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Present in Santa Catarina for over 50 years, Klabin remains committed to promoting environmentally responsible actions that contribute to the sustainable development of the region. The results of the Company's effort can be seen in the 2023 Public Summary of Klabin's Forest Management Plan in the state, now available to society at the link. The document brings important evolutionary data on the forestry management adopted by the company, as well as on the environmental education actions implemented by the company. According to the material, Klabin's forestry base reached 141 thousand hectares, distributed in 44 municipalities in Santa Catarina, in the West, Middle West, Serra Catarinense, North and Alto Vale regions, in addition to the Northeast, Center Northeast and East of Rio Great South. The Company also has forests in Paraná and São Paulo, with information available in separate documents.

We’re thrilled to share the success of our recent tree-planting initiatives in Australia. In May, our Southern Operations colleagues joined forces with various organizations, including the Busselton-Dunsborough Environment Centre, to plant over 1,000 native seedlings near our Wonnerup Mine. Together, we built protective fencing to ensure the saplings’ growth. Continuing our commitment to environmental stewardship, a dedicated crew of 70 employees and their families, including visitors from the U.S., gathered at our Northern Operations. Over the course of the day, we planted a remarkable 8,500 seedlings along the Yalyal Brook, significantly contributing to the restoration efforts. We partnered with the Chittering Landcare Center for the 22nd consecutive year, resulting in an incredible 170,000 trees planted thus far.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces Truth in Advertising laws that require marketing claims be truthful and substantiated by appropriate evidence. These are designed to protect consumers, including when they look to buy products promoted as being environmentally responsible. The commission issues guidance specifically focused on sustainability, or “green,” marketing claims, commonly referred to as the FTC Green Guides to help marketers avoid making unfair or deceptive environmental promises. These laws apply whether the marketing claim appears on paper, online or on the side of a bus. Ensuring believable claims helps build trust between buyers and sellers, which in turn facilitates efficient markets. “Meeting customer needs without misrepresenting Domtar’s offerings is critical,” says Katie Zorn, Domtar’s vice president of marketing, product management & strategic planning. “The Green Guides are an essential resource that we reference before making any sustainability-related claims.”

Just as the world takes a major step in turning the tide on plastic pollution with a global treaty, the European Union is on the cusp of agreeing new regulations that could flood the market with millions of tonnes of new plastic. Well intended but misguided amendments have been put forward on the Commission’s proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which are now being debated in the European Parliament. These amendments undermine the spirit of the regulation by trying to introduce mandatory reuse targets for cardboard, a material that is often unsuitable for multiple reuses. If accepted, these amendments would push economies away from the most recycled packaging materials and towards plastic alternatives, embedding a plastic economy into the market.

The public consultation, which is your chance to give your feedback on this revised system, will run from 3 July to 31 August 2023. PEFC Czech Republic revised the country’s national forest certification system following the entry into force of the revised 2018 PEFC Sustainable Forest Management standard. To provide you with additional information about this revised national system, we are holding a webinar on 3 July, at 10:00 CEST. The webinar is free to attend, and everyone is welcome. Register for the webinar at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqfuCuqzMtH9cvXBYvlPKQp0XKPk1lKRM2#/registration

What’s the main purpose of the Trend Tracker survey? The purpose of the survey is to understand changing consumer preferences, perceptions and attitudes towards print, paper, paper-based packaging and tissue products, revealing challenges and opportunities for the industry. What value does it have for the paper and packaging industry? We see the survey as great value for our industry as it directly reports on consumer opinions on a number of areas within our sector. Covering a wide range of topics from forest growth and recycling rates to reading habits, packaging preferences and thoughts on mail versus digital communication, the consumer data will help to inform the industry on what’s working and what needs improving.

Starbucks is significantly increasing its commitment to sustainability – in partnership with Arizona State University. The coffee giant plans to develop a new sustainability learning and innovation lab at Hacienda Alsacia, the company’s global agronomy headquarters for research and development located in Costa Rica. The lab will serve as a hub for hands-on and virtual learning opportunities for Starbucks employees, students, researchers and industry leaders to develop and scale sustainable solutions for issues including climate adaption and agricultural economics.

In comments to the Environmental Protection Agency, the American Trucking Associations outlined three bedrock principles the industry is committed to pursuing to reduce emissions from heavy-duty trucks. “ATA starts with ‘Yes,’” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear, “and we want to achieve the same things that the EPA does when it comes to reducing emissions. In fact, our record over the past 30 years of collaborating with EPA in reducing both carbon and NOx pollution is strong. Together, the agency and industry have arrived at tough but achievable regulations that allow for technology to develop on timelines to minimize market disruptions and job losses. “However, EPA is moving at breakneck speed to force the industry towards electrification while failing to address the key enablers towards any new technology adoption. EPA’s proposed adoption rates assumes that product availability, vehicle costs, range, weight reduction, energy capacity and recharging and refueling infrastructure will all be available for fleets to utilize the technology,” he said. “Instead of the agency leap frogging existing low-carbon technologies towards electrification, allow today’s technologies to be fully adopted.”

Cost Cutting Cloaked in Greenwashing - - Even if it were true that the pharmaceutical industry could “save 11 million trees a year,” by switching from paper to electronic prescription information for doctors and pharmacists, such claims of environmental superiority are meaningless, if not deceptive, because they do not consider the vast and growing environmental footprint of digital communications. The environmental impact of digital communication is often underestimated because of the “invisible” nature of the infrastructure that supports it. Nowhere does your article mention the environmentally invasive mining and drilling required to extract finite raw materials (iron, copper, rare earths, petroleum for plastics, etc.) necessary to manufacture electronic devices and the massive server farms that support them, the predominance of greenhouse-gas emitting fossil fuel energy used to power them, the massive amounts of water consumed to cool data centers, and that only 15% of U.S. electronic waste gets recycled. Compare this to paper, which is in fact is one of the few products on earth that has a truly sustainable, circular life cycle. U.S. manufactured paper is made from an infinitely renewable resource - trees that are purpose-grown, harvested and regrown in sustainably managed forests – in a process that uses a lot of water but consumes very little of it, and is powered mostly (64% on average) by renewable bioenergy. And with a recovery rate of 68%, paper is recycled more than any other material in the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. Using unsubstantiated and misleading environmental claims as a means to a digital-only end is greenwashing that completely ignores the documented environmental impacts of digital communication and threatens the livelihoods of millions of workers across the U.S. print, paper and forest products value chain.

Metsä Group has made the funding decisions for 2023 in its nature programme. Twenty-three projects were selected for funding to manage and restore Finland’s biodiversity. As a result of these selections, the projects are more diverse, and their geographical coverage is more extensive. Independent experts from the University of Eastern Finland, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Sitra and the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) participated in evaluating the project. The themes of the projects selected for funding include watercourse improvement, restoration of flowing waters, removal of invasive species and predators, management of traditional habitats, restoration of wetlands and management of sandbanks. The nature programme does not fund activities in commercial forests, as these are developed as part of Metsä Group’s strategy for regenerative forestry.

The Italian Forest Certification System has been submitted to PEFC for assessment. The public consultation, which is your chance to give your feedback on this revised system, will run from 26 June to 24 August 2023. PEFC Italy revised the country’s national forest certification system following the entry into force of the revised 2018 PEFC Sustainable Forest Management standard.

The trucking industry has made massive strides in reducing tailpipe emissions over the past 35 years thanks to innovation and achievable regulatory targets and timelines: ✅We’ve cut harmful NOx and particulate matter emissions by 99%. ✅We’ve eliminated virtually all sulfur-dioxide emissions. ✅Between 2014 and 2027, we stand to cut 1.37 billion metric tons of CO2. The problem? Not nearly enough of these newer and cleaner trucks are on the road today because of a century-old federal excise tax (FET) on heavy-duty trucks that penalizes trucking companies for upgrading their equipment.

ABC News’ recent “Trashed: The Secret Life of Plastic Recycling” investigation isn’t about plastic bags or even plastic packaging, it is about the current U.S. recycling system. Put trackers in any recyclable item today and chances are they may end up in an incinerator or landfill. This should be the intended result, given that these trackers are actually contaminants to the recycling stream and would be filtered out for disposal through most recycling processes. It is also because we have over 20,000 different municipal recycling programs across the country that are based on the value of the materials being collected and recycled. This value changes with market conditions and when it does, some products destined for recycling are diverted to disposal instead. Also, until recently, much of that value was in exporting our recyclables overseas. Because of these foreign markets, governments running the recycling programs here in the U.S. did not invest in the infrastructure needed to manage our own recyclables. When China, the biggest importer of U.S. recyclables, stopped accepting them, the markets collapsed.

As part of our commitment to continued sustainable leadership, environmental impact and accountability, we are proud to be the first company in our space, and among the first companies in the world, to receive approval from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) for our greenhouse gas emission reduction targets aligned to the Net Zero Standard. The Net Zero Standard is developed by SBTi and is the first global science-based standard for companies to set net-zero targets. Using our FY22 performance as our baseline, we received approval for three targets: *Overall Net-Zero Target: HH Global has committed to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by Financial Year 2040 (FY40). *Near-Term Target: HH Global has committed to reduce absolute scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions 50% by FY30. *Long-Term Target: HH Global has committed to reduce absolute scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions 90% by FY40.

135 second-grade students from Trevor, Wisconsin, and Mishawaka, Indiana, celebrated Earth Week by learning about the cycle of life from trees to paper and back to trees. The educational outreach program was presented by corporate neighbor Colbert Packaging. The interactive session is dubbed TICCIT for, “Trees into Cartons, Cartons into Trees.” Created by the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), of which Colbert Packaging is a member, the program teaches young learners about the role trees play in the environment and our circular economy. The program teaches the importance of recognizing sustainable packaging and supporting the recyclability of paper-based packaging. The visual presentation was topped off with a hands-on session where students were invited to prepare and take home their very own tree sapling in a paperboard planter. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to share the importance of environmental stewardship with an enthusiastic audience of local students,” said Colbert Marketing Manager Wanda Speer.

“We are pleased to share the significant ESG progress made by our global team in 2022. We are actively working towards a more sustainable future through responsible operations, reducing our carbon footprint and developing even more sustainable solutions for customers, consumers and patients. We are also convinced that our leadership in Sustainability, in addition to helping safeguard the environment, creates a critical competitive advantage,” said Stephan B. Tanda, President and CEO. Aptar focuses on collaboration as one of the pillars of its sustainability strategy. The company works with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, among many others. Aptar is an active member of the CE100 Network and a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact. In partnership with these organizations, Aptar aims to include 10% recycled resin content and achieve 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable solutions in our personal care, beauty, home care and food and beverage solutions by the end of 2025. The 2022 Corporate Sustainability / ESG Report highlights these important partnerships and many others.

Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on the Guyanese Forest Certification Scheme. Deadline for comments is 28 July. Give your feedback. This is the first time the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the PEFC national member for Guyana, has submitted its national system to PEFC for endorsement. See all system assessment details at: https://pefc.org/discover-pefc/our-pefc-members/national-members/guyana-forestry-commission-gfc

Trioworld, the leading producer of innovative and sustainable high-performance plastic packaging solutions in Europe and North America with its head office in Sweden, has published its seventh annual sustainability report. Highlights during the year are, among many, the EcoVadis Platinum rating, the commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative and the significant investment in expanding the company’s recycling capabilities. "We want to be a sustainable supplier as well as the leader in circular solutions in our industry and we have taken major steps towards these goals during the last year. Our ESG work (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is on the right track, acknowledged, for the second consecutive year, by the EcoVadis Platinum rating. We have set an ambitious sustainability strategy and this rating is a recognition of the hard work and commitment of everyone at Trioworld contributing to deliver on our sustainability targets.” says Oskar Karlsson, CPO and VP Sustainability at Trioworld Group.

Canon Inc. announced today that the company, in order to provide its various stakeholders with an understanding of its sustainability-oriented initiatives, has published the Canon Sustainability Report 20231 via the company's official website. As standards for disclosing sustainability-related information continue to evolve, this year's Sustainability Report follows the International Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines revised in 2021, listing major challenges regarding environmental and social impact, organized by priority. In addition, through dialogue with entities based outside Japan, the company aims to provide a wealth of information in its Sustainability Report. Furthermore, Canon aims to expand the disclosed data regarding its human capital, as well as improve the reliability of its environmental data2, which has been verified by third-party auditors3.

Key enhancements outlined in the 2022 Impact Report included updating the Company's near-term targets for progressing toward net-zero carbon emissions, namely: *25% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity (per square foot) by 2025 *25% reduction in absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from employee business travel by 2025 *81% of our spend with suppliers who set their own science-based targets by 2025. The Company also announced the addition of nature-based environmental targets that complement its net-zero goal for carbon.

In the latest edition of The Page, we question if this is the end of greenwashing? With new European legislation and increasing regulations, companies are coming under more pressure to justify all environmental claims in their marketing… or potentially face a hefty fine! You can also read about the increased focus that Two Sides has on the paper packaging industry, and a sneak peek at some of the findings from Two Sides’ latest consumer research report, the Trend Tracker 2023: European Findings. Our popular recurring section, ‘Fresh Thinking’, provides a round-up of fantastic print case studies, which include: a food label that indicates when a consumer’s fridge is at the ideal temperature, a supermarket campaign that swapped discount signs for ones showing their CO2e saving, and Brazilian retailer offering its customers a printed copy of the country’s constitution at a 99% discount.

Amcor Rigid Packaging´s (ARP) Cali plant in Colombia is now powered by renewable solar energy. The solar energy is supplied to Amcor exclusively from Celsia, a new solar plant comprised of more than 16,000 solar panels generating nearly nine million watts of electricity. Incorporating solar power means the Cali Colombia plant is fully powered by renewable energy – a blend of solar and hydroelectric power. Adding solar power will reduce the plant's conventional electric energy consumption by 20%. The remaining 80% of energy used to fuel the plant is provided by renewable hydroelectric energy, also certified by Celsia. In addition, the transition between solar and hydroelectric energy will reduce total emission of 7,388 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.

Biodiversity is declining faster than at any other point in human history, and the risk of biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse was identified as one of the top five global threats of the next decade by the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Risks Report. The decline of biodiversity will have far-reaching economic and societal consequences, as it underpins all natural ecosystems and is an essential element of human wellbeing – sustaining Mondi’s packaging and paper business, as well as our economies and societies in which we are located¹. Ecosystems provide essential services that can impact livelihoods, income, local migration and even political conflict². In addition to all this, over half of the world’s GDP is either moderately or highly dependent on nature - $44 trillion of economic value generation³. And yet, nature continues to decline at unprecedented rates. Not only was COP15 an essential reminder of the role governments and businesses must play in conserving our natural ecosystems, but it also highlighted the importance of sustainable business models – like Mondi’s.

TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Zero Waste certified facilities divert a minimum of 90 percent of their waste from landfills, incinerators, and the environment. TRUE is a zero waste certification program verified by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), an independent organization that provides third-party verification and credentialing of systems and business practices relating to sustainability. Atlantic’s TRUE certifications prove our organization’s commitment to building a healthy, sustainable future. As an increasing amount of waste places a strain on resources and communities, sustainable resource management and waste reduction practices create positive environmental, health, and economic outcomes.

As a forest-based company, Klabin considers the conservation of biodiversity to be an important guiding pillar of its operations, oriented towards sustainable development. Currently, the Company has 718,000 hectares of forests, 42% of which are dedicated to conversation and maintenance of biodiversity. The commitment to the agenda was made public through the KODS – Klabin Objectives for Sustainable Development –, which guide the Klabin 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, aligned with the UN agenda – with five specific goals for biodiversity conservation determined to be achieved over the next seven years. The goals involve recovery of degraded areas, nature conservation studies, reintroduction of extinct or threatened species and general care with the fauna.

Plastic waste doesn’t have to be waste at all. It can be a resource. With the support of GP Recycling, the Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC Global) is converting plastics into a concrete additive called RESIN8. Now instead of ending up in a landfill or the ocean, those plastics can be used to make the concrete that goes into homes, businesses and infrastructure. “First and foremost, the big value of RESIN8 is keeping the plastic out of landfills,” said Kevin Butts, director of strategy and business development for GP Recycling. “On top of that, you’re able to substitute plastic for traditional aggregates to improve the performance characteristics of the concrete.” Concrete produced with RESIN8 is lighter and provides better insulation, according to CRDC Global. In non-structural concrete applications, RESIN8 can improve insulation by up to 35%, per CRDC Global.

Have you heard that the earth is flat, literally flat? Yes, there are serious organizations making impressive-sounding arguments and throwing scientific jargon in every direction to disprove what real science and observation have taught us about our planet, but in the end the earth is still round. So it is with the claim that paper manufacturing is “a major contributor to climate change.” Too many ENGOs and other self-interested parties have invested years trying to refute the findings of global scientific authorities like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that the paper industry is largely greenhouse gas neutral. But just like the Flat Earth argument, it takes only a little high school science, sound data and a bit of common sense to separate the truth from the blizzard of activist rhetoric posing as climate change “studies.”