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Celebrating National Forest Week

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· September 22, 2023 
· No Comments
The Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) has enjoyed celebrating National Forest Week, which is taking place this week (September 17-23, 2023), as the sustainable management of Canada’s forests is fundamental to PPEC members and the circular economy of the paper packaging industry.
 
Environmental sustainability is at the core of PPEC member company operations, and using recycled content is an inherent part of the Canadian paper packaging industry’s business model. And yet, misconceptions surrounding forestry and paper packaging persist when it comes to how paper packaging is made. 
 
In Canada, the major paper packaging grades – containerboard (used to make corrugated boxes), boxboard (used to make boxboard cartons, i.e., cereal boxes), and kraft paper (used to make paper bags) – are either made from recycled, virgin, or blended pulp (a mix of the two).  
 
While most paper packaging made in Canada is made primarily with recycled content – over 80% according to PPEC’s recent 2022 Recycled Content Survey – the paper fibres it was originally made from came from a tree.  
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However, the Canadian paper packaging industry doesn’t use much in the way of freshly cut trees, and the little that is harvested must be successfully regenerated by Canadian law; while the paper fibres that are used by PPEC member mills are verified to be responsibly sourced by independent, third-party forest certification organizations. 
 
The Canadian government conserves and protects its forests through strict laws and science-based sustainable forest management practices, which stipulate that all areas harvested on public land (about 90% of Canada’s forests are on public land) must be reforested, either by tree replanting or through natural regeneration (which occurs when new seedlings or sprouts are produced by fallen trees). 
 
According to the latest data from Natural Resources Canada’s State of Canada’s Forests Annual Report, in 2020, the total forest harvest for all lumber (which includes market pulp, packaging, tissue, newsprint, and printing and writing paper) represented 0.2% of Canada’s forest land. 
 
There is also an important distinction between harvesting and deforestation. Deforestation is when forest land is permanently cleared, with trees being removed so that the land can be used for another purpose. In 2020, deforestation accounted for 49,352 hectares of area permanently changed, primarily by the agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and built-up (new homes, ski hills, and golf courses) sectors, which together represent 96% of deforestation in Canada. 
 
Insects represented the largest cause of disturbance to Canada’s forests with 17.7 million hectares of area defoliated in 2020. 
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As we celebrate National Forest Week, it is important to understand that when we manage Canada’s forests through the lens of conservation and protection, through careful harvesting and replanting, and through the lens of climate change, as trees capture and store carbon acting as either carbon sources or carbon sinks, we are supporting a healthy forest ecosystem. 
 
It is also important to understand that when we use, reuse, and recycle paper-based packaging, we all play a role in protecting and replenishing our renewable resources, supporting the sustainable management of Canada’s forests, and contributing to the circular economy of the paper-based packaging industry. 
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Categories : Canada's Forests, Circular Economy, Sustainable Forest Management

Pitting Packaging Materials Against Each Other Misses the Bigger Picture

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· June 29, 2023 
· 1 Comment
Recent media articles on the potential of paper packaging to replace some of the single-use plastic items being banned in Canada, such as shopping bags and take-out food containers, miss the bigger picture of waste management and consumption in Canada.
 
Some articles have shared concerns raised by some environmentalists about shifting from plastic to paper packaging materials, but they miss providing fact-based information on how paper packaging is made, how forests are managed in Canada, the function of packaging, the rise of consumption, and the role of the consumer.

The major paper packaging grades made in Canada – which include containerboard (used to make corrugated cardboard boxes), boxboard (e.g., cereal or shoe boxes), and Kraft paper (used for bags and sacs) – are made from a highly recyclable and renewable material that is used repeatedly through the process of recycling.

And yet some articles refer to paper packaging as “single-use,” but on average, paper packaging fibres can be recovered and reused at least 5-7 times.
 
Focusing on the term “single-use” can miss the point about the larger issues surrounding waste management and consumption, and divert attention away from the federal government’s overarching goal of reducing plastic pollution.
 
In essence, all packaging materials – be it glass, metal, plastic, or paper – can be considered single-use, but it’s clear that some are more successfully recycled than others. Paper packaging is one of those successful examples. It has an established recycling system and end markets in place to capture used paper packaging so that those materials can be recovered and recycled to make new paper packaging products again and again.

While most paper packaging made in Canada is produced with recycled content, the paper fibres it was originally made from came from a tree. However, the Canadian paper packaging industry doesn’t use much in the way of freshly cut trees, and the little that is harvested must be successfully regenerated by Canadian law.

Some of the articles refer to deforestation without explaining what that means. There is an important distinction between deforestation and harvesting. Deforestation is when forest land is permanently cleared, with trees being removed so that the land can be used for something else. Harvesting, forest fires, and insect infestations do not constitute deforestation, since the affected areas will grow back.
 
The Canadian government conserves and protects its forests through strict laws and science-based sustainable forest management practices, which stipulate that all areas harvested on public land (94% of Canada’s forests are on public land) must be reforested, either by tree replanting or through natural regeneration (which occurs when new seedlings or sprouts are produced by fallen trees).
 
In addition, paper fibres used by PPEC member mills are verified to be responsibly sourced by independent, third-party forest certification organizations such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Z809).

While the purpose of some of these media articles is to share environmental concerns surrounding various packaging materials, the articles do not provide information about the function of packaging, or the proliferation of packaging, which should be recognized in any story about packaging.

The function of packaging is to protect its contents, keep the product safe, facilitate transportation along the supply chain, and provide information to the consumer. In some cases that includes mandated information (e.g., ingredient and nutrition labelling, storage information, product use, expiration dates, and bilingual requirements).
 
There is also the reality of the world we live in today that didn’t exist 20+ years ago. It is undeniable that the use of packaging has surged as consumer shopping and dining habits have changed rapidly. The rise of e-commerce and online shopping, along with the increased use of food delivery services, meal kits, and prepared meals in grocery stores, have seen an exponential increase in packaging and in waste.

It’s clear that consumers want convenience but there are trade-offs in society’s decisions. We all have choices we make when making purchasing decisions, just as we have choices in managing our waste.

Everyone has a role to play in minimizing waste and diverting recyclable materials from landfill – businesses that make and sell products and packaging, waste management industry (recyclers, haulers, MRFs), and consumers. Ultimately it is the consumer who decides how to treat their waste and they need to do their part of properly cleaning and sorting their recyclables from their waste and organics to ensure everything that can be recycled is recycled.

Yes, the federal government’s plastics ban will see businesses shift to other packaging alternatives, including paper-based packaging, and our industry will look to meet the demand as needed, creating paper packaging products that are responsibly certified, sustainable, and recyclable.

As the national association representing the environmental interests of the Canadian paper packaging industry, we will stand by our industry and work to communicate the facts about how paper packaging is made. Our industry has relied on recycled content as its feedstock for decades, making investments in recycling equipment, and buying back high-quality old corrugated cardboard and used paper packaging to ensure they have a good supply of recycled paper fibres. Using recycled content is an inherent part of the Canadian paper packaging industry’s business model.
 
When media articles narrowly focus on one material over another, they miss the opportunity of educating and informing the public on the bigger picture of how waste is managed, the proliferation of consumption, and how we all have a role to play in minimizing waste.
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Categories : Circular Economy, General, Paper and Plastics Packaging, Paper Packaging
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Banning Paper Bags is Not the Solution

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· May 5, 2023 
· No Comments
In recent months, the Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) has been seeing a concerning trend of some governments choosing to ban paper bags. In Canada, the Yukon banned single-use paper bags of all sizes supplied by retailers to customers, and in the U.S., New Jersey banned paper carryout bags. Both jurisdictions essentially say they have done this because paper bags are “single-use items,” that “require resources and energy to produce, contributing to pollution,” and recommend the use of reusable bags. 
 
And it’s not just some governments that are looking to ban paper bags. The LCBO recently announced it would be phasing out single-use paper bags from its stores. While we appreciate that businesses have the authority to make their own business decisions – and we recognize that LCBO is not the first to want to go bag-less, Costco doesn’t offer any bags at checkout – PPEC is concerned with the unintended consequences banning recyclable paper bags may create. 
PPEC takes no issue with the concept of reuse, but while some government jurisdictions have banned paper bags because they say they require resources and energy to produce, it should be noted that reusable bags also require resources and energy to produce. But unlike paper bags, reusable bags – which can be made from plastic, cloth, cotton, nylon, or polyester – are typically not recyclable. 
 
We know the function of a reusable bag is to be reused, but depending on how they are used and if they are cleaned, they could create more waste, defeating the purpose of such initiatives intended to reduce waste. 
 
Reuse requires consumers to be mindful and responsible, remembering to bring their reusable bags when they go shopping, but sometimes they forget and have to buy new bags at the store. Eventually, they may realize that they have too many bags and may decide to throw some out. Consumers also have to remember to wash their reusable bags to keep them clean; if not washed, it could create sanitary issues – especially for reusable bags used for food items – resulting in being disposed. 
Meanwhile, paper bags are made from a renewable material and are highly recyclable. Most Canadian residential recycling programs accept paper bags in their Blue Boxes, and once collected and sent to a Material Recycling Facility, the paper fibres can be recovered and used to be remade into new paper packaging products. 
 
The LCBO’s press release says their initiative “will remove roughly 135 million paper bags annually from its stores, diverting some 2,665 tonnes of waste from landfills.” PPEC wants to know why these recyclable paper bags are being landfilled in the first place if paper bags are accepted in residential recycling programs in Canada, and end markets exist for them?  
 
On average, paper packaging fibres can be recovered and reused 5-7 times. The Canadian paper packaging industry has made using recycled content an inherent part of their business model for decades. They need clean used paper packaging because they use it as their feedstock, and in many cases, PPEC members have their own recycling divisions to make sure they have a good supply of recycled paper fibres coming in.
The LCBO’s press release also states that their initiative will save “the equivalent of more than 188,000 trees every year.” 
 
While most paper packaging made in Canada is produced with recycled content, the paper fibres it was originally made from came from a tree. However, the Canadian paper packaging industry doesn’t use much in the way of freshly cut trees, and the little that is harvested must be successfully regenerated by Canadian law. 
 
According to the latest data from Natural Resources Canada’s State of Canada’s Forests Annual Report, in 2020, the total forest harvest (for lumber and all paper grades, including packaging) represented 0.2% of Canada’s forest land, while 600 million seedlings were re-planted in Canada’s forests. 
The term “single-use” has been coming up more often lately, mostly in the context of governments banning single-use plastic products, which is happening here in Canada and Europe. 
 
In general, single-use plastic products are understood to be those items that are used once, or for a short period of time, before being thrown away. The focus has been on plastics, given their low recycling rates, and the impact plastic has on the environment, as Environment and Climate Change Canada explains: 
 
“Canadians throw away over 3 million tonnes of plastic
waste every year. Only 9% is recycled while the rest ends up
in our landfills, waste-to-energy facilities or the environment. Plastic
waste and marine litter burdens our economy and threatens
the health of the environment including wildlife, rivers,
lakes and oceans.” 
 
Plastics are mainly made from chemicals that come from the production of non-renewable fuel sources such as gas and oil. It is a complicated material given there are many different types of plastic resins that each have different properties, which impact their recyclability. Generally speaking, the types of plastics that are recovered the most are those that have established end markets in place where used plastic can be sold so that they can be used in place of virgin materials. Which means that only some forms of plastics can be recycled. 
 
The term “single-use” has been connected to national government initiatives that are meant to reduce plastic waste and pollution, but is now being applied to other materials. 
 
In essence, all materials are single-use, but some are more successfully recycled than others.  
 
Paper packaging has an established recycling system, and most importantly, established end markets in place to capture used cardboard, boxboard, and kraft paper, so that those materials can be recovered and recycled to make new paper packaging products. 
 
One material is made from a renewable resource that is highly recyclable, while the other material is made from a non-renewable resource that on the whole is minimally recyclable, should both be referred to as “single-use”? Or maybe that is not even the right terminology to begin with? In PPEC’s opinion, lumping these materials together creates the unintended consequence of sending the wrong message about what is recyclable and what is not. 
 
But vocabulary is not the real issue here. The issue is that there is too much waste in Canada, but there are opportunities to increase recycling with a more harmonized approach, and consumers playing their part to properly clean and sort their recyclables. Waste diversion is a shared responsibility – we all have a role to play to ensure waste is minimized and, wherever possible, diverted from landfill. The issue is not with paper bags, and a ban is not the solution.
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Categories : Paper Bags
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Paper-based Packaging Leads the Way for Ontario’s Household Blue Box Program

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· May 1, 2023 
· No Comments

Paper-based packaging continues to be a success story in Ontario’s household Blue Box program, as measured by marketed tonnage, based on new data released by the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA), the regulator mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce the province’s circular economy laws.

RPRA’s new Datacall Report summarizes information generated by the 246 programs participating in the Ontario Blue Box Program in 2021, and highlights residential waste management statistics and trends.

Overall, the program saw a decline in the provincial diversion rate to 49.1%, a stat the program has mostly hovered at for the past 10 years as shown in Figure 1 (all charts in this blog are from RPRA’s Datacall Report).

Diversion is measured after the collected material has been processed at a material recycling facility (MRF). So that essentially means that nearly half of what is placed in the Blue Box does not get recycled, which could be for a number of different reasons, such as contamination (food soiled materials, such as used yogurt or peanut butter containers, for example), materials that are not readily recyclable (e.g., hangers, toys), or residents not properly separating their waste and incorrectly placing non-recyclables (i.e. organics, waste) in their Blue Boxes.

Of interest to the Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) and its members is marketed Blue Box tonnage (Figure 3), which represents materials that have been sorted and processed by a MRF, and then baled, sold, and used in place of virgin materials.

These are materials that are actually recycled and paper-based packaging – which includes old corrugated cardboard, old boxboard, and a portion of residential mixed papers and mixed fibres packaging – leads the way in the most marketed materials with 289,689 tonnes marketed in 2021 (up from 271,433 tonnes in 2020), representing 39% of the total Blue Box marketed tonnage (736,379).

Paper-based packaging leads the way in the most marketed materials with 289,689 tonnes marketed in 2021.

The second largest material is printed paper – newsprint, household fine paper, telephone books, and catalogues – with 20% of marketed tonnes. However, this category continues to decline year over year as more homes go paperless (when was the last time you saw a telephone book?!).

Printed papers have experienced a nearly 66% decline in tonnage from 2016-2021, as shown in Table 4, while paper-based packaging has increased by 72.5% over the same period.

In analyzing the latest Ontario Blue Box data, it’s clear that paper is a success story. More than two-thirds of all paper that Ontario households generate is not just collected but actually recycled through Ontario’s Blue Box program. And much of the recovered paper fibres are supplied to PPEC member mills who use it to produce new paper packaging products, including boxes and cartons, made primarily of recycled content.

The Ontario Blue Box program begins its transition to a new producer responsibility regulatory framework starting this July, which will see producers take over 100% of the operational and financial management of the program by December 31, 2025.

There is no doubt that paper-based packaging will continue to be an important component of the Ontario Blue Box program – and PPEC expects to see a continued increase in paper packaging as brands shift from other types of packaging to sustainable, renewable, and recyclable paper-based packaging – but we will be watching the transition closely. The hope is that a shift to a producer responsibility will result in improved end markets, better sorting by residents, less contamination, and overall higher diversion and recycling rates in Ontario.

Glossary of Key Recycling Terms
(Definitions adapted from RPRA)
 
Collected Blue Box Tonnes: Blue Box materials that are collected curbside and/or at a depot.
 
Disposed Tonnes: Includes garbage and processing residuals from recycling and composting operations disposed at a landfill or incineration facilities.
 
Diverted Tonnes: Includes recycling activities, municipal organic collection and processing activities, provincial deposit systems for alcohol containers, residential on-property management and municipally operated reuse activities.
 
Generated Tonnes: Includes recycling, reuse and garbage material produced by Ontario residents; represents combination of disposed tonnes and diverted tonnes.
 
Landfilled residential material: Includes garbage Tonnes and processing residues; part of Disposed Tonnes calculation.
 
Marketed Blue Box Tonnes: Blue Box materials sorted and processed by a Material Recycling Facility (MRF) that is then sold and used in place of virgin materials.
 
Diversion Rate: Diverted Tonnes / Generated Tonnes x 100
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Categories : Blue Box, Circular Economy, Paper and Plastics Packaging, Paper Recycling, Recycling
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Are we putting the cart before the horse when it comes to EPR in the IC&I sector?

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· April 24, 2023 
· No Comments
The Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) monitors environmental issues impacting the Canadian paper packaging industry, especially recycling, since recycled paper-based materials are an important supply of our industry’s feedstock.
 
To that end, we track federal and provincial government activities on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which is a policy approach in which a producer is made financially and physically responsible for ensuring their packaging is properly managed at the end of its life.
 
In Canada, EPR policies have been mostly applied to managing waste and recyclables in the residential sector – that’s you and I at home – while paper and packaging from the Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) sector is managed separately.
 
But lately, some provincial governments have been considering EPR approaches for managing paper and packaging materials from the IC&I sector, similar to the approach used for managing materials from residential sources, leaving PPEC to wonder if we are putting the cart before the horse when it comes to EPR and the IC&I sector.
Current State of EPR
 
Historically, paper and packaging recycling for residential communities has been provided by municipalities as part of their waste management services. And over the last few decades, several provincial governments passed legislation that legally require businesses who make and sell packaging to submit data reports and fund municipal recycling costs. These are known as “cost-shared” program models, wherein municipalities run the programs and businesses pay a portion of the costs.
 
However, over the past few years, there has been a shift to move towards EPR-based models, where businesses would be responsible for 100% of program operations and funding. If municipalities want to continue their role as a service provider, they would need to agree to terms set by industry; otherwise, industry will negotiate with waste collectors, haulers, and processing facilities directly.
 
This EPR model currently only truly exists in British Columbia but is being rolled out in other provinces within the next few years.
The above map shows the status of provincial recycling programs for managing residential paper and packaging, but what about paper and packaging from the IC&I sector…
 
Paper and Packaging in the IC&I Sector
 
In the IC&I sector – which includes office buildings, schools, hospitals, retailers, grocers, malls, stadiums, theatres, restaurants, and manufacturing facilities – businesses are responsible for managing their own waste and recyclables. This is typically done through business-to-business relationships, where businesses contract directly with waste management service providers.
 
But over the last few years, some provincial governments have been discussing the possibility of an EPR approach for the IC&I sector.
 
In fact, Québec became the first precedent-setting province to regulate EPR for managing IC&I materials. It came as part of their move to modernize the existing recycling system for packaging, with the full rollout of the new EPR system for curbside residential and IC&I expected to be completed by January 1, 2025.
 
British Columbia’s EPR Five-Year Action Plan states that the government is evaluating opportunities and policy options related to improving the recovery and recycling of packaging and paper in the IC&I sector. That does not necessarily mean British Columbia will implement an EPR approach for IC&I, but it does appear to be something they are potentially considering.
 
And lately, other provinces that have been consulting on establishing new EPR approaches for residential waste streams have also been considering whether to include some IC&I sources of waste in future EPR programs.
 
PPEC’s Perspective 
 
While PPEC supports increased diversion and recycling of paper packaging materials from all sectors, IC&I included, we believe that EPR is not necessarily the right overarching policy approach for managing these materials, especially since they are currently being collected and recycled in many jurisdictions across Canada.
 
First, we can’t assume the same approach used for residential will work for the IC&I sector, as they are two very different and distinct waste streams.
 
Second, we question if EPR, as it is currently structured and understood, is working as effectively and efficiently as it could be for Canada’s residential Blue Box programs. It may be premature to suggest that the model is right and should be considered for other sectors. The reality is only one province, British Columbia, currently has a true EPR model; while other provinces are in the midst of transitioning programs to EPR or are just starting to develop new programs. It will take time to see if these shifts to EPR result in improved consumer participation, less contamination, better program performance, and overall higher recycling rates.
 
And third, producers are already taking responsibility for managing their waste and recyclables in the IC&I sector. We know materials are being recycled in the sector as we see it happening firsthand in our industry every single day. Most PPEC member mills use recycled paper packaging materials, including cardboard – collected from commercial and residential sources – as their primary feedstock, allowing them to use high amounts of recycled content in the major paper packaging grades made in Canada. In many cases, PPEC members have their own recycling divisions to make sure they have a good supply of recycled paper fibres that they rely on. Using recycled content is an inherent part of the Canadian paper packaging industry’s operations, and it has been that way for decades.

Bales of Old Corrugated Containers (OCC), collected from commercial sources and processed at the Cascades Recovery+ facility in Scarborough, Ontario, are ready to be sent to a mill, where they will be recycled so they can be remade into new paper-based packaging. Photo taken by PPEC on April 14, 2023.

The Need for Data
 
It is important that any policy considerations or future decisions be based on sound data. As we stated earlier, paper and packaging in the IC&I sector is already being collected and recycled as businesses contract directly with waste management service providers to collect and recycle their packaging and shipping materials.
 
PPEC reviewed the latest available data from Statistics Canada’s Biennial Waste Management Survey, which tracks waste diversion from the IC&I sector, and it shows that paper fibres lead the way when it comes to diverted materials from non-residential sources (which includes both the IC&I and the Construction, Renovation and Demolition sectors), with 1,954,655 tonnes of paper fibres diverted in Canada in 2020, representing 46% of total diverted materials (4,214,742 tonnes based on available information) from non-residential sources.

And when it comes to provincial performance, the data shows that several provinces divert more paper fibres from non-residential sources (orange line) than from residential sources (blue line).

We recognize that this data is not perfect, but the trend is encouraging, showing that paper fibres from non-residential sources are being actively recycled and diverted from landfill in Canada.
 
But we know that not all paper fibres are being diverted.
 
According to the Government of Canada’s National Waste Characterization Report, the main waste categories in the IC&I sector in 2016 were food and non-degradables at over 60%, while the category of paper represents 14% (though no information is available to describe the composition of the paper waste).
Average national characterization of waste from the ICI sector in Canada in 2016
The data is piecemeal at best. To gain a better understanding of current IC&I waste diversion activity, better data is needed to inform policy discussions.
 
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
 
To develop effective strategies and policies for IC&I waste diversion, data is needed. We need to know the statistics about waste in the IC&I sector – how much is being generated, recycled, and disposed of, as well as the composition and types of materials – to be able to identify opportunities to increase recycling.
 
The existing data is not complete, but it does broadly illustrate what PPEC believes to be true for the Canadian paper packaging industry: that the major paper packaging grades, such as containerboard (used to make cardboard boxes) and boxboard (used to make cereal or shoe boxes), are being collected from the backs of supermarkets, malls, and factories, and being responsibly recycled and diverted from landfill. We know this because using recycled content is an inherent part of our members’ operations.
 
And when it comes to EPR and IC&I, our message to governments is clear: do not put the cart before the horse.
 
Let’s not assume that the same approach for residential recycling will work for the IC&I sector since they are two different waste streams. And let’s not assume we have the right formula for EPR.
 
In many ways, EPR for residential paper and packaging is in its infancy in Canada, with only British Columbia currently having an EPR approach, while other provinces are transitioning to producer responsibility models. It will take time to see if these shifts result in higher recycling rates and more efficient and effective systems.
 
Let’s get EPR for residential right first before we even consider applying it elsewhere. Getting it right means that consumers understand their important role in properly recycling. Getting it right means focusing beyond just collection, and recycling more of what is being collected. Getting it right means having end markets consistently available to ensure materials are being recycled.
 
In the meantime, PPEC will be watching Québec closely as the precedent-setting province that regulated an EPR approach for managing materials in the IC&I sector; and we will continue to encourage governments to collect updated data to have informed policy discussions; while we keep promoting our industry’s circular economy approach to managing paper-based packaging materials in Canada.
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Categories : Blue Box, Paper Packaging, Paper Recycling, Waste Diversion, Waste Strategy
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The Facts about Sustainable Forestry and the Canadian Paper-Based Packaging Industry

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· March 21, 2023 
· No Comments
Sustainable forest management is essential to the Canadian paper-based packaging industry and its circular economy. And yet, misconceptions surrounding forestry and paper packaging persist when it comes to how paper packaging is made.
 
With today’s International Day of Forests, the Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) would like to clear up some of the misconceptions by providing the facts about what is actually harvested, the causes of deforestation, and how the major paper packaging grades are made in Canada.
 
FACT: The Canadian paper packaging industry does not harvest much of Canada’s forests (and what is harvested must be regenerated)
 
While most paper packaging made in Canada is produced with recycled content, the paper fibres it was originally made from came from a tree. However, the Canadian paper packaging industry doesn’t use much in the way of freshly cut trees, and the little that is harvested must be successfully regenerated by Canadian law.
 
According to the latest data from Natural Resources Canada’s State of Canada’s Forests Annual Report, in 2020, the total forest harvest (for lumber and all paper grades including packaging) represented 0.2% of Canada’s forest land, while 600 million seedlings were planted, up from 440 million in 2018.
FACT: The paper packaging industry is not a major cause of deforestation in Canada
 
Deforestation is when forest land is permanently cleared and converted to make way for new, non-forest land use. And according to Canada’s National Deforestation Monitoring System, Canada’s 347 million hectares of forest area is stable, with less than half of 1% deforested since 1990.
 
In 2020, deforestation accounted for 49,352 hectares of area permanently changed, primarily by the agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and built-up (new homes, ski hills, and golf courses) sectors, which together represent 96% of deforestation in Canada.
FACT: Insects are the number one cause of forests disturbances in Canada
 
Canadian forests are most affected by natural disturbances such as insect infestations, diseases, and fires.
 
In 2020, insects represented the largest cause of disturbance with 17.7 million hectares of area defoliated. The second largest cause was fires with 4.3 million hectares of area burned in 2021 (the largest on record since 1990).
FACT: Most paper-based packaging products made in Canada are made from recycled content
 
Most domestic shipments of the three major paper packaging grades made in Canada – containerboard (used to make corrugated boxes), boxboard (used to make boxboard cartons), and kraft paper (used to make paper bags) – are made from recycled content (81.7%).
 
Mills also use sawmill residues – such as wood chips, shavings and sawdust left over from sawmill operations – and some supplement their pulp with virgin fibres from trees.
 
The mixture of using primarily recycled content, along with some new fibres from sustainably managed forests, is an important component to paper packaging’s circular economy.
Existing research shows that paper can be recycled up to seven times, while corrugated box fibres can be recycled up to ten times, and we believe that number could be even higher in Canada given its recycling infrastructure and long-standing residential and business recycling programs. But over time, recycled fibres do weaken, which means a small amount of new virgin fibre needs to be introduced now and again.
 
It is through that important act of recycling that allows paper packaging to be continually collected so it can be reused and remade into new paper-based packaging products again and again.
FACT: Canadian mills use independent certification to verify their paper fibres are responsibly sourced
 
All paper fibres used are verified to be responsibly sourced by independent, third-party certification bodies. In Canada, there are three internationally recognized forest certification organizations: Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Z809). These organizations assess forestry operations against standards for sustainable forest management, and complements Canada’s rigorous forest management laws and regulations.
FACT: Paper packaging is made from a renewable resource that is sustainably managed, responsibly sourced, and actively recycled 
 
On International Day of Forests, and every day, it is important to remember that Canada’s forests are stable and sustainably managed.
 
When we use and recycle paper-based packaging, we all play a part in protecting and replenishing our renewable resources, contributing to the sustainable management of Canada’s forests, and supporting the circular economy of the paper-based packaging industry.
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Categories : Canada's Forests, Circular Economy, Environmental issues, Paper Recycling, Recycled Content, Sustainable Forest Management
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Where is Canada’s Guidance on Environmental Claims?

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· March 3, 2023 
· No Comments
There continues to be increased global activity and enforcement around environmental claims and greenwashing, the practice of making false or misleading environmental sustainability claims.
 
The U.S. is consulting on updates to its Green Guides, Europe is planning to introduce new laws to prevent greenwashing, and the U.K. is cracking down on net-zero claims.
 
Which leaves the Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) wondering where Canada is at in providing updated guidance on environmental claims.
 
In November 2021, the Competition Bureau of Canada – the independent law enforcement agency responsible for the enforcement of the Competition Act – archived its Environmental Claims Guide, leaving a gap in available resources for Canadian companies looking for clarity and guidance on the use of appropriate environmental claims in their marketing practices.
What is greenwashing_March 1
Global Activities 
 
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (the federal agency that deals with consumer protection and competition issues in the U.S.) is currently consulting on updates to the Green Guides for the Use of Environmental Claims.
 
The FTC is seeking stakeholder feedback by April 24 in response to their consultation document, which outlines a series of 31 questions, including asking if there is a continuing need for the Guides, and if so, what changes should be made, as well as if updated guidance is needed for “recyclable” and “recycled content” claims.
 
Meanwhile, the European Commission proposed amendments to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Consumer Rights Directive which, if adopted, would provide clarity for companies to avoid greenwashing within the European Union. Companies would be required to substantiate environmental claims using the Environmental Footprint Methods, which uses 16 environmental impact categories to measure environmental performance of a product through its value chain and lifecycle. The proposal is said to represent the “most far-reaching attempt to address greenwashing.”
 
And in the U.K., the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Committee of Broadcast Advertising Practice published an update to their environmental claims guidance, stating that companies should avoid using unqualified carbon neutral and net-zero claims. The Competition and Markets Authority also recently announced plans to examine the accuracy of environmental claims made about household essential items, known as fast-moving consumer goods, such as food, beverages, and personal care products.
 
Where Does That Leave Canada?
 
Canadian companies do not have current guidelines or updated resources for making environmental claims.
 
In November 2021, the Competition Bureau archived Environmental claims: A guide for industry and advertisers – which was prepared in 2008 by the Bureau and the Canadian Standards Association to guide industry and advertisers on environmental claims – stating that the document “may not reflect the Bureau’s current policies or practices and does not reflect the latest standards and evolving environmental concerns.” The guide continues to be available online for reference, but the Bureau stated that it would “not be altered or updated as of the date of archiving.”
 
In September 2022, the Competition Bureau hosted the Competition and Green Growth Summit to better understand the relationship between competition policy and business sustainability goals. While no policy directives were made, discussions were held on enforcement in a greener economy, while the Commissioner of Competition spoke about the role of competition policy in helping consumers make informed choices in his opening remarks. The Competition Bureau recently released a What We Heard document with a summary of the Summit.
 
In addition to the Competition Bureau activities, the federal government is also holding a consultation on the future of competition policy in Canada. The government is reviewing the Competition Act, including the role and powers of the Competition Bureau. The consultation ends March 31, 2023, and input will be used to inform the government’s next steps, including potential legislative changes.
 
And as part of the federal Zero Plastic Waste Agenda, the government announced that new labelling rules are being developed that would prohibit the use of the chasing arrows recycling symbol, and other recyclability claims on plastic packaging, unless specific conditions are met. These conditions may include that at least 80% of Canadians have access to recycling systems that accept, sort, and re-process such plastics. The government will publish a proposed framework for the plastic packaging recycled content and labelling regulations for consultation later this year.
Timeline
When you add it all up, these separate but related activities signal the government priority of addressing environmental claims and greenwashing in Canada. But whether these activities result in potential changes to competition law, or the powers of the Competition Bureau, or new definitions related to “recyclability” remains to be seen, but it does not change the need for guidance on environmental claims.
 
It is clear that Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the U.K. are all taking measures to address greenwashing and the accuracy of environmental claims. But providing clear guidance and resources should also be a priority. Archived Canadian guidelines are not enough and PPEC encourages the Competition Bureau to provide updated resources on making environmental claims.
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Categories : Greenwashing, Recycling
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The Circular Economy of a Recyclable Pizza Box

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· February 9, 2023 
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It is National Pizza Day today, and the Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) wants to celebrate by reminding you that pizza boxes are recyclable in Canada.
 
Pizza boxes are typically made from corrugated board, and in Canada, corrugated board is made mostly from recycled content. So once that pizza is eaten and the box is empty and clean, pizza lovers can easily place it in their recycling bins. Once it is collected, it will be sent to a Material Recycling Facility (MRF) for processing, where it will get sorted, baled, and sold. And that recycled material will make its way back to our members’ paper packaging mills, where it will get remade into a new pizza box or another type of paper-based packaging.
 
Recycled pizza boxes are an important slice of the Canadian paper packaging industry’s circular economy.
Recycled content keeps valuable raw materials out of landfill and flowing for longer, reducing the need to extract virgin materials. The average recycled content for domestic shipments of containerboard – which is used to make corrugated board like pizza boxes – is 86.5%, according to PPEC’s 2020 Recycled Content Survey.
 
Thanks to the essential act of recycling, it is likely that your pizza box has had multiple lives, and we want that to continue. But unfortunately, there has been some confusion over the years when it comes to the recyclability of pizza boxes in Canada.
 
In the past, some have suggested that pizza boxes should not be placed in blue box recycling bins because of the grease and cheese scraps. But that’s not true. If you remove the food scraps (eat those crusts!) and any plastic (like that three-pronged pizza saver which is meant to prevent the box top from sagging, though some of those single-use plastic items are being banned in Canada), that corrugated pizza box is recyclable in Canada.
 
When it gets to the recycling mill, the empty pizza box goes into a pulper – which is like a big washing machine – where any non-paper materials are removed through a series of cleaning and screening processes. The paper fibres are then pumped onto a fast-moving screen to form paper or board. The rest of the process involves removing the moisture out of the paper or board so that it can be wound onto big rolls or cut into sheets, which are then shipped to a converter or a box plant, where it is remade into new paper-based packaging.
 
And as for that greasy residue on the box, the heat of the process usually gets rid of it. In a typical mill’s recycling process, the temperature of the paper sheet reaches up to 240 degrees Fahrenheit – well above 100 degrees Celsius, the boiling point of water and the temperature required for sterilisation – which gets rid of the grease. Though there is not much grease to begin with, as the average grease content of a pizza box found in the recycling stream is approximately 1-2% by weight level, according to WestRock’s Incorporation of Post-Consumer Pizza Boxes in the Recovered Fiber Stream Study.
 
Paper packaging is a successful recycling story in Canada and pizza boxes are no exception.
 
Not only do 96% of Canadians have access to recycling for corrugated boxes, as determined through an independent third-party study commissioned by PPEC, but Canadians actively do their part by recycling their boxes, as evidenced by high paper recovery rates in provinces with legislated paper packaging recycling programs. However, it should be noted that for some Canadian communities, composting paper packaging (including pizza boxes) may be more convenient, such as in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, who are hundreds of kilometres from the nearest packaging recycling mill.
 
Happy National Pizza Day from PPEC, and don’t forget to recycle your empty pizza boxes so they can be recycled into new pizza boxes!
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What PPEC will be Watching in 2023

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· January 13, 2023 
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As the Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) continues to work on achieving its mission to promote the environmental sustainability of the Canadian paper packaging industry, we will also be closely monitoring the following key issues in 2023:

Extended Producer Responsibility and Recycling
 
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach in which a producer – a business that makes or sells obligated materials – is made financially and physically responsible for ensuring their products and packaging are properly managed at the end of their life.
 
While PPEC members have not historically been obligated stewards of these programs – our members typically engage in business-to-business transactions, and do not directly supply finished products to consumers – such recycling programs are critical as they are an important supply of our industry’s feedstock, allowing PPEC members to use high amounts of recycled content in the three major paper packaging grades.
 
This year will be busy with changes to existing programs and government consultations, and PPEC will be closely monitoring and participating in consultations. For more information on EPR for paper and packaging, and the status of provincial programs, please visit PPEC’s new EPR web page.
 
EPR also continues to ramp up across the border with several U.S. states enacting or developing packaging producer responsibility laws including Maine, Oregon, Colorado, and California. PPEC follows the activities of the American Forest and Paper Association and the Fibre Box Association to stay informed about U.S. EPR activity.
 
Landfill bans
 
As part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to reduce emissions by 40 to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, they are looking at ways to reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills.
 
PPEC has long supported banning old corrugated boxes from landfill as it would reduce methane and ensure that valuable materials are diverted and recycled.
 
When organic waste – such as food, yard waste, and paper products – is disposed in landfills, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas.
 
A landfill disposal ban is a tool that stipulates that certain materials are not accepted for disposal; they are often used when there is a recycling program in place for that material. For example, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Metro Vancouver have banned corrugated cardboard from their jurisdiction’s disposal sites.
 
The bottom line is that used boxes should not end up in landfill. Recycled paper packaging represents our industry’s feedstock as it is continually collected and recycled through residential and business recycling programs, allowing those materials to be remade into new paper packaging products again and again.
 
New Forestry Statistics
 
Sustainable forest management is a fundamental pillar for PPEC and its members and is essential to the Canadian paper-based packaging industry.
 
While most paper packaging made in Canada is produced with recycled content, the paper fibres it was originally made from came from a tree. However, the Canadian paper packaging industry doesn’t use much in the way of freshly cut trees, and the little that is harvested must be successfully regenerated by law. In 2019, the total forest harvest (for lumber and all paper grades including packaging) represented 0.2% of Canada’s forest land, according to The State of Canada’s Forests Annual Report, which is published annually by Natural Resources Canada.
 
The 2022 Annual Report was recently released and is a key source of data on Canada’s forests and its sustainable management, which PPEC uses to correct misinformation about the Canadian paper-based packaging industry.
 
PFAS
 
PPEC continues to monitor government activity related to PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are a class of chemicals that, in some cases, have been found to be potentially harmful to the environment and human health.
 
As perfluoroalkyl substances can provide oil, grease, and water resistance, PFAS can be found in some types of paper-based food packaging.
 
The Government of Canada is currently considering activities that would address PFAS as a broad class and published a notice of intent in the Canada Gazette. In the U.S., several states have passed laws banning intentionally-added PFAS in packaging. New York’s new law took effect December 31 and prohibits the intentional application of PFAS in packages or packaging components designed for direct food contact, which can include wrappers, bags and tubs that are made from paper, paperboard, and other materials derived from plant fibres.
 
Environmental Claims and Definitions
 
The issue of greenwashing continues to be an increasingly important priority of enforcement agencies across North America and globally. In Canada, environmental claims are overseen by the Competition Bureau who archived its enforcement guidelines on environmental claims last year. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission oversees consumer protection and competition issues, and is currently consulting on potential changes to their Green Guides which provide guidance on the use of environmental and recycling claims. And in Europe, the European Union is apparently reviewing the definition of what counts as “recyclable” as they look to overhaul their packaging waste law.
 
Given recent enforcement activity surrounding environmental claims, and confusion around some of the terminology – recovery, collection, recycling, diversion, end markets – PPEC will be looking to address some of the issues with definitions, how it impacts data, and how they relate to environmental claims over the next year.
 
Carbon and Climate Change
 
PPEC continues to monitor government and industry climate change and carbon reduction initiatives. While paper-based packaging is highly recyclable and recycled across Canada and made from a renewable resource using sustainable forest management practices, we are currently gathering available data related to carbon emissions of paper packaging material.
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Categories : Environmental issues
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Happy Holidays from PPEC

Posted by Rachel Kagan 
· December 22, 2022 

On behalf of the team at the Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC), we would like to take this opportunity to say Happy Holidays and thank you for your unwavering support over the last year.

As we wrap up a very busy year, we wanted to reach out and share a few of the positive actions that PPEC took throughout 2022:

  • Our blog continues to be a go-to resource for information and analysis on some of the most topical issues facing the paper packaging industry. This year, PPEC examined issues like sustainably managed forests, the impact of Canada’s Ban on Single-Use Plastics, the latest biennial Waste Management Survey, the inaugural Circular Economy Month, and so much more.
  • PPEC also worked to help enhance the way the paper packaging industry’s story is told by responding to media articles with more accurate and fulsome information, including responding to a New York Times Magazine article and providing the paper packaging industry’s point of view in response to the Toronto Star article on the Ontario Blue Box program.
  • PPEC launched a new tool focused on answering some of the most frequently asked questions about paper packaging and the environment.
  • Our industry’s positive circular economy story was profiled in an article published online and a printed insert in the National Post.
  • PPEC continued to be a strong advocate to government in representing the members on key environmental issues, including proposed changes to paper and packaging recycling regulations and programs. As PPEC continued to advocate for fairness in legislated paper packaging recycling programs, we participated in government consultations, provided industry’s feedback in numerous submissions, and monitored ongoing changes across the country.

We’re excited about 2023, and we look forward to continuing our work as the trusted and credible environmental voice for the Canadian paper-based packaging industry. Together, we can promote the industry’s environmental sustainability achievements and our strong, relevant, and impactful circular economy story.

Thank you once again for your support and best wishes for a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season.

PPEC Holiday Closure

In celebration of the holiday season, the PPEC office will be closed December 26-30, 2022. The office will reopen on January 2, 2023.

Happy Holidays!

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