Energy & Environment

EPA is proposing an update to their National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter, PM2.5. However, their proposal threatens manufacturing industries, including the paper industry. Lowering the standard would threaten or prevent modernization projects and other major…

Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. That gets stored in forests and forest products. The forest products industry is also taking steps to improve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy efficiency. In fact, the industry has reduced GHG emissions by more than 24% since 2005.

Sustainability is an important consideration across industries. The paper industry was one of the first manufacturing industries to voluntarily set quantifiable sustainability goals. We have made significant strides toward sustainable forest management, resource efficiency and paper recycling.

The American Forest & Paper Association opposes the EPA’s final rule for Federal Implementation Plans (FIP) Addressing Regional Ozone Transport for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NOx FIP). The "Good Neighbor" rule should exclude paper mill boilers.

The American Forest & Paper Association and American Wood Council are disappointed EPA is proposing to significantly tighten the current NAAQS Standard for particulate matter. Lowering the NAAQS could stifle mill modernization projects that otherwise reduce emissions while keeping the U.S…

The EPA issued the final rule for Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology. While AF&PA appreciates the final rule allowing mills to avoid costly retrofits to many existing boilers, we are disappointed by the agency’s treatment of boilers operating in the last decade as "new."

Hong Wilcoxon is the quality manager at Domtar’s Engineered Absorbent Materials (EAM) facility in Jesup, Georgia. She helps make change for the better, including innovative products with sustainable, nonwoven materials.

You can’t make paper without water. That’s one reason water stewardship is so important to the paper and wood products industry. Lisa Bauer-Lotto shares news of Green Bay Packaging’s ground-breaking net-zero water achievement and how the industry is advancing sustainability. 

In 2020, AF&PA member pulp and paper mills decreased water use (per ton of product) by 8.3%, from the 2005 baseline year. This marks significant progress towards our Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability goal to reduce water use at member pulp and paper mills by 12% between 2005…

In 2020, AF&PA members reduced GHG emissions – measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) per ton of product – by 24.1% from the 2005 baseline. This surpasses the Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 goal to reduce GHG emissions by at least 20% from 2005 to 2020.

In 2020, AF&PA member purchased energy use per ton of product was 13.3% lower than the 2005 baseline year. This surpasses the Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability goal which was set to achieve at least a 10% improvement in members’ purchased energy efficiency from 2005 to 2020…