The theme of the 2017 United Nations International Day of Forests (IDF) is Forests and Energy. Heralded annually, it shares the day with South Africa’s Human Rights Day. The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) is proud to represent the global forest products industry, which plays an important role in contributing to the production of renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels by using wood manufacturing residuals, byproducts and forest residues – collectively known as biomass – to produce much of the energy required for its operations.

The South African sector is represented through the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA). Jane Molony, PAMSA executive director and ICFPA vice chair, says that the local pulp and paper sector is in some instances totally self-sufficient and has additional power to sell into the grid. “This energy, by virtue of the cogeneration process and biomass based lignin content in black liquor, uses less water and emits less CO2 than regular coal based power production. This is why PAMSA finds it particularly galling that the Department of Energy’s recently published draft Integrated Resource Plan for energy excludes cogeneration as a viable, green technology.”

According to the international carbon accounting principle, when combusted for energy, biomass does not contribute to global climate change as growing trees sequester carbon from the atmosphere via photosynthesis. The ICFPA reiterates the carbon neutrality of biomass in a policy statement: http://www.icfpa.org/uploads/Modules/Publications/icfpa-statement-on-biomass-carbon-neutrality.pdf.

“The forest-based industry also can substitute for a wide range of fossil fuel-based products on the market, hence providing additional climate benefits as well as welfare to society,” said ICFPA President Elizabeth de Carvalhaes.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, wood provides the world with roughly 40 percent of current global renewable energy supply – more than solar, hydroelectric or wind power. Sustainably-managed forests have a key role in meeting several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and providing solutions for a growing green economy.

To increase the role of forests in providing renewable energy and to reduce the use of fossil fuels, the forest-based industry invests in technological innovation and sustainably-managed forests to improve yields and practices. In the past ten years, the energy share of biomass and other renewable fuels has increased from 53 to 63 percent.

The ICFPA represents more than 30 national and regional forest and paper associations around the world. For more information about the sustainability of the global forest and paper industry, visit icfpa.org.

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On Wednesday 7 December the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) participated in the public consultation workshop held at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg. The Department of Energy had invited all interested stakeholders to comment on the Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) Report and the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Assumptions and Base Case which were released on 22 November.

You can view PAMSA’s comments and recommendations here:

PAMSA presentation on IEP and IRP

The post PAMSA presents its comments and recommendations to DoE first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).

The full report is available at http://www.icfpa.org/uploads/Modules/Publications/2015-icfpa-sustainability-progress-report.pdf.

“We are proud of the significant progress our global industry has made on our sustainability commitments,” said ICFPA President Donna Harman. “We look forward to continuing to manufacture sustainable products that people use and need while contributing to the well-being of communities around the world.”

The South African pulp and paper sector has made significant energy efficiency improvements. “We have decreased our carbon intensity by in excess of 20%, over a ten year period,” says Jane Molony, executive director of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Pamsa). “The use of renewable biomass-based energy has also resulted in the avoidance of 1.3 million tonnes of fossil fuels and the associated carbon emissions by our sector. Add to this an annual sequestration rate of 20 million tonnes of CO₂ by the country’s timber plantations, and you have a truly sustainable industry,” adds Molony.

The association works closely with industry to support government’s efforts to increase renewables in the energy mix. Recently, the Ngodwana Energy Biomass Project, a Sappi-led initiative, was announced as a preferred bidder in the Department of Energy’s fourth window Renewable Independent Power Producers Producer Programme (REIPPPP). This will see the establishment of a 25MW biomass project that will be fed by local plantation biomass.

The global sustainability performance of the forest product industry is improving, with all aggregate indicators for reporting associations showing progress:

• Greenhouse gas emissions intensity was reduced by 17% between 2005 and 2013.
• The share of bio-energy in the industry’s fuel mix increased by 8 percentage points, to 61%, since 2005.
• The number of hectares certified to a third-party sustainable forest management certification system increased by 41 percentage points, to 52% of wood supply, since 2000.
• The global paper recycling rate increased by 11 percentage points, to 58%, between 2001 and 2013.

• Onsite energy intensity was reduced by 4.3% between 2005 and 2013.

• Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions decreased by 40% between 2005 and 2013.
• Employees’ recordable incident rate decreased by 9% between 2007 and 2013.

In addition to reporting on performance, the Sustainability Progress Report illustrates how the forest and paper industry is supporting a green economy through resource efficiency, carbon sequestration, innovative technologies, bio-based products, and benefiting communities.

Contributing to the 2015 report are forest and paper industry associations from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.

The ICFPA represents more than 30 national and regional forest and paper associations around the world. Together, ICFPA members represent over 90 percent of global paper production and half of global wood production.

For more information about the sustainability of the global forest and paper industry, visit icfpa.org.

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 The ICFPA’s Statement on Climate Change is available at: http://www.icfpa.org/uploads/Modules/Publications/icfpa-statement-on-climate-change.pdf

“Trees, especially those in well-managed forests, absorb carbon dioxide,” said ICFPA President Donna Harman. “Carbon dioxide remains stored when trees are used to make forest products, and that storage can be prolonged through recycling.”

Renewable energy producer

In addition, the forest products industry plays an important role in contributing to the production of renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels by using residuals and byproducts to produce much of the energy required for its operations. These residuals and byproducts, known as biomass, are carbon neutral when combusted for energy, according to the international carbon accounting principle.

South African context

The South African forestry sector plants an average of 260 000 trees daily. Some 600-million trees are grown across 762 000 hectares specifically for pulp and paper manufacturing. These plantations are among the world’s best in terms of sustainable forestry management and include biodiversity-rich conservation areas and grasslands as part of the managed area.

The local paper value chain employs 149 000 people from planting trees, manufacturing paper and sorting and processing paper for recycling. “The forest products industry is providing a wide range of renewable bio-based products that are used by homes and businesses on a daily basis,” says Jane Molony, executive director of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa.

The ICFPA represents more than 30 national and regional forest and paper associations around the world. Together, ICFPA members represent over 90 percent of global paper production and half of global wood production.

More information

For more information about the sustainability of the global forest and paper industry, visit icfpa.org. Information on the South African sector can be found at paperstory.co.za.

The post International Day of Forests – The Paper Story (PAMSA) first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).

In the comprehensive study, scientists from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) and the University of Washington’s College of the Environment evaluated a range of scenarios, including leaving forests untouched, burning wood for energy, and using various solid wood products for construction.

The researchers calculated that the amount of wood harvested globally each year (3.4 billion cubic meters) is equivalent to only about 20 percent of annual wood growth (17 billion cubic metres), and much of that harvest is burned inefficiently for cooking. They found that increasing the wood harvest to the equivalent of 34% or more of annual wood growth would have profound and positive effects:

• Between 14% and 31% of global CO₂ emissions could be avoided by preventing emissions related to steel and concrete; by storing CO₂ in the cellulose and lignin of wood products; and other factors.
• About 12% to 19% of annual global fossil fuel consumption would be saved including savings achieved because scrap wood and unsellable materials could be burned for energy, replacing fossil fuel consumption.
• Wood-based construction consumes much less energy than concrete or steel construction. Through efficient harvesting and product use, more CO₂ is saved through the avoided emissions, materials, and wood energy than is lost from the harvested forest.

“This study shows still another reason to appreciate forests — and another reason to not let them be permanently cleared for agriculture,” said Chadwick Oliver, the Pinchot Professor of Forestry and Environmental Studies, director of the Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry at F&ES and lead author of the new study. “Forest harvest creates a temporary opening that is needed by forest species such as butterflies and some birds and deer before it regrows to large trees. But conversion to agriculture is a permanent loss of all forest biodiversity.”

The manufacture of steel, concrete, and brick accounts for about 16 percent of global fossil fuel consumption. When the transport and assembly of steel, concrete, and brick products is considered, its share of fossil fuel burning is closer to 20% to 30%, Oliver said.

Reductions in fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions from construction will become increasingly critical as demand for new buildings, bridges and other infrastructure is expected to surge worldwide in the coming decades with economic development in Asia, Africa, and South America, according to a previous F&ES study. And innovative construction techniques are now making wood even more effective in bridges and mid-rise apartment buildings.

According to Oliver, carefully managed harvesting also reduces the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires. And maintaining a mix of forest habitats and densities in non-reserved forests — in addition to keeping some global forests in reserves — would help preserve biodiversity in ecosystems worldwide, Oliver said. About 12.5% of the world’s forests are currently located in reserves.

“Forests historically have had a diversity of habitats that different species need,” Oliver said. “This diversity can be maintained by harvesting some of the forest growth. And the harvested wood will save fossil fuel and CO₂ and provide jobs — giving local people more reason to keep the forests.”

• JOURNAL REFERENCE: Chadwick Dearing Oliver, Nedal T. Nassar, Bruce R. Lippke, James B. McCarter. Carbon, Fossil Fuel, and Biodiversity Mitigation With Wood and Forests. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 2014; 33 (3): 248 DOI: 10.1080/10549811.2013.839386

Source: www.sciencedaily.com

The post Using More Wood for Construction Can Slash Global Reliance on Fossil Fuels first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).

There’s nothing particularly green about the massive data centers that store the internet’s data, The New York Times revealed this past weekend after in-depth investigation. Data centers waste electricity and spew pollutants in a way that “is sharply at odds with its [the information industry’s] image of sleek efficiency and environmental friendliness,” the lengthy but clearly written “Power, Pollution, and the Internet” says.

“The industry has long argued that computerizing business transactions and everyday tasks like banking and reading library books has the net effect of saving energy and resources.” But data centers use more electricity than the paper industry, according to the The Times.

Among other highlights of the article:

• “Most data centers, by design, consume vast amounts of energy in an incongruously wasteful manner, interviews and documents show. Online companies typically run their facilities at maximum capacity around the clock, whatever the demand.”
• “The pollution from data centers has increasingly been cited by the authorities for violating clean air regulations, documents show. In Silicon Valley, many data centers appear on the state government’s Toxic Air Contaminant Inventory, a roster of the area’s top stationary diesel polluters.”
• Data centers use “only 6 percent to 12 percent of the electricity powering their servers to perform computations. The rest was essentially used to keep servers idling and ready in case of a surge in activity that could slow or crash their operations.”
• Most of the data are created by consumers. “With no sense that data is physical or that storing it uses up space and energy, those consumers have developed the habit of sending huge data files back and forth, like videos and mass e-mails with photo attachments.”

Source:

Dead Tree Edition

The post Going Paperless Doesn’t Mean Going Green, The New York Times Proves first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).

This award-winning article from Don Carli looks at digital media and compares its environmental impact against print.

His article states:

“Public opinion polls show that concern about the environment rises and falls based on the state of the economy and other factors, but concern about the negative impacts associated with using paper and printing continues to rise. Nothing captures the essence of these feelings more vividly than the signature line appearing at the foot of more and more emails: “Please consider the environment before printing this email.’”

The article says that “if you care about the environment and the health of forests you should become more informed about the energy sources used by both digital and print media.”

He concludes: “Just because we cannot see something doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. While paper mills emit visible plumes of steam and waste paper can pile up visibly in our homes and businesses, the invisible embodied energy or “grey energy” used to manufacture digital technologies and the toxic e-waste associated with electronics are largely out of sight and out of mind, but their impacts can be profound.”

Read the full article here: Is Digital Media Worse for the Environment Than Print?

Source: http://info.outputlinks.com/insights/bid/53229/One-Writer-Asks-Is-Digital-Media-Worse-for-the-Environment-Than-Print

The post Is Digital Media Worse for the Environment Than Print? first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).

The partnership between food processing and packaging Tetra Pak and recycling operation Gayatri Paper Mills ensures the complete, environmentally responsible and friendly lifecycle of the carton from cradle to grave, as 6 000 tons of used beverage cartons per annum are destined for local reuse.

“When the contents are gone, the carton lives on,” says Rodney Reynders, environment cluster leader, sub-Sahara Africa at Tetra Pak. “The unpretentious carton pack goes largely unnoticed in consumer homes worldwide more than 400 million times a day – appreciated for it’s low carbon, low cost simplicity but unrecognised for it’s engineering excellence.”

Tetra Pak’s cartons are made even more environmentally friendly with the introduction of the recycling facility as the impact of every element of the carton’s lifespan is now considered, from responsibly managed forests to use and reinvention as a recycled product.

In addition the multilayer engineering keeps product fresh inside for up to 12 months without needing energy-sapping refrigeration. Milk and juice processing machines from Tetra Pak use the latest technology to save energy and water,while technical processing support to customers focuses on reducing productwaste during the packaging of milk and juice.

The partnership is looking for rapid annual expansion in the volume of recycled material which will be sold backinto local industry. It creates wealth from waste and sustainable local revenues.

This partnership is part of Tetra Pak’s ongoing global programme to boost recycling rates. In 2010 Tetra Pak supplied 158 billion individual packages used by food and beverage companies around the world to deliver over 74 billion litres of milk, juice, fruits and other products to consumers. Thirty two billion used cartons were recycled globally that year which eliminates more than 473 kilo tonnes of waste and provides the base material for a host of new products.

The model is based on established carton recycling businesses in Brazil and seeks to include partners from local businesses to government and entrepreneurs.

Several direct jobs have already been created by the partnership with many more knock-on jobs for balers and collectors. Tetra Pak works closely with local recycling programmes to provide an extensive base for consumers to recycle their household carton waste, both as part of suburban home collection programmes and drop off sites at schools, key retailers and some industrial drop off areas.  Lists of recycling drop off points can be found at www.tetrapak.co.za and www.mywaste.co.za.

Tetra Pak’s aseptic cartons consist mainly of renewable paper board (75%) with the remaining layers of aluminium and polyethylene (PolyAlu) making up 25% of the carton.  Both portions of the used carton waste are 100% recyclable.

Recyclables are collected across the country by waste management and private collection companies who sort them into different materials streams. Carton waste is then baled and sold on to Gayatri Paper Mills for recycling.

Gayatri employs a modified hydro-pulper, not unlike a giant, domestic blender which separates the paper board from the PolyAlu through a cold water friction process.

The baled units are fed, caps and all via an elevator, into the hydro pulper. The hydro pulper blade agitates the cold water solution and within 20 minutes the paper board has become separated from the PolyAlu portions. The pulp is pumped off into the main paper mill where it is turned into cardboard. The cardboard is then converted into boxes that are used to ship milk and juice products into stores for people to buy – a complete, closed loop product story.

The PolyAlu portion that remains is baled and sent for aggromulation into small pelletsthat can then be used to manufacture a wide range of useful products, from cellphone covers, to park benches, school desks and chairs.

 ABOUT TETRA PAK

Tetra Pak is the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working closely with our customers and suppliers, we provide safe, innovative and environmentally sound products that each day meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people in more than 170 countries around the world.  With almost 22,000 employees based in over 85 countries, we believe in responsible industry leadership and a sustainable approach to business.  Our motto, “PROTECTS WHAT’S GOOD,” reflects our vision to make food safe and available, everywhere.

More information about Tetra Pak is available at www.tetrapak.com

The post Tetra Pak and Gayatri Paper Mills partnership bears fruit first appeared on The Paper Story (PAMSA).