Environment

WASHINGTON, DC, March 26, 2020 (Press Release) -American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) issuance of “Begin Actual Construction” draft air guidance policy, which will now allow significant construction activity to start parts of a multi-faceted project unrelated to any equipment that has emissions.

“This Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air guidance takes a welcome step toward recognizing the need for flexibility and common sense in the air permitting process for new construction and site preparation activities. EPA’s current restriction of virtually all such work in advance of obtaining a New Source Review (NSR) permit prevents companies from moving forward, even with non-emitting portions of a project. Under the new policy, more construction and site preparation activities will be allowed prior to obtaining major or minor NSR permits. Ultimately, projects, particularly those in colder climates with a limited construction season, can be completed faster to meet customer needs while at the same time ensuring that any emitting equipment’s air impacts are fully evaluated. In this draft guidance, EPA is adopting a revised interpretation that is more consistent with the regulatory text. We believe this approach allows for both air permitting compliance while also allowing significant investments to move forward that do not impact air quality.”

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. AF&PA member companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry’s sustainability initiative — Better Practices, Better Planet 2020. 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 men and women. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $55 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 states.

AF&PA applauds EPA for “Begin Actual Construction” draft air guidance policy

Posted in: Environment 03/27/2020 - 08:12

WASHINGTON, DC, March 26, 2020 (Press Release) -American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) issuance of “Begin Actual Construction” draft air guidance policy, which will now allow significant construction activity to start parts of a multi-faceted project unrelated to any equipment that has emissions.

“This Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air guidance takes a welcome step toward recognizing the need for flexibility and common sense in the air permitting process for new construction and site preparation activities. EPA’s current restriction of virtually all such work in advance of obtaining a New Source Review (NSR) permit prevents companies from moving forward, even with non-emitting portions of a project. Under the new policy, more construction and site preparation activities will be allowed prior to obtaining major or minor NSR permits. Ultimately, projects, particularly those in colder climates with a limited construction season, can be completed faster to meet customer needs while at the same time ensuring that any emitting equipment’s air impacts are fully evaluated. In this draft guidance, EPA is adopting a revised interpretation that is more consistent with the regulatory text. We believe this approach allows for both air permitting compliance while also allowing significant investments to move forward that do not impact air quality.”

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. AF&PA member companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry’s sustainability initiative — Better Practices, Better Planet 2020. 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 men and women. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $55 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 states.

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OLYMPIA. WA, March 25, 2020 (PRNewswire) -Today, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into lawESSHB 2528, legislation acknowledging the essential role Washington state's forestry industry and working forests play in removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and affirming it is in the public's interest to support all aspects of a fully integrated forest sector in the state. 

The legislation formally establishes a state policy recognizing and supporting the complete forest products sector as a climate solution, which includes landowners, mills, bioenergy, pulp and paper, harvesting and transportation infrastructure necessary to continue sustainable forestry, production and transportation of the state's wood products. 

Leaders of the Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA) and the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) say the new law represents an important step toward ensuring a robust forestry industry while promoting sustainability.

"This legislation recognizes the importance of trees, wood and paper products in absorbing and storing carbon," said Mark Doumit, WFPA Executive Director. "Recognition that the forest and wood products sector, including landowners, mills, bioenergy, pulp and paper, and the related harvesting and transportation infrastructure is part of our state's natural climate solution, also supports rural communities and jobs."

Once enacted into law, state agencies would recognize and support efforts by the timber industry to sequester carbon through reforestation and transference to long-lived wood products. The legislation also encourages landowners to grow more trees that promote air quality and sequester carbon from the atmosphere by promoting investments in sustainable forestry and wood production.

"We thank Gov. Inslee for approving this legislation, and we appreciate the overwhelming bipartisan majorities in the Legislature for recognizing our entire industry is essential to state climate solutions," said AFRC President Travis Joseph. "The state understands the enormous potential for sustainable and renewable Washington-grown and manufactured wood products, which not only store carbon for generations, but support thousands of family-wage jobs as well."

Washington private forests and wood products sector sequesters 12% of the state's carbon emissions, and working forests play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gases. Sustainably managed forests provide a renewable timber supply of wood-based goods that retain the stored carbon throughout the life of the wood product, making the forestry industry one of the most effective and natural ways to sequester carbon.

The bill will go into effect 90 days after March 12th, when the session ended.

About the Washington Forest Protection Association
The Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA) represents private forest landowners growing and harvesting trees on about 4 million acres in Washington State.  Members of the 110-year-old association are large and small companies, individuals and families who practice sustainable forestry in Washington's private forests.  For more information, go towfpa.org.

About the American Forest Resource Council
The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) is a regional trade association whose mission is to promote the responsible management of our public forestlands through active management. AFRC members include manufacturers, producers, forestland owners and other professionals who work within the forest products industry. Learn more atamforest.org.

SOURCE Washington Forest Protection Association

Washington Gov. Inslee approves forestry industry carbon bill

Posted in: Environment 03/26/2020 - 15:46

OLYMPIA. WA, March 25, 2020 (PRNewswire) -Today, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into lawESSHB 2528, legislation acknowledging the essential role Washington state's forestry industry and working forests play in removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and affirming it is in the public's interest to support all aspects of a fully integrated forest sector in the state. 

The legislation formally establishes a state policy recognizing and supporting the complete forest products sector as a climate solution, which includes landowners, mills, bioenergy, pulp and paper, harvesting and transportation infrastructure necessary to continue sustainable forestry, production and transportation of the state's wood products. 

Leaders of the Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA) and the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) say the new law represents an important step toward ensuring a robust forestry industry while promoting sustainability.

"This legislation recognizes the importance of trees, wood and paper products in absorbing and storing carbon," said Mark Doumit, WFPA Executive Director. "Recognition that the forest and wood products sector, including landowners, mills, bioenergy, pulp and paper, and the related harvesting and transportation infrastructure is part of our state's natural climate solution, also supports rural communities and jobs."

Once enacted into law, state agencies would recognize and support efforts by the timber industry to sequester carbon through reforestation and transference to long-lived wood products. The legislation also encourages landowners to grow more trees that promote air quality and sequester carbon from the atmosphere by promoting investments in sustainable forestry and wood production.

"We thank Gov. Inslee for approving this legislation, and we appreciate the overwhelming bipartisan majorities in the Legislature for recognizing our entire industry is essential to state climate solutions," said AFRC President Travis Joseph. "The state understands the enormous potential for sustainable and renewable Washington-grown and manufactured wood products, which not only store carbon for generations, but support thousands of family-wage jobs as well."

Washington private forests and wood products sector sequesters 12% of the state's carbon emissions, and working forests play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gases. Sustainably managed forests provide a renewable timber supply of wood-based goods that retain the stored carbon throughout the life of the wood product, making the forestry industry one of the most effective and natural ways to sequester carbon.

The bill will go into effect 90 days after March 12th, when the session ended.

About the Washington Forest Protection Association
The Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA) represents private forest landowners growing and harvesting trees on about 4 million acres in Washington State.  Members of the 110-year-old association are large and small companies, individuals and families who practice sustainable forestry in Washington's private forests.  For more information, go towfpa.org.

About the American Forest Resource Council
The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) is a regional trade association whose mission is to promote the responsible management of our public forestlands through active management. AFRC members include manufacturers, producers, forestland owners and other professionals who work within the forest products industry. Learn more atamforest.org.

SOURCE Washington Forest Protection Association

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SOLNA, Sweden, March 25, 2020 (Press Release) -Research proves that using BillerudKorsnäs paper for online retail mailing bags reduces carbon emissions by 50 percent

Bags made of BillerudKorsnäs’ paper Xpression E-com can reduce fossil emissions by 50 percent compared to virgin plastic, and lead to a net removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That is the result from a new independent study that compares the environmental impact of different types of online retail packaging.

E-commerce is growing rapidly and thousands of plastic mailing bags and corrugated boxes are being shipped every second. As a world-leading provider of sustainable packaging material, BillerudKorsnäs has developed Xpression E-com, a durable and resilient paper for online retail mailing bags. The environmental benefit of using Xpression E-com instead of plastic or recycled cardboard material has now been confirmed in a study performed by RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden.

The study is based on life cycle analyses which considers the environmental impacts from raw material input, production, transport and disposal. The results shows that choosing a mailing bag made of unbleached Xpression E-com paper will reduce fossil emissions by 50 percent compared to virgin plastic. According to RISE, the finding is robust and holds true even across a range of parameters considered in the sensitivity analysis, such as different material specifications, locations and end-of-life assumptions.

- BillerudKorsnäs’ mission to challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future clearly sets out why we exist and how we view our role in society. Xpression E-com is an example of how we think outside the box to fight climate change and reduce plastic use. We hope that the new study will help online retailers to replace their packaging with a more sustainable alternative, says Malin Ljung Eiborn, EVP Sustainability at BillerudKorsnäs.

Since the paper mailing bag is recyclable and manufactured by BillerudKorsnäs’ near fossil free production units, the overall conclusion from the study is that this variant has a strong advantage over plastic bags and boxes of recycled corrugated material. When biogenic emissions are included, the study shows that 1,000 mailing bags of Xpression E-com removes 50 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere across the life cycle. The paper is also better for the environment when considering emissions to air, water and soil that leads to eutrophication.

BillerudKorsnäs provides packaging materials and solutions that challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future. We are a world-leading provider of primary fibre based packaging materials and have customers in over 100 countries. The company has 8 production units in Sweden, Finland and the UK and about 4300 employees in over 13 countries. BillerudKorsnäs has an annual turnover of about SEK 22 billion and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

BillerudKorsnäs research proves its paper for online retail mailing bags reduces carbon emissions by 50%

Posted in: Environment 03/25/2020 - 03:22

SOLNA, Sweden, March 25, 2020 (Press Release) -Research proves that using BillerudKorsnäs paper for online retail mailing bags reduces carbon emissions by 50 percent

Bags made of BillerudKorsnäs’ paper Xpression E-com can reduce fossil emissions by 50 percent compared to virgin plastic, and lead to a net removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That is the result from a new independent study that compares the environmental impact of different types of online retail packaging.

E-commerce is growing rapidly and thousands of plastic mailing bags and corrugated boxes are being shipped every second. As a world-leading provider of sustainable packaging material, BillerudKorsnäs has developed Xpression E-com, a durable and resilient paper for online retail mailing bags. The environmental benefit of using Xpression E-com instead of plastic or recycled cardboard material has now been confirmed in a study performed by RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden.

The study is based on life cycle analyses which considers the environmental impacts from raw material input, production, transport and disposal. The results shows that choosing a mailing bag made of unbleached Xpression E-com paper will reduce fossil emissions by 50 percent compared to virgin plastic. According to RISE, the finding is robust and holds true even across a range of parameters considered in the sensitivity analysis, such as different material specifications, locations and end-of-life assumptions.

- BillerudKorsnäs’ mission to challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future clearly sets out why we exist and how we view our role in society. Xpression E-com is an example of how we think outside the box to fight climate change and reduce plastic use. We hope that the new study will help online retailers to replace their packaging with a more sustainable alternative, says Malin Ljung Eiborn, EVP Sustainability at BillerudKorsnäs.

Since the paper mailing bag is recyclable and manufactured by BillerudKorsnäs’ near fossil free production units, the overall conclusion from the study is that this variant has a strong advantage over plastic bags and boxes of recycled corrugated material. When biogenic emissions are included, the study shows that 1,000 mailing bags of Xpression E-com removes 50 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere across the life cycle. The paper is also better for the environment when considering emissions to air, water and soil that leads to eutrophication.

BillerudKorsnäs provides packaging materials and solutions that challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future. We are a world-leading provider of primary fibre based packaging materials and have customers in over 100 countries. The company has 8 production units in Sweden, Finland and the UK and about 4300 employees in over 13 countries. BillerudKorsnäs has an annual turnover of about SEK 22 billion and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

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SOLNA, Sweden, March 25, 2020 (Press Release) -Research proves that using BillerudKorsnäs paper for online retail mailing bags reduces carbon emissions by 50 percent

Bags made of BillerudKorsnäs’ paper Xpression E-com can reduce fossil emissions by 50 percent compared to virgin plastic, and lead to a net removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That is the result from a new independent study that compares the environmental impact of different types of online retail packaging.

E-commerce is growing rapidly and thousands of plastic mailing bags and corrugated boxes are being shipped every second. As a world-leading provider of sustainable packaging material, BillerudKorsnäs has developed Xpression E-com, a durable and resilient paper for online retail mailing bags. The environmental benefit of using Xpression E-com instead of plastic or recycled cardboard material has now been confirmed in a study performed by RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden.

The study is based on life cycle analyses which considers the environmental impacts from raw material input, production, transport and disposal. The results shows that choosing a mailing bag made of unbleached Xpression E-com paper will reduce fossil emissions by 50 percent compared to virgin plastic. According to RISE, the finding is robust and holds true even across a range of parameters considered in the sensitivity analysis, such as different material specifications, locations and end-of-life assumptions.

- BillerudKorsnäs’ mission to challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future clearly sets out why we exist and how we view our role in society. Xpression E-com is an example of how we think outside the box to fight climate change and reduce plastic use. We hope that the new study will help online retailers to replace their packaging with a more sustainable alternative, says Malin Ljung Eiborn, EVP Sustainability at BillerudKorsnäs.

Since the paper mailing bag is recyclable and manufactured by BillerudKorsnäs’ near fossil free production units, the overall conclusion from the study is that this variant has a strong advantage over plastic bags and boxes of recycled corrugated material. When biogenic emissions are included, the study shows that 1,000 mailing bags of Xpression E-com removes 50 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere across the life cycle. The paper is also better for the environment when considering emissions to air, water and soil that leads to eutrophication.

BillerudKorsnäs provides packaging materials and solutions that challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future. We are a world-leading provider of primary fibre based packaging materials and have customers in over 100 countries. The company has 8 production units in Sweden, Finland and the UK and about 4300 employees in over 13 countries. BillerudKorsnäs has an annual turnover of about SEK 22 billion and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

BillerudKorsnäs research proves its paper for online retail mailing bags reduces carbon emissions by 50%

Posted in: Mills 03/25/2020 - 03:22

SOLNA, Sweden, March 25, 2020 (Press Release) -Research proves that using BillerudKorsnäs paper for online retail mailing bags reduces carbon emissions by 50 percent

Bags made of BillerudKorsnäs’ paper Xpression E-com can reduce fossil emissions by 50 percent compared to virgin plastic, and lead to a net removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That is the result from a new independent study that compares the environmental impact of different types of online retail packaging.

E-commerce is growing rapidly and thousands of plastic mailing bags and corrugated boxes are being shipped every second. As a world-leading provider of sustainable packaging material, BillerudKorsnäs has developed Xpression E-com, a durable and resilient paper for online retail mailing bags. The environmental benefit of using Xpression E-com instead of plastic or recycled cardboard material has now been confirmed in a study performed by RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden.

The study is based on life cycle analyses which considers the environmental impacts from raw material input, production, transport and disposal. The results shows that choosing a mailing bag made of unbleached Xpression E-com paper will reduce fossil emissions by 50 percent compared to virgin plastic. According to RISE, the finding is robust and holds true even across a range of parameters considered in the sensitivity analysis, such as different material specifications, locations and end-of-life assumptions.

- BillerudKorsnäs’ mission to challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future clearly sets out why we exist and how we view our role in society. Xpression E-com is an example of how we think outside the box to fight climate change and reduce plastic use. We hope that the new study will help online retailers to replace their packaging with a more sustainable alternative, says Malin Ljung Eiborn, EVP Sustainability at BillerudKorsnäs.

Since the paper mailing bag is recyclable and manufactured by BillerudKorsnäs’ near fossil free production units, the overall conclusion from the study is that this variant has a strong advantage over plastic bags and boxes of recycled corrugated material. When biogenic emissions are included, the study shows that 1,000 mailing bags of Xpression E-com removes 50 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere across the life cycle. The paper is also better for the environment when considering emissions to air, water and soil that leads to eutrophication.

BillerudKorsnäs provides packaging materials and solutions that challenge conventional packaging for a sustainable future. We are a world-leading provider of primary fibre based packaging materials and have customers in over 100 countries. The company has 8 production units in Sweden, Finland and the UK and about 4300 employees in over 13 countries. BillerudKorsnäs has an annual turnover of about SEK 22 billion and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

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SOLNA, Sweden, March 24, 2020 (Press Release) -Arvid Nilsson and BillerudKorsnäs join forces to reduce plastic waste on construction sites with a new innovative, water-resistant box made of super-strong cartonboard. The box packs and dispenses nuts, bolts and screws and is a sustainable alternative to plastic boxes.  

We are constantly reminded of the threats to the environment posed by plastic trash, not least to the oceans and ocean life. We decided not to be part of that problem. Conventional packs of screws, bolts and nuts on construction sites are made of plastic and we set out to do something different: to introduce a durable and environmentally friendly box, says Josefin Nordlöw, Marketing Manager at Arvid Nilsson, a major supplier of fastening elements to the construction industry.

The material used instead of plastic is CrownBoard Craft, a stiff and exceptionally strong cartonboard made of 100% primary Nordic wood fibre, with a multiple-layer structure. The board is made by BillerudKorsnäs and sourced from responsibly managed forests and produced in state-of-the-art, energy-efficient processes. BillerudKorsnäs is ranked by Dow Jones Sustainability Index as the world’s most sustainable packaging company.

To replace plastic boxes, a priority for Arvid Nilsson was water resistance. The box made of CrownBoard Craft can in fact be left outside in the rain for several weeks without collapsing or letting in water. This is due to the strength of the board, the laminated surface, and the converter’s clever packaging design without gaps at the bottom corners of the box. Tests for water resistance, compression strength and converting properties were carried out by the Carton Solutions team at BillerudKorsnäs.

CrownBoard Craft is one of our new products, engineered especially to offer exceptional strength in demanding applications. This is a fine example of how quality cartonboard can be a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic packaging, says Clas Dahlin, Packaging Engineer, BillerudKorsnäs. 

Why cartonboard from BillerudKorsnäs outperforms plastic:

  • It is renewable – more trees are planted than harvested, forests keep growing
  • It is recyclable – a wood fibre can be recycled up to 4–6 times
  • It is water resistant (with surface treatment)
  • It is tolerant to low temperatures
  • It is strong and durable – holds heavy and sharp objects
  • It is stiff and sturdy – stackable, for space efficient transport
  • It is strong – for repeated opening/closing of click lock

BillerudKorsnäs and Arvid Nilsson join forces to launch new CrownBoard Craft water-resistant cartonboard as sustainable alternative to plastic boxes

Posted in: Environment 03/24/2020 - 12:20

SOLNA, Sweden, March 24, 2020 (Press Release) -Arvid Nilsson and BillerudKorsnäs join forces to reduce plastic waste on construction sites with a new innovative, water-resistant box made of super-strong cartonboard. The box packs and dispenses nuts, bolts and screws and is a sustainable alternative to plastic boxes.  

We are constantly reminded of the threats to the environment posed by plastic trash, not least to the oceans and ocean life. We decided not to be part of that problem. Conventional packs of screws, bolts and nuts on construction sites are made of plastic and we set out to do something different: to introduce a durable and environmentally friendly box, says Josefin Nordlöw, Marketing Manager at Arvid Nilsson, a major supplier of fastening elements to the construction industry.

The material used instead of plastic is CrownBoard Craft, a stiff and exceptionally strong cartonboard made of 100% primary Nordic wood fibre, with a multiple-layer structure. The board is made by BillerudKorsnäs and sourced from responsibly managed forests and produced in state-of-the-art, energy-efficient processes. BillerudKorsnäs is ranked by Dow Jones Sustainability Index as the world’s most sustainable packaging company.

To replace plastic boxes, a priority for Arvid Nilsson was water resistance. The box made of CrownBoard Craft can in fact be left outside in the rain for several weeks without collapsing or letting in water. This is due to the strength of the board, the laminated surface, and the converter’s clever packaging design without gaps at the bottom corners of the box. Tests for water resistance, compression strength and converting properties were carried out by the Carton Solutions team at BillerudKorsnäs.

CrownBoard Craft is one of our new products, engineered especially to offer exceptional strength in demanding applications. This is a fine example of how quality cartonboard can be a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic packaging, says Clas Dahlin, Packaging Engineer, BillerudKorsnäs. 

Why cartonboard from BillerudKorsnäs outperforms plastic:

  • It is renewable – more trees are planted than harvested, forests keep growing
  • It is recyclable – a wood fibre can be recycled up to 4–6 times
  • It is water resistant (with surface treatment)
  • It is tolerant to low temperatures
  • It is strong and durable – holds heavy and sharp objects
  • It is stiff and sturdy – stackable, for space efficient transport
  • It is strong – for repeated opening/closing of click lock
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BRUSSELS, March 20, 2020 (Press Release) -The members of EUROPEN, the European Organisation for Packaging and the Environment, are doing their utmost to maintain the necessary supply of food and hygiene products as well as medicines to citizens throughout Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. To guarantee the continued uninterrupted flow of (packaged) goods, the Commission needs to recognise packaging and its raw materials as essential and to open the designated priority lanes, the “green lanes” for their intra-EU transport.

EUROPEN supports the prompt and decisive measures taken by national governments and the European Commission to contain the spread of COVID-19. EUROPEN members have been taking all necessary measures for the health and safety of their employees and consumers. They are also actively monitoring developments and reviewing the effectiveness of these implemented measures. We call on the Commission and EU governments to ensure that the production facilities essential to packaging supply-chains can continue operating as needed, while making sure that the necessary specific COVID-19 health, safety and security measures for the workforce are in place.

Packaging is an essential component of the product groups which have been identified from the Commission as critical, such as “health-related and perishable goods, notably foodstuffs”. To support the self-isolation measures encouraged by national governments and the Commission, a well-functioning packaging supply chain is particularly critical to ensure uninterrupted delivery of pre-packed goods safely from factories, through retail and e-commerce, to consumers. EUROPEN and its members are committed to, and engaged in, providing the continuous supply needed to deliver these essential goods without interruption. This is only possible if goods can circulate freely.

We welcome the recent Commission guidance on border management to establish a coordinated EU response and urge Member States to observe it. However, delays and disruption at country borders have been observed for the delivery of (packaged) products and packaging materials. As a matter of priority, we call on the Commission to lead on securing the enabling conditions necessary for continuity of essential product and service supply chains by creating ‘green lanes’ for free-movement of essential goods, vehicles and their drivers, as well as essential engineers.

EUROPEN and its members are fully engaged to help in these difficult times and remain at the disposal of the European Commission and EU governments to support their efforts in every way we can.

EUROPEN - The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment - is a cross-industry organization presenting the opinion of the packaging supply chain (i.e. raw material producers, converters and brand owners plus national packaging organizations) in Europe on topics related to packaging, packaging waste and the environment, independent of specific packaging materials or systems

 

EUROPEN calls on EC to classify packaging and raw materials for its production as essential goods and to guarantee intra-EU transport

Posted in: Environment 03/23/2020 - 09:49

BRUSSELS, March 20, 2020 (Press Release) -The members of EUROPEN, the European Organisation for Packaging and the Environment, are doing their utmost to maintain the necessary supply of food and hygiene products as well as medicines to citizens throughout Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. To guarantee the continued uninterrupted flow of (packaged) goods, the Commission needs to recognise packaging and its raw materials as essential and to open the designated priority lanes, the “green lanes” for their intra-EU transport.

EUROPEN supports the prompt and decisive measures taken by national governments and the European Commission to contain the spread of COVID-19. EUROPEN members have been taking all necessary measures for the health and safety of their employees and consumers. They are also actively monitoring developments and reviewing the effectiveness of these implemented measures. We call on the Commission and EU governments to ensure that the production facilities essential to packaging supply-chains can continue operating as needed, while making sure that the necessary specific COVID-19 health, safety and security measures for the workforce are in place.

Packaging is an essential component of the product groups which have been identified from the Commission as critical, such as “health-related and perishable goods, notably foodstuffs”. To support the self-isolation measures encouraged by national governments and the Commission, a well-functioning packaging supply chain is particularly critical to ensure uninterrupted delivery of pre-packed goods safely from factories, through retail and e-commerce, to consumers. EUROPEN and its members are committed to, and engaged in, providing the continuous supply needed to deliver these essential goods without interruption. This is only possible if goods can circulate freely.

We welcome the recent Commission guidance on border management to establish a coordinated EU response and urge Member States to observe it. However, delays and disruption at country borders have been observed for the delivery of (packaged) products and packaging materials. As a matter of priority, we call on the Commission to lead on securing the enabling conditions necessary for continuity of essential product and service supply chains by creating ‘green lanes’ for free-movement of essential goods, vehicles and their drivers, as well as essential engineers.

EUROPEN and its members are fully engaged to help in these difficult times and remain at the disposal of the European Commission and EU governments to support their efforts in every way we can.

EUROPEN - The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment - is a cross-industry organization presenting the opinion of the packaging supply chain (i.e. raw material producers, converters and brand owners plus national packaging organizations) in Europe on topics related to packaging, packaging waste and the environment, independent of specific packaging materials or systems

 
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ESPOO, Finland, March 23, 2020 (Press Release) -With 100 years of history and a solid Nordic heritage, Huhtamaki is today a key global player in food-on-the-go and food-on-the-shelf packaging solutions. The company has delivered strong growth in recent years, building strong foundations for the future. Huhtamaki has recently conducted a thorough review and renewed its long-term 2030 strategy in order to maintain its growth trajectory and meet future transformative trends.

Going forward, Huhtamaki will focus on growth, competitiveness, talent and sustainability. The company’s ambition is to become the first choice in sustainable food packaging.

Huhtamaki will continue to be a growth company and will further focus on competitiveness. Sustainability also has a key role in Huhtamaki’s renewed strategy. The company is taking a leading role within the food packaging industry in addressing the global challenges of circularity and climate change. Acknowledging that packaging has a significant role to play, Huhtamaki is raising the bar across its activities and setting high sustainability ambitions.

Huhtamaki will boost growth by scaling up its operations and further investing in emerging markets as well as capturing the opportunities related to sustainable solutions and food delivery. To improve its competitiveness the company concentrates on world-class operational performance, process performance, and digitalization. The focus on talent will translate in a zero-accident safety culture, developing strategic capabilities and nurturing a high-performance culture globally. In line with its heritage, Huhtamaki’s 2030 strategy emphasizes strong core values: Care, Dare, Deliver, as paramount in driving this successful journey.

“We will continue to grow through a relentless focus on innovation, scaling up in growth markets and developing new businesses to meet changing consumer needs. We will become more competitive by digitalizing all operations, running our manufacturing more efficiently and simplifying the way we work globally. In addition, we will develop our talent by building strategic capabilities and a high-performance culture. We aim to become best-in-class in safety. We will embed sustainability in everything we do,” says Charles Héaulmé, President and CEO of Huhtamaki.

“We have set very high sustainability ambitions, amongst them a commitment to achieving carbon neutrality in our production and Science Based Targets by 2030. We want to become world-class in all three areas of sustainability: environmental, social and governance. We will also strengthen and focus our innovation, designing all our products to be recyclable, compostable or re-usable,” he concludes.

Huhtamaki’s new 2030 sustainability ambitions are:

  • Carbon neutral production and Science Based Targets
  • 100% of products designed to be recyclable, compostable or reusable
  • 100% of fiber from recycled or certified sources
  • More than 80% of raw materials either renewable or recycled
  • 100% of electricity from renewable sources
  • More than 90% of non-hazardous waste to be recycled or composted

Integration of Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania and Fiber Packaging business segments

In line with its renewed strategy, the company has decided to integrate its Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania and Fiber Packaging business segments. Integrating the two business segments allows the company to capture growth opportunities more efficiently by improving customers’ access to both molded fiber and paperboard forming technologies. The segments will continue to be reported separately, at least for the remainder of the financial year 2020. Eric Le Lay will continue as President for the combined Fiber and Foodservice EAO (Europe-Asia-Oceania) segment. This change will become effective as of June 1.

Long-term financial ambitions

As part of the renewed strategy, Huhtamaki has also outlined its long-term financial ambitions:

  • Comparable growth: 5+%
  • Adjusted EBIT margin: 10+%
  • Net debt / Adjusted EBITDA ratio: 2-3
  • Dividend payout ratio: 40-50%

COVID-19

The safety and health of its employees and stakeholders is the number one focus and priority for Huhtamaki during the global outbreak of the novel corona virus. The company has put additional measures in place to protect the health and safety of employees and to safeguard the continuity of all operations. In addition to tightened hygiene protocols at all units and strict adherence to instructions given by health authorities, the company is also taking steps to pro-actively maintain the continuity of supply and ensure the safety of its products. In the current circumstances, it is even more important to help produce products which can help people consume food and drink safely.

HUHTAMÄKI OYJ

Global Communications

Huhtamaki is a key global player in sustainable food-on-the-go and food-on-the shelf packaging solutions. Our innovative products help billions of consumers around the world make responsible lifestyle choices every day. Today, packaging plays a significant role in food safety and convenience. We are committed to making packaging more circular and we embed sustainability in everything we do. We are focused on achieving carbon neutral production and having all our products designed to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030.

With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage we operate in 35 countries and 81 sites around the world. Our 18,600 employees are working to deliver smart next generation packaging. Our 2019 net sales totaled EUR 3.4 billion. Huhtamaki Group has its head office in Espoo, Finland and the parent company Huhtamäki Oyj is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd.

 

Huhtamaki renews its long-term 2030 strategy to maintain growth and meet future transformative trends

Posted in: Environment 03/23/2020 - 03:50

ESPOO, Finland, March 23, 2020 (Press Release) -With 100 years of history and a solid Nordic heritage, Huhtamaki is today a key global player in food-on-the-go and food-on-the-shelf packaging solutions. The company has delivered strong growth in recent years, building strong foundations for the future. Huhtamaki has recently conducted a thorough review and renewed its long-term 2030 strategy in order to maintain its growth trajectory and meet future transformative trends.

Going forward, Huhtamaki will focus on growth, competitiveness, talent and sustainability. The company’s ambition is to become the first choice in sustainable food packaging.

Huhtamaki will continue to be a growth company and will further focus on competitiveness. Sustainability also has a key role in Huhtamaki’s renewed strategy. The company is taking a leading role within the food packaging industry in addressing the global challenges of circularity and climate change. Acknowledging that packaging has a significant role to play, Huhtamaki is raising the bar across its activities and setting high sustainability ambitions.

Huhtamaki will boost growth by scaling up its operations and further investing in emerging markets as well as capturing the opportunities related to sustainable solutions and food delivery. To improve its competitiveness the company concentrates on world-class operational performance, process performance, and digitalization. The focus on talent will translate in a zero-accident safety culture, developing strategic capabilities and nurturing a high-performance culture globally. In line with its heritage, Huhtamaki’s 2030 strategy emphasizes strong core values: Care, Dare, Deliver, as paramount in driving this successful journey.

“We will continue to grow through a relentless focus on innovation, scaling up in growth markets and developing new businesses to meet changing consumer needs. We will become more competitive by digitalizing all operations, running our manufacturing more efficiently and simplifying the way we work globally. In addition, we will develop our talent by building strategic capabilities and a high-performance culture. We aim to become best-in-class in safety. We will embed sustainability in everything we do,” says Charles Héaulmé, President and CEO of Huhtamaki.

“We have set very high sustainability ambitions, amongst them a commitment to achieving carbon neutrality in our production and Science Based Targets by 2030. We want to become world-class in all three areas of sustainability: environmental, social and governance. We will also strengthen and focus our innovation, designing all our products to be recyclable, compostable or re-usable,” he concludes.

Huhtamaki’s new 2030 sustainability ambitions are:

  • Carbon neutral production and Science Based Targets
  • 100% of products designed to be recyclable, compostable or reusable
  • 100% of fiber from recycled or certified sources
  • More than 80% of raw materials either renewable or recycled
  • 100% of electricity from renewable sources
  • More than 90% of non-hazardous waste to be recycled or composted

Integration of Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania and Fiber Packaging business segments

In line with its renewed strategy, the company has decided to integrate its Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania and Fiber Packaging business segments. Integrating the two business segments allows the company to capture growth opportunities more efficiently by improving customers’ access to both molded fiber and paperboard forming technologies. The segments will continue to be reported separately, at least for the remainder of the financial year 2020. Eric Le Lay will continue as President for the combined Fiber and Foodservice EAO (Europe-Asia-Oceania) segment. This change will become effective as of June 1.

Long-term financial ambitions

As part of the renewed strategy, Huhtamaki has also outlined its long-term financial ambitions:

  • Comparable growth: 5+%
  • Adjusted EBIT margin: 10+%
  • Net debt / Adjusted EBITDA ratio: 2-3
  • Dividend payout ratio: 40-50%

COVID-19

The safety and health of its employees and stakeholders is the number one focus and priority for Huhtamaki during the global outbreak of the novel corona virus. The company has put additional measures in place to protect the health and safety of employees and to safeguard the continuity of all operations. In addition to tightened hygiene protocols at all units and strict adherence to instructions given by health authorities, the company is also taking steps to pro-actively maintain the continuity of supply and ensure the safety of its products. In the current circumstances, it is even more important to help produce products which can help people consume food and drink safely.

HUHTAMÄKI OYJ

Global Communications

Huhtamaki is a key global player in sustainable food-on-the-go and food-on-the shelf packaging solutions. Our innovative products help billions of consumers around the world make responsible lifestyle choices every day. Today, packaging plays a significant role in food safety and convenience. We are committed to making packaging more circular and we embed sustainability in everything we do. We are focused on achieving carbon neutral production and having all our products designed to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030.

With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage we operate in 35 countries and 81 sites around the world. Our 18,600 employees are working to deliver smart next generation packaging. Our 2019 net sales totaled EUR 3.4 billion. Huhtamaki Group has its head office in Espoo, Finland and the parent company Huhtamäki Oyj is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd.

 
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NEW YORK and AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, March 21, 2020 (Press Release) -The Environmental Paper Network and our 156 member organisations want to acknowledge the extraordinary circumstances of this moment, given the terrible impacts of COVID-19 for people around the world. The urgent need to respond to the pandemic and its impacts is rightly taking priority. However, climate change and deforestation remain existential threats, they make similar outbreaks in the future even more likely and reduce our resilience to them. Like coronavirus, they will require unprecedented global action in solidarity with those most vulnerable. We believe that the analysis contained in this report will prove useful in addressing that threat and is relevant to the emerging science (1) that protecting forests may be critical in keeping viruses at bay.

On the U.N. International Day of Forests, the Environmental Paper Network (EPN) has for the second time assessed the policies of major banks and funders of the pulp and paper industry worldwide against baseline environmental and social criteria developed by a global network of experts, known as the “Red Lines.” Despite having three years to improve their policies since the first publication of In the Red, the new analysis shows that, on average, financial institutions only scored “well protected” on 5 out of the 14 categories of Red Lines. The analysis reveals a high level of social and environmental risk in the sector for investors and an urgent need for stronger safeguards.

Merel van der Mark, EPN Pulp Finance Working Group Coordinator, said, “Our analysis shows banking institutions are far from getting a passing grade - the pulp and paper industry keeps ignoring basic environmental and social criteria but investors continue to pump money into their activities without proper guardrails. Financial institutions have the duty to require their clients and business partners take appropriate action and meet the required standards.”

According to the report, ‘In the Red 2020,’ financial institutions are failing to implement adequate protections on most of the EPN’s ‘Red Lines.’ The ‘Red Lines’ are 14 absolute minimum criteria that a large, international coalition of conservation organizations have determined all financial institutions should ensure their clients comply with, and are fully described in theGreen Paper, Red Linesreport.

In the 2020 assessment, the highest scores were obtained for requiring legality and respect for human rights, and there are significant improvements from the 2017 assessment in the “respect indigenous rights and customary land rights” criteria. (2) The worst scores earned by banks stem from the lack of requirements for full Environmental Impact Assessments and the lack of commitments to not introduce high-risk species, which include genetically engineered trees.

The 2020 assessment also analyzed the sufficiency of using standards such as the IFC Performance Standards, the Equator Principles, The Chinese Green Credit Guidelines and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) principles and criteria to reduce risk in the 14 categories of Red Lines. The findings show that these standards only protect against a maximum of three Red Lines.

The construction and operation of pulp and paper mills can lead to a range of long-term negative social and environmental impacts. To stop funding controversial projects, financial institutions must set up a full public investment policy framework for the sector, open the door to communication with civil society organisations, and ensure that all policies are implemented through adequate due diligence procedures.

The Environmental Paper Network (EPN) is a world-wide network of more than 150 civil society organisations working together towards the Global Paper Vision. This Vision expresses our common goal to create transformational change in the pulp and paper industry and wider society, so that paper production and use contributes to a clean, healthy, just and sustainable future for life on earth.

 

Environmental Paper Network: global finance sector failing to apply Red Lines' conservation criteria to pulp and paper funding

Posted in: Environment 03/23/2020 - 02:10

NEW YORK and AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, March 21, 2020 (Press Release) -The Environmental Paper Network and our 156 member organisations want to acknowledge the extraordinary circumstances of this moment, given the terrible impacts of COVID-19 for people around the world. The urgent need to respond to the pandemic and its impacts is rightly taking priority. However, climate change and deforestation remain existential threats, they make similar outbreaks in the future even more likely and reduce our resilience to them. Like coronavirus, they will require unprecedented global action in solidarity with those most vulnerable. We believe that the analysis contained in this report will prove useful in addressing that threat and is relevant to the emerging science (1) that protecting forests may be critical in keeping viruses at bay.

On the U.N. International Day of Forests, the Environmental Paper Network (EPN) has for the second time assessed the policies of major banks and funders of the pulp and paper industry worldwide against baseline environmental and social criteria developed by a global network of experts, known as the “Red Lines.” Despite having three years to improve their policies since the first publication of In the Red, the new analysis shows that, on average, financial institutions only scored “well protected” on 5 out of the 14 categories of Red Lines. The analysis reveals a high level of social and environmental risk in the sector for investors and an urgent need for stronger safeguards.

Merel van der Mark, EPN Pulp Finance Working Group Coordinator, said, “Our analysis shows banking institutions are far from getting a passing grade - the pulp and paper industry keeps ignoring basic environmental and social criteria but investors continue to pump money into their activities without proper guardrails. Financial institutions have the duty to require their clients and business partners take appropriate action and meet the required standards.”

According to the report, ‘In the Red 2020,’ financial institutions are failing to implement adequate protections on most of the EPN’s ‘Red Lines.’ The ‘Red Lines’ are 14 absolute minimum criteria that a large, international coalition of conservation organizations have determined all financial institutions should ensure their clients comply with, and are fully described in theGreen Paper, Red Linesreport.

In the 2020 assessment, the highest scores were obtained for requiring legality and respect for human rights, and there are significant improvements from the 2017 assessment in the “respect indigenous rights and customary land rights” criteria. (2) The worst scores earned by banks stem from the lack of requirements for full Environmental Impact Assessments and the lack of commitments to not introduce high-risk species, which include genetically engineered trees.

The 2020 assessment also analyzed the sufficiency of using standards such as the IFC Performance Standards, the Equator Principles, The Chinese Green Credit Guidelines and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) principles and criteria to reduce risk in the 14 categories of Red Lines. The findings show that these standards only protect against a maximum of three Red Lines.

The construction and operation of pulp and paper mills can lead to a range of long-term negative social and environmental impacts. To stop funding controversial projects, financial institutions must set up a full public investment policy framework for the sector, open the door to communication with civil society organisations, and ensure that all policies are implemented through adequate due diligence procedures.

The Environmental Paper Network (EPN) is a world-wide network of more than 150 civil society organisations working together towards the Global Paper Vision. This Vision expresses our common goal to create transformational change in the pulp and paper industry and wider society, so that paper production and use contributes to a clean, healthy, just and sustainable future for life on earth.

 
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