American Forest & Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of finalization for step one of the Waters of the United States repeal rule. “Paper and wood products manufacturers welcome EPA’s move to provide certainty around the implementation of Clean Water Act regulations across the United States. Stakeholders, including forest products manufacturers and state and local governments, deserve clarity as they work to ensure our nation’s waters are clean. As one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the nation with a successful record of implementing sustainable manufacturing principles, we consider EPA’s action a step in the right direction for the environment, economic growth and job creation.”

Leading global apparel company Gap Inc. has joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and Textile Exchange’s 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge as part of its integrated sustainability strategy and to help it achieve its commitment to use only 100% sustainably-sourced cotton by 2025. Gap Inc.’s target of sourcing 100% of its cotton from more sustainable sources by 2025 is set across its collection of purpose-led lifestyle brands including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta. The Trust Protocol will help Gap Inc. meet this goal by providing verified data on the sustainability practices used on U.S. cotton farms.

An economic and policy study commissioned by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and developed by engineering firm Burns & McDonnell shows that high-performing single-stream recycling systems recover more paper and other recyclable materials than mixed-waste facilities that combine wet and organic waste with dry recyclables. Mixed-waste processing recovers much less mill-quality paper, but more metal and plastic, and requires 2.5 times the facility capital cost of single-stream recycling.