Paper Production: Environmental Issues + Terms

Acid Free
Papers which are free from traces of acid, ie. made under neutral sizing conditions.

Alternative Fibre
Alternative pulps to woodpulps used in papermaking such as hemp, esparto, bamboo, or cotton. Sometimes referred to as “tree-free”.

Archival Paper
Paper made in accordance with ISO 9706, containing an alkali reserve to provide characteristics of permanence.

Australian Made Paper
Australian Paper manufacture a range of Australian made paper. The Shoalhaven Mill, near Nowra NSW, produce 'Australian 80%', made from waste paper sourced entirely in Australia. It is made up of 80% recycled fibre including milk and juice cartons (which require special processing) and waste paper from office, printer converters and industrial sources . The remaining 20% new fibre comes from sustainably managed plantations, and is bleached using elemental chlorine free (ECF) processes.

Shoalhaven Mill has excellent environmental credentials. The recycled fibre component (which is used in many of Shoalhaven's products and constitutes about 40% of the mill's total fibre usage) is processed without chlorine, and performs a valuable service to the Australian environment by diverting waste from landfill. The mill is certified to ISO 14001, and meets all regulatory requirements regarding effluents.

For more information about Australian made paper: www.australianrecycled.com.au

Biodegradable
Waste material composed primarily of constituent parts that occur naturally, are able to be decomposed by bacteria or fungi, and are absorbed into the ecosystem. Paper is normally biodegradable.

Bleached Pulp
Pulp whose natural brightness has been improved using chemicals.

Bleaching
Bleaching method using chlorine or other chemicals to whiten the colour of the woodpulp used in papermaking.

Chemical Woodpulp
Produced by cooking wood chips in a pressure vessel with cooking liquor. The chemicals in the liquid dissolve the lignin, so the fibres are liberated. (See lignin) The woodpulp is used to produce higher quality papers, as the fibres are longer and stronger.

De-Inking
Removal of printing ink and impurities from recovered paper to produce recycled fibre pulp with improved whiteness and purity.

ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free)
Woodpulps bleached without the use of chlorine gas, a product found to cause toxins in pulp mill effluents.

EMS (Environmental Management System)
An internal system for handling environmental issues within a company. It sets requirements for how activities impacting the environment are accounted for and documented. Examples of environmental management systems are ISO 14001 and EMAS.

EMAS (European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme)
EMAS (Eco Management Audit Scheme) founded by the European Union and considered to be the superior environmental standard available. The core scheme requires that there is full transparent public reporting, monitoring and auditing - unlike other international standards (ISO). The accreditation will only be maintained by an organisation that proves annual ongoing environmental improvements, (called "continuous improvement") unlike other International Standards (ISO) (or "green" labelling schemes).

Forest Certification
A process of labelling wood that has been harvested from a well-managed forest. Not all forest certification schemes can guarantee timber does come from well-managed forests.

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
An international, non-governmental organisation, which promotes responsible and sustainable forest management. FSC system of forest certification and product labelling allows papermakers to identify woodpulp that comes from well-managed forests. The chain of custody tracks woodpulp from the forest to the final user. FSC is the only eco label endorsed by WWF, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the Woodland Trust.

Greenhouse Effect / Global Warming
Is caused by gases in the atmosphere, which absorb the earth’s heat radiation, resulting in an increase in temperature. The most important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons and ozone.

ISO 14001
International Environmental Management Standard. It specifies the actual requirements for an environmental management system. It applies to those environmental aspects over which the organisation has control and can be expected to have an influence.

Pre-Consumer Waste
Paper that has not been reclaimed, for example; waste paper produced by mills during the paper making process that has traditionally been reused in manufacturing paper, e.g. trimmings, faulty paper etc. Not strictly speaking recycled, but better than sending it to landfill. Also known as “Mill Waste”.

Post Consumer Waste
Waste collected after the consumer has used and disposed of it. Recovered printed materials that can be de-inked to form a recycled pulp.

Pulp
Cellulose fibre that has been separated from a plant into a form suitable for the manufacture of paper.

Recycled Paper
A broad term that deserves evaluation. Recycled papers can contain both pre consumer and post consumer waste. A genuine recycled paper should contain at least 20-30% post consumer waste. Using a predominantly post consumer waste product is considered to be a much better alternative than using a predominantly pre consumer waste product, given post consumer products are made from paper that has previously been discarded - this discarded paper would otherwise go to landfill. Each time paper is recycled some of the fibres break down, which means recycled paper is classified as a lower grade of paper than that of virgin fibre. Using recycled paper for appropriate application is something that also deserves consideration. Recycled paper is not always the best environmental choice that can be made when choosing paper. Many other paper grades carry sound environmental certifications, and can be as good (if not better) alternate environmental choices.

Recyclable
Most paper is theoretically recyclable, but systems must be in place to ensure that this happens before this term can be applied.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
A system of principles, objectives and performance measures developed by professional foresters, conservationists and scientists, that is based on the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees.

Sustainability
Sustainability is all about preserving the world’s natural resources for future generations. A fully sustainable industry would be one that has zero impact, or a positive impact on the environment. The term is regularly misused.

Sustainable Forests
Sustainable forests are those which are planned and managed to achieve environmental, social and economic targets. There are a number of schemes for certifying this and the term is often misused. The Forests Stewardship Council (FSC) is the only one which is recognised by Greenpeace and other major environmental organisations.

Sustainability Indexes
Sustainability Indexes track the financial performances of the leading sustainability driven companies. The indexes provide asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios.
www.australianrecycled.com.au
www.ftse.com/ftse4good
www.aussi.net.au

TCF (Totally Chlorine Free)
Paper made from woodpulps bleached without the use of chlorine chemicals, i.e. no chlorine gas or chlorine dioxide.

Virgin Fibre
Wood fibre that has never been used in the manufacture of paper or board.