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CFPA TODAY - Spring 1999
How Can A Publication Switch To Chlorine Free Papers?
The supply already exists to convert many catalogs and publications to chlorine free paper with competitive quality and prices. Indeed, several major catalogs such as IKEA and high-end brochures such as Mercedes Benz are already on chlorine free papers.
Some customers have complained about trouble finding quality chlorine free paper. Often the problem is that their local paper distributors or printers are unfamiliar with it, may not stock it, or may not have a TCF/PCF paper on their floor. In that case, most sellers are going to sell what is in their inventory.
If the customer nevertheless insists on a TCF/PCF paper, many vendors will call this a special order and request additional fees.
But paper buyers don't have to struggle with uninformed and misinformed vendors. "I can put buyers together with the right TCF or PCF paper source easily," says CFPA analyst Mika Valtasaari. "I know the products and capacity of all the TCF/PCF mills, having worked in one myself. There are CFPA partners here in North America who make chlorine free paper, and European partners who have large distribution centers in North America with millions of tons of TCF/PCF paper in inventory. If necessary, they will import special orders at competitive prices. I also can recommend merchants willing to go the extra mile to support chlorine free paper purchases."
Catalogs such as Patagonia's and magazines such as Response and Scuba Times give chlorine free paper high marks for quality, cost competitiveness, brightness and printability. Peggy Bernard, responsible for catalog research and development at Patagonia, vouches for PCF papers' high standards in printing Patagonia's catalog. "The processed chlorine free papers we've used have been wonderful quality. That's the best thing about them."
Dana Jones, editor at Response, agrees, "When Response went to processed chlorine free paper, there were unexpected benefits. The paper has more body, brightness, and brilliant color reproduction, and it saved money over the past recycled paper grade bleached with chlorine. It also does not contribute to production of dioxin, a cause of breast cancer, which can be produced when bleaching paper with chlorine compounds."
Lars Carlsson, who purchases IKEA's catalog paper, testifies to its competitive pricing. "In the beginning, many years ago, there was a price differential, but not now," he says, adding, "It's absolutely comparable." There's no sacrifice in brightness, either … not when the brightest, whitest paper produced in the world is a TCF paper by Stora Enso.
Catalog and magazine paper buyers should be thinking not only about publication papers, but also about all the other types of collateral papers necessary to putting out a publication. There are many ways to convert to chlorine free paper and also make a significant impact on the market.
More catalogs and magazines could convert to TCF or PCF paper if they learned more about the product. States CFPA's executive director Archie Beaton, "Our role is to put the customer together with the right paper manufacturer in order to meet the needs of both in the most environmentally sound way possible." With such assistance and so many options available, there's no excuse today for publications not to begin moving their production to chlorine free paper.
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- Identify one or more paper companies that can provide the type and amount of paper required for the publication. CFPA can provide contacts and information, as well as ideas on how to create the capacity to meet a particular need if it doesn't already exist. - A major magazine company might consider switching to chlorine free paper incrementally. If it owns several magazines, one might be an appropriate size for an initial phase-in to make buyers and producers comfortable with changing to a different paper from the one they're used to. For example, the European issue of Time magazine is printed on TCF magazine stock, although the larger-circulation U.S. version has yet to take that step. - Shift the cover to TCF paper, while investigating converting the inside pages at a later time. - Print a special supplement or section on TCF, possibly in collaboration with an advertiser that would like the opportunity to combine its product with an environmental message. - Print "blow-in" reply cards on TCF/PCF paper. - Use chlorine free paper for direct mail, including letters, envelopes and reply cards. - Don't forget your company's other paper needs. Letterhead, envelopes and business cards are a very visible expression of a company's environmental responsibility. There are many TCF/PCF options for brochures and flyers. CFPA has just certified Rolland's New Life DP as PCF, and there is also a TCF virgin copier paper available. Manistique, also certified by CFPA, provides PCF envelopes and will soon be rolling out an entire office product line with cut-size paper, matching envelopes, note pads and even self-stick notes. In addition, your company could print all or portions of its annual report on chlorine free paper. - Many magazine publishers also print books. TCF and PCF coated and uncoated book papers are easily available, and major publishers such as Disney have used them with great success. |
IKEA: Coming Home To Environmental Quality
The international Swedish company IKEA's home products and furniture catalog promises customers quality goods at low prices "because we believe they simply shouldn't cost more." Such straight forward common sense carries over to their choice of catalog paper, too.
"We need to think not only about us, but also about the generations coming after," IKEA's Lars Carlsson says matter-of-factly. That?s not advertising hype, despite coming from one of the largest catalog and furniture retail businesses in the world. IKEA franchises 145 stores in 30 countries, greeting 140 million visitors a year. As purchasing manager, Carlsson buys thousands of metric tons of catalog paper per year, and it's not just any paper. "We were one of the very first major publications using only chlorine free paper, and it also has recycled content," he proudly reports.
With more than seven years of commitment to using only processed chlorine free (PCF) paper, Carlsson has the track record to maintain, "There are no technical differences between chlorine free papers and those bleached with chlorine or chlorine compounds. Chlorine free paper quality is the same and it's competitively priced. In the beginning, many years ago, there was a price differential, but not now. It's absolutely comparable."
Virtually all of IKEA's sleek and distinctive furniture is made to the company's own exclusive designs. Manufacturing materials are no less carefully chosen. Carlsson looks for wood certified as sustainably harvested, specifying absolutely no old-growth. The company also designs its packaging for efficiency and recyclability and has taken back catalogs and old furniture for recycling for years.
"Our company has a very big environmental policy," says Carlsson. "Other companies may have someone designated as environmental manager, but ours sits on the Board of Directors and is taken very seriously." The private company is family-owned, with strong support from top management and the owner for environmental responsibility.
"It's so important to us to be believed," says Carlsson. "We investigate the process of our suppliers until we are convinced they meet our environmental standards, and then we specify that paper must be totally or processed chlorine free and wood be sustainably certified."
Many companies claim they're forced to choose their bottom line over environmental commitment. IKEA?s billions of dollars in annual sales prove there's no reason to compromise. Instead, we're all fortunate that IKEA's vision of "creating a better everyday home life for all people" is based on a concept of "home" as big as the whole planet. F
Rolland Gains First Canadian CFPA Certification
- Quebec, Canada -
CFPA has independently certified Rolland's popular copy paper, New Life DP 100, as processed chlorine free (PCF). "We're excited to report that Rolland is the first Canadian-based paper manufacturer to certify its product line," said CFPA executive director Archie Beaton, pointing out that its paper even exceeds the PCF label requirements. A "certification celebration" in November brought congratulations from mill managers throughout the Cascades Group, to which Rolland belongs.
"CFPA's certification requirements are a dependable and accurate way to show U.S. purchasers that no false claims are being made about New Life DP 100," said Rolland senior marketing manager Claude Nelson. The 100% processed chlorine free copy paper, formulated for excellent performance on technically demanding machines, includes 80% recycled content (60% postconsumer fibers) and 20% virgin content that is totally chlorine free (TCF). It also carries the Canadian government?s Terra Choice certification, the EcoLogo.
Gerry Zampini, Rolland's vice president of sales and marketing, added, "We're proud of both the technical and environmental quality of New Life DP 100. CFPA's certification adds to the paper's prestige."
In order to use CFPA's TCF and PCF certification marks, mills must meet several criteria. The Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) designation applies to virgin fiber papers made from pulp produced with no chlorine or chlorine-containing compounds. Recycled content papers can qualify for the Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) label if they use recovered and postconsumer fibers that meet EPA procurement guidelines, have not been rebleached with chlorine-containing compounds, and contain a minimum of 30% postconsumer content. Both TCF and PCF papers must be made at mills with no outstanding environmental permit violations and any virgin fibers cannot come from old growth forests.
"The CFPA's certification program is something all serious environmental papermakers need to differentiate their grades," states Nelson. "By certifying claims, we eliminate 95% of the unsubstantiated noise made by other papermakers in our market. I am proud that Rolland has aligned itself with a group of elite papermakers joining the CFPA to bring accountability to environmental claims."
Also attending the celebration were representatives from Lenaro Paper Company, which distributes Rolland?s papers in the United States. In congratulating Rolland on its new certification achievement, Steve Meyer, Lenaro's vice president and national sales manager, referred to the longstanding business relationship between the two companies, saying, "It's been our pleasure to represent Rolland?s fine products and its commitment to the environment for 30 years."
Rolland, inc., part of the Cascades Group, which produces high quality and specialty paper and packaging products, was founded in 1882 and employs 1,200 people at two mills. The company is at the forefront of the recycled paper market, manufacturing the widest range of Canadian-made recycled alkaline papers distributed in North America.
Södra Cell's TCF Pulp Selling Well In Dismal Pulp Market
Market pulp producers worldwide took a beating in 1998 because of the Asian economic crisis and rock-bottom pricing from some pulp exporters, including Indonesia. The resulting overcapacity and unstable prices pushed most producers into operating at a loss. But Sweden's Södra Cell has a different story to tell… a year of announced growth despite turbulent markets.
Certainly Södra Cell enjoys the advantage of highly efficient production systems and a well-respected reputation as a solid producer. In fact, last year it was named ?best pulp supplier of the year? for 1997 by Arjo Wiggins, a major paper manufacturer in France, England and Scotland that includes "environmental friendliness" in its evaluation.
But Södra Cell is also the largest producer of totally chlorine free (TCF) pulp in the world. Many North American papermakers import Södra Cell's pulp to produce domestic TCF and PCF papers because there is no similar domestic source.
CFPA's executive director Archie Beaton observes, "I'm not surprised that a TCF pulp producer is doing better in the market than others. I'm just surprised that U.S. mills haven't duplicated the strategy. Chlorine free papers are more in demand than ever. If the supply isn't available here, buyers will support the companies, even if distant, that give them the product that they want."
"Our experience shows that once an organization becomes educated on the differences between totally chlorine free bleaching (TCF) versus bleaching with chlorine compounds (ECF), and becomes familiar with the health and environmental impacts, it's a simple choice so long as they have the option. When asked to choose between supporting old end-of-the-pipe technologies that have proven a failure or supporting technology that eliminates all the bleaching concerns… well, all things being equal, it's clear that there is no choice, just one right answer."
Södra Cell has made it their business to supply the pulp that gives companies the option of choosing that one right answer -high quality TCF/PCF papers.
Opportunities Abound In Growing Chlorine Free Market
Paper mills and distributors looking for advantage will find good news in the North American chlorine free paper market. TCF and PCF papers have been attracting attention from major magazines and catalogs but U.S. mills are not responding. At the same time, European mills making chlorine free papers have not promoted their products well enough in the U.S. for paper buyers to know they're available.
CFPA has fielded several calls recently from researchers investigating industry capacity and processes in order to advise clients about options for using chlorine free papers for their publications. "When paper buyers are spending thousands of dollars on consultants to find out about chlorine free papers that are widely available in Europe, that tells me that those mills are missing out on major opportunities here," says Archie Beaton, CFPA's executive director. "European mills should be advertising their TCF advantages in U.S. magazines for the printing and graphic design industries, promoting their papers to business buyers, and participating as active members of CFPA."
Few U.S. paper distributors are familiar with chlorine free papers, so customers asking for TCF or PCF paper are usually encouraged to shift to a paper that does not meet their environmental needs. If paper merchants are at all conversant with bleaching issues, they are likely to encourage a customer to use an elementally chlorine gas free (ECF) paper instead, even though the customer specified a totally chlorine free product. To change all that, Beaton says, "We've developed a team approach with an international paper merchant who is willing to source TCF/PCF papers anywhere in North America. Now customers can make one call to CFPA and we'll hook them up with a vendor who takes their chlorine free paper requests seriously."
Over the past year, CFPA has helped source more than 50,000 tons of chlorine free paper. Development continues, with the market in the U.S. currently running well over 100,000 tons per year and paper purchasers increasingly aware of bleaching issues. In Europe, chlorine free papers account for a quarter of the paper market.
"Customers don't have to settle for papers that don't meet their environmental requirements," continues Beaton. "There are plenty of papers that do." Not only mills and vendors but also printers can gain a business advantage by letting customers know they have chlorine free papers available. "We have people calling us all the time looking for chlorine free papers in significant quantities. Just recently, for example, we fielded an order from California for 2100 tons. We?re glad to put buyers in touch with suppliers who can provide the paper they?re looking for. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Chlorine free mills have an untapped market here."
Editor's Note: Most U.S. paper companies argue that elemental chlorine-gas free bleaching (ECF, most often chlorine dioxide bleaching) is just as good as totally chlorine free (TCF) bleaching because ECF results in "non-detectable" dioxin loads. "Non-detectable," however, is one of those Orwellian terms - dioxin may indeed be present, and sometimes is actually measured by sensitive tests, but may be below the level detectable by the tests that EPA requires. This is important because dioxin, produced in paper bleaching sequences using chlorine and its compounds, is a known carcinogen implicated in a wide range of health-damaging effects, including endocrine disruption. Minute amounts of dioxin - in the range labeled "non-detectable" by EPA - are magnified as they bioaccumulate up the food chain to create a significant health impact for humans. That's why CFPA champions TCF and PCF papers, pointing out the inadequacy of the ECF bleaching system chosen by almost all North American paper mills.
In this article, Davis Baltz, senior research associate at Commonweal, a 20-year-old health and environmental research institute in California, reports on behind-the-scenes activity at EPA that has the potential to provide new clarity and hard data on specific chemical effects, including dioxins. At issue are the U.S. government's traditional stance of "risk assessment" (which assumes that all chemicals are benign until proven damaging), the potential impact of minute doses, and chemical exposure of the most vulnerable, such as fetuses and newborns, for whom government "threshold" limits are most likely to be inadequate.
Testing all 87,000 chemicals in question is a daunting prospect. But even if it were possible to establish a threshold limit for each one, the interactions from combining chemicals are another whole exponential issue. As Baltz pointed out in an interview with CFPA, by allowing all these chemicals to be introduced into our environment without adequate knowledge of their effects, "we've been conducting uncontrolled chemical experiments on ourselves." New testing could convince us that we should be controlling chemicals until we know their effects, and sunsetting those that we have already let out of the bottle. CFPA will continue to keep readers informed about health threats created by the paper industry's bleaching processes, while advocating safer chlorine free alternatives.
Chemicals To Be Tested For Endocrine Disruption by Davis Baltz
A growing body of evidence suggests that some pesticides and industrial chemicals interfere with normal hormone activity by mimicking or blocking naturally occurring hormones in the body. "Endocrine disruption" is implicated in a disturbingly wide range of health effects, including certain kinds of cancer (of the breast, prostate, and testicle), reproductive problems in both sexes, neurodevelopmental dysfunction, and immune system impairment.
With the passage of the Food Quality Protection Act and the reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act, both in 1996, the federal government is required by statute for the first time to test chemicals for their potential to disrupt hormone function. To this end, in October, 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) convened a panel of experts to advise the Agency on how to develop such a program.
This body, called the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC), met publicly nine times in seven different cities, and presented their final report to EPA in early September, 1998.
EDSTAC's recommendations provided the basis for EPA to formally propose a screening and testing program on December 28, 1998, triggering a sixty-day nationwide public comment period. A three-day scientific peer review is scheduled for March 30-April 1, 1999 in Washington D.C.
When finalized, the EPA program will be significant because it puts endocrine disruption in the spotlight as a health threat which must be meaningfully addressed. While there are still many questions of science to be resolved, there is sufficient published research that the issue can no longer be ignored by either health or environmental policy makers. A torrent of new research is underway.
One of the most important outcomes of the testing program will be the generation of a great deal of new toxicological information which does not currently exist. This is important because actual data will inform decision- making in ways that theoretical risk assessment cannot. There will be less wiggle room for industry to claim that evidence is insufficient for action.
However, implementing an EPA Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Program faces hurdles which are of great concern. Insufficient funding is at the top of the list. There are several expensive steps which must be completed before the program can officially begin, including the standardization and validation of proposed tests. Funding has not been budgeted for most of the work.
In addition, EPA will have to muster political will in the face of powerful industry interests which will continue to claim that policy is getting ahead of science. There is no doubt that industry has a huge stake in this, and there is plenty of room for foot-dragging on their part.
The EPA's testing program itself may be flawed unless low dose testing is built directly into it. Low dose effects have been one of the most controversial aspects about endocrine disruption, and industry has been very reluctant to acknowledge low dose research. EDSTAC was not able to reach consensus on how to incorporate low dose testing into their recommendations and the EPA proposal does not devote sufficient attention to it.
Another likely shortcoming of the EPA program is the absence of a screening assay early in the program that looks at early developmental exposure, a time of life when organisms are critically vulnerable.
The public actively gave comments throughout the life of the EDSTAC committee, and they weighed in again during the comment period on EPA's proposed testing program. It is expected that EPA's final program will enable the public to nominate chemicals to enter the program.
Editor's Note: In 1995, the U.S. EPA released data that the USA pulp and paper industry released 1 trillion, 551 billion gallons of waste water contaminated with organochlorine compounds, some identified as estrogen and hormone distributors. If, instead, chlorine free technology were implemented by these mills, no organochlorines would be produced. Zero input of chlorine into our papermaking systems means a cleaner future for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.
