive sustainability record over the last decade and includes a transparent reporting process for achieving each goal.

“Sustainable practices are at the foundation of this industry, which manufactures essential and innovative products used by millions of Americans each day, from renewable resources,” said Graphic Packaging President and Chief Executive Officer and AF&PA Board Chair Mike Doss. “We have a strong track record of delivering on sustainability commitments and these goals will guide our progress further into the future.”

The five Better Practices, Better Planet 2030 sustainability goals include reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; advancing a circular value chain through the production of renewable and recyclable products; striving for zero workplace injuries, as well as reducing serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs); driving water stewardship throughout manufacturing operations; and more resilient U.S. forests.

To date, AF&PA members have met or exceeded many of the sustainability goals outlined in Better Practices, Better Planet 2020, launched in 2011. Those achievements include a 23.2 percent reduction in GHG emissions; 13.3 percent improvement in energy efficiency; 38.4 percent reduction in workplace injuries; and 12 percentage point increase in wood fiber procurement from certified forestlands. The final Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 report will be released this fall.

“Importantly, our strength as an industry stems from the diversity of our people,” Brock said. “The paper and wood products industry fosters and promotes a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce by uniting people from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to work in partnership.”

Better Practices, Better Planet 2030 reinforces the industry’s values with a statement of principles on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), helping AF&PA advance DE&I in the paper and wood products industry and facilitating an exchange of members’ ideas and information.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance U.S. paper and wood products manufacturers through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. The forest products industry is circular in nature. AF&PA member companies make essential products from renewable and recyclable resources, generate renewable bioenergy and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry’s sustainability initiative — Better Practices, Better Planet 2030: Sustainable Products for a Sustainable Future. The forest products industry accounts for approximately four percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufactures nearly $300 billion in products annually and employs approximately 950,000 people. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $60 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 states.

AF&PA announces Better Practices, Better Planet 2030: Sustainable Products for a Sustainable Future

Posted in: Environment 06/15/2021 - 10:25