environmental

Environmental Glossary

Blue Angel

A German environmental label, which covers many products, including paper. It takes a ‘cradle to grave’ approach, considering manufacture and disposal as well as product use.

Chain of Custody

The means of tracking a product along the supply chain. For instance, being able to trace paper from the forest of origin, through pulp and paper mill, paper merchant and printer to the end user. Often a third party audits the Chain of Custody system, as with the FSC and PEFC schemes.

CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility. The continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large, including the environment.

DIP

De-inked pulp. Pulp consisting of fibre from paper previously printed, which has had the ink removed.

ECF

Elemental Chlorine Free. Paper pulp bleached without the use of elemental chlorine but instead using some chlorine dioxide, along with non-chlorine agents such as oxygen. Pulps using ECF methods contain up to 0.5kg of AOX per tonne of air-dried pulp.

EMAS

Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. The European Union’s regulated environmental management system. Similar to ISO14001 but also requires public reporting.

FFCS

Finnish Forest Certification System. A scheme for auditing forestry operations, taking into account the effects on the environment.

FSC

Forest Stewardship Council. An international organisation promoting responsible forest management. FSC has developed principles for forest management which may be used for certifying the management of forest holdings, and a system of tracing, verifying and labelling timber and wood products which originate from FSC-certified forests.

ISO14001

The standard published by the International Standards Organisation specifying the requirements of an environmental management system.

Mill Broke

Offcuts and rejected material that has not left the paper mill. Broke is routinely re-pulped and the fibre used in the production of new paper. Mill broke is not normally considered to be true recycled fibre.

NAPM Agriwaste Mark

The National Association of Paper Merchants’ scheme for recognising paper that contains at least 75% non-wood waste material, such as hemp, straw, cotton, bagasse or linen.

NAPM Recycled Mark

The National Association of Paper Merchants’ scheme for designating a paper as recycled. To qualify, a grade must contain at least 75% recycled fibre. Converters’ waste, printers’ waste and post consumer waste (from homes and offices) are all allowed (printed or unprinted) but not mill broke - the waste has to have left the mill. The remaining 25% can be mill broke or virgin fibre.

Nordic Swan

An environmental label encouraging production methods that create minimum environmental impact. Evaluation for paper is based upon strict limits for emissions and effluent from pulp and paper mills.

Post-consumer Waste

Waste that has reached the end user, typically homes and offices.

Pre-consumer Waste

Waste that has left the mill but has not reached the end user. Typically trimmings and rejected material from printers, envelope converters etc.

Sustainable Development

Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

TCF

Totally Chlorine Free. Paper pulp that is bleached without using chlorine in any form, thus giving an AOX level of zero. The alternative bleaching agents used might be liquid oxygen, hydrogen peroxide or sodium hydroxide.

Virgin Fibre

Fibre produced for the first time from wood, as opposed to recycled fibre.

Woodfree

Woodfree is a description of pulp and paper meaning that they contain little or no mechanically ground fibres. Implies that fibres are chemically treated, thereby eliminating lignin (the substance that binds wood fibres together in the tree) and making the product purer, whiter and stronger. Woodfree is an historical paper-making term shortened from 'groundwood-free' and does not denote a paper or pulp made from materials other than wood.

WWF 95+ Group

A voluntary collection of British companies committed to the improvement of forest management standards. The group is administered by the World Wide Fund for Nature.