CEPI Releases 2011 Sustainability Report
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CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries), Brussels, Belgium, has released its Fifth Sustainability Report. According to the report, the paper industry across Europe has been recovering from the financial crisis of 2009-2010, while coping with various blips in the availability of raw materials. Substantial amounts of recovered paper collected in Europe are going to China, and wood is increasingly being subsidized for energy generation. In spite of this, the report notes, recycling has increased and certification of the wood used in Europe's mills has risen to a new level.
The report also notes that the paper industry in Europe has further reduced carbon dioxide emissions, even taking mill closures into account, and has reduced its energy consumption. The percentage of companies with environmental management systems is at an all time high of 90%. On the social side, CEPI has started a dialog with the European Employees Federation representing mill workers, and has made health and safety a priority.
European paper industry accomplishments cited in the report include:
- 90% of production capacity has environmental management certification
- The European paper recycling rate is 69%, a world record
- 90% of newspapers and corrugated boxes are made from recycled fiber
- 94% of water used is returned to its source
- There has been a 14% reduction in energy consumption since 1990
- The industry has 86% less SO2 emissions since 1990
- AOx per metric ton of product has been reduced by 95% since 1990
- Today, 80% of wood used by CEPI members comes from CEPI countries
- 71% of wood virgin fiber used by the industry is certified
- The industry's accident rate has fallen by 58% since 1990.
A summary of the report is available online.
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