Polluters to Pioneers

Paper mills generate most of their own energy from Biomass. Some newer mills actually produce more energy and sell back to the local community. Biomass energy is carbon neutral, renewable and sustainable. It is created from using byproducts as fuel. Repeated studies, agencies, institutions, policies and virtually every country around the world recognize the carbon neutrality of the biomass energy produced by the paper industry.

Water in a paper mill is recycled 10 times, then cleaned to stringent US water quality standards before 90% is returned. About 1% remains in the paper while the rest evaporates back into the environment. Truly circular and refreshingly sustainable. It is true that in the old days’ water pollution used to be a problem. Not now.

Even some chemicals used in the process are being recycled. The kraft chemical recovery process is milder on the equipment and is being recycled at over 98%. This is another good example of the circular nature of paper manufacturing.

Paper has one of the lowest carbon footprints for any manufacturing (1% compared to electronic at 3%) Since 2005 they have reduced the GCG C02 by 24%.With success of the recycling push we reuse forest products instead of sending them to landfill. This has been the equivalent of taking 35,000,000 cars off the road.

Paper is at risk and so are the benefits. Without paper mills there is no place for recycled paper to be bought and reprocessed. Mill closures are bad for the US environment. With no entity to manage forests they will not grow and be healthy for future generations. Paper mills play a crucial role in the recycling stream by processing recovered pulp and paper into new products.
No mills. No recycling. No sustainability.

The Future of Paper and Mills – CRISPER modified poplar trees are engineered with the troublesome lignin that is so hard to get out of natural fibers. Perhaps these would become tree farms and still have some environmental value. Yet the good old native forests still need management. Time will tell.

There are new applications of using nanocellulose in concrete products. Concrete is the 3^rd largest source of industrial air pollution. The use of nanocellulose reduces air pollution, stores carbon, reduces C02 emissions, and makes concrete stronger. What is not to like, but we need trees.

People are at Risk, Paper and Forest Products Economics – The industry is among the to 10 employers in 43 states with 925,000 direct jobs and 2 million support jobs. It contributes $300 billion in products and services to the US economy and 5% of US Mfg GDP.