Submitted: The Two Sides Team August 1, 2012
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today released the results of its biennial Sustainability Report, which showed that the U.S. paper, pulp and wood products industry has made significant, measurable progress toward achieving the goals of its Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability initiative.
July 25, 2012
Washington, DC – PRNewswire
Quantifiable goal on water use incorporated into the Better Practices suite of goals
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today released the results of its biennial Sustainability Report, which showed that the U.S. paper, pulp and wood products industry has made significant, measurable progress toward achieving the goals of its Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability initiative.
“Our member companies responded in force to the challenge of improving upon our proven record of sustainability leadership,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. “Thanks to the efforts of our members, we have made substantial progress toward achieving our goals and have significantly raised the bar for defining sustainable manufacturing.”
Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 symbolizes the industry’s commitment to sustainability and is one of the most extensive collections of quantifiable sustainability goals for a major U.S. manufacturing industry. Enhancing this already aggressive collection of goals, AF&PA is establishing a goal to decrease the amount of water used in pulp and paper mills by 12 percent from 2005 to 2020 by measuring the water discharge.
“We have earned a reputation for being a sustainable industry, and the progress we share today demonstrates our continued commitment to sustainable business practices, which in turn makes for a better planet,” said AF&PA Board Chairman Alexander Toeldte, president and CEO of Boise, Inc.
The progress made toward reaching each goal is reported in the 2012 AF&PA Sustainability Report, which includes:
For more information about Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 and to view the report, visit www.afandpa.org/sustainability .
The American Forest & Paper Association is the national trade association of the forest products industry, representing pulp, paper, packaging and wood products manufacturers, and forest landowners. Our companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources that sustain the environment. The forest products industry accounts for approximately 5 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP. Industry companies produce about $190 billion in products annually and employ nearly 900,000 men and women, exceeding employment levels in the automotive, chemicals and plastics industries. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 47 states. Visit AF&PA online at www.afandpa.org .
Source: American Forest & Paper Association