Environmental

More than 30,000 gallons of pulping chemicals from the ND Paper mill in Old Town leaked into the Penobscot River earlier this month, violating state and federal laws, according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Sun Chemical released its 11th annual Corporate Sustainability Report for the year ending 2019.

UPM and the Guides and Scouts of Finland have initiated a cooperation in order to increase the dialogue and understanding between young people, companies and policy makers especially on topics concerning climate change and responsibility.

Companies in the pressure-sensitive labeling industry have announced a new global industry-wide consortium, CELAB: Creating the Circular Economy for Labeling. UPM Raflatac is acting as one of the key collaborators in CELAB to boost matrix and liner recycling in the pressure-sensitive labeling industry.

Amcor is proud to be joining a new call for a UN treaty on plastic waste, following a recent report from Boston Consulting Group, World Wildlife Foundation and Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Arctic Paper Kostrzyn S.A., a subsidiary of the Arctic Paper S.A., has signed a contract with Poland's National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) for co-financing of the project. The total net value of the project is over PLN 20 million ($5.3 million), and the maximum value of the co-financing is about PLN 8.3 million ($2.2 million).

FPInnovations is in the final stages of the accreditation process to become a Certification Body of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) in Canada.

EcoVadis is an independent rating agency specializing in the evaluation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), including sustainable development and performance monitoring of suppliers. This achievement places Greif among the top three percent of suppliers evaluated by EcoVadis.

Huhtamaki is donating €600,000 to fund a project that aims to stop the flow of plastic into the Indian Ocean from the Mithi River in Mumbai, India. The project is one of three initiatives that Huhtamaki has funded as part of its 100-year anniversary to address global sustainability challenges and build and learn from circular economy initiatives globally.

As part of its commitment to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) principles, The Molpus Woodlands Group, LLC has become a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is the world's leading proponent of responsible investment. Becoming a signatory demonstrates Molpus's long-standing commitment to sustainability.

On Wednesday, 7 October, Sweden's Minister for Enterprise Ibrahim Baylan inaugurated Södra's plant for commercial biomethanol at the pulp mill in Mönsterås.

The permit covers the new biorefinery operations as well as the necessary modifications required at the pulp mill to create the desired synergies between operations.

In addition to enabling formaldehyde free coating, the new coating machine will also reduce CO2 emissions by an estimate of 20%, further strengthening Ahlstrom-Munksjö's position as a supplier of sustainable fiber-based solutions.

In its latest ESG Risk Ratings, the sustainability analysis company Sustainalytics has ranked BillerudKorsnäs the most sustainable enterprise to invest in within the packaging sector. For the renowned Swedish company, this top ranking is proof positive that its unswerving focus on sustainability has paid off. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index already ranks BillerudKorsnäs the most sustainable packaging company in the world.

Covanta, a world leader in sustainable waste and energy solutions, has been named a winner of the Business Intelligence Group's 2020 Sustainability Awards in the Service of the Year category for its innovative circular economy partnership with Greenpac Mill LLC in Niagara Falls, NY.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has filed two notices of violation against Appvion in connection with a chemical spill at its paper mill in Roaring Spring that led to a fish kill in the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River in August.

Corrugated pizza boxes are technically recyclable, and a total of 73% of the U.S. population is estimated to have recycling programs available for pizza boxes, according to a Resource Recycling Systems access study commissioned by WestRock in fall 2019.

DS Smith, a leading provider of sustainable packaging, announced the launch of its new sustainability vision and strategy, "Now and Next," which maps out ambitious commitments and goals for the next decade.

Holmen's paperboard and paper mills have been awarded the highest possible rating by the international assessment company Ecovadis. The paperboard mills in Iggesund and Workington as well as the paper mills Braviken and Hallsta have all been awarded Ecovadis Platinum, which means that all Holmen's mills belong to the absolute top tier of all assessed companies.

Many banks, utilities, telecoms and other service providers continue to encourage (and sometimes force) their customers to switch from paper to electronic communications, using claims that electronic communication is "greener," "saves trees" or "protects the planet" as justification.

A chemical spill Tuesday at Domtar caused fire and police departments to reroute city traffic while workers contained it.

Yves Laflamme, Resolute's president and chief executive officer, was recently recognized for his contributions to sustainability.

Stora Enso is making an investment in dispersion barrier technology at its Forshaga site in Sweden.

Stora Enso has started the production of formed fiber food service products at Hylte Mill in Sweden. The production ramp-up follows the investment announced in 2019 and enables the manufacture of products that are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable.

Georgia-Pacific announced that it is now accepting mixed paper bales that contain single-use polyethylene (PE)-coated paper cups at its recycled paper mills in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Muskogee, Oklahoma.