The Vital Link Between Fresh and Recovered Paper Fiber

    PORTLAND, ORE, May 1 /PRNewswire/ - Without the contribution of fresh
 fiber into the paper-making process, North American consumers would run out
 of paper in less than a year. So says Metafore, a nonprofit that works with
 businesses to align their practices with environmental and social results.
 The research released today also finds that much more needs to be done to
 recover paper across North America.
     These key findings and more on the "Paper Fiber Cycle"-the way paper is
 produced, used, discarded and reutilized in the U.S. and Canada-can be
 found at www.metafore.org. Metafore's research provides objective
 information to stimulate conversation with businesses and consumers along
 the paper supply chain and others about the opportunites that exist to more
 efficiently use recovered and fresh fiber across North America.
     "We determined that using only recovered fiber in the tissue, copy
 paper, packaging, catalogs and other products we use every day is just not
 possible," said David Ford, Metafore's president and CEO. "Fresh fiber from
 well-managed forests is a vital component for maintaining the paper fiber
 cycle. The other key component of the paper cycle is a strong recovery
 network that values and collects discarded paper products specifically for
 reuse."
     The Paper Fiber Cycle Project was borne out of an initiative of the
 Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), which established the
 Corporate Forum on Paper and the Environment in 2004 to enhance
 communication and seek solutions to environmental and business issues
 affecting both buyers and suppliers of pulp and paper products. Metafore
 convenes and facilitates the Forum and its projects. Participants include a
 cross section of some of the largest buyers of pulp and paper in North
 America, and their FPAC member suppliers.
     "Though P&G does not own or manage forests, we are a major purchaser of
 wood-derived fiber and because of this, we believe we have a responsibility
 to ensure the sustainability of the world's forest resources," said Celeste
 Kuta, Manager of External Relations at Procter and Gamble. "P&G is
 committed to strategies that reduce demand on the world's forest resources.
 We are pleased to be working with Metafore and the Corporate Forum on Paper
 and the Environment on initiatives that help maximize the use of both fresh
 and recovered fibre."
     "What we kept hearing from a variety of stakeholders, customers and
 environmental groups was 'use more recycled fiber'," said Avrim Lazar,
 president and CEO of FPAC. "The Canadian forest products industry is
 committed to using fresh fibre from sustainably managed forests and all the
 useable recovered fiber it can get its hands on. To make significant gains
 in the latter area, we all need to do our part to increase the recovery of
 useable paper fiber."
     "Canada has continued to advance thinking and practice on the way
 forests are managed for the benefit of people and the environment," said
 Ford. "Today's consumers benefit from innovative products in the
 marketplace that use forest resources wisely."
     FPAC's Lazar echoed those sentiments, adding his members look forward
 to continuing the dialogue with customers on ways to efficiently use forest
 resources. "FPAC members are committed to continual improvement which is
 why on-going dialogue and collaboration with multi-stakeholder groups such
 as the Corporate Forum on Paper and the Environment are so important.
 Projects such as Metafore's paper fiber cycle research provides us with a
 deeper understanding of the complexity and balance required in the
 production of paper products and how to best maximize our natural
 resources."
     Key findings from the research include:
     -  New fiber is a necessary input for maintaining the cycle and flow of
        paper products to people. Without it, paper supplies for magazines
        would disappear in a matter of weeks, while supply for newspapers and
        cardboard boxes would be gone in months.
     -  The fiber cycle involves a complex web of elements, starting with good
        forest management.
     -  More can and needs to be done to encourage further recovery of paper
        products.
     An interactive PowerPoint walks people through its findings and a
 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document answers common questions related
 to recycled and recovered fiber, as well as the fiber cycle itself. A peer-
 reviewed report outlines the methodology and data sources Metafore used to
 inform this work. All of these things can be found on Metafore's Web site
 at www.metafore.org.
     This information will also be featured during a breakout session at
 Metafore's Forest Leadership Forum, scheduled for May 3-6 in Portland,
 Oregon. For more information, visit www.forestleadershipforum.org.
     Metafore
     Founded in 1997, Metafore is a Portland, Oregon-based non-profit
 501(c)(3) organization that helps businesses align their practices with
 environmental and social results. For more information on Metafore, its
 mission and suite of products and services, visit www.metafore.org, or call
 503.224.2205.
     The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
     FPAC is the voice of Canada's wood, pulp and paper producers nationally
 and internationally in government, trade and environmental affairs.
 Canada's forest industry represents 3% of Canada's GDP and exports $45
 billion of wood, pulp and paper annually. The industry is one of Canada's
 largest employers, operating in hundreds of Canadian communities and
 providing over 900,000 direct and indirect jobs across the country.
 
 

SOURCE FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA