Canada has legislated the mandatory adoption of paper straws just in time for new evidence to emerge that the new straws may be just as unsustainable as their plastic predecessors. A new study published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants examined more than 20 different brands of plant-based straws and found high levels of toxic chemicals in almost all of them. “These ‘eco-friendly’ plant-based straws are not necessarily a more sustainable alternative to plastic straws,” concluded a research team based at Belgium’s University of Antwerp. Straws examined by the researchers were largely found to be laden with per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals.” …The University of Antwerp team performed chemical analysis on 39 different types of straws sourced from Belgian supermarkets and fast food outlets: 20 paper, five glass, five bamboo, five stainless steel, and four plastic. Only the stainless-steel straws were found to be completely PFAS-free.
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Last fall, the specialty paper maker Dunn Paper closed its mill in Port Huron, Michigan. …In March, the packing paper firm Sonoco announced it would permanently shutter its Hutchinson Paper Mill. …At first glance, the closure of America’s mills might make intuitive sense. Personal computers and the internet were supposed to obviate the need for a lot of paper. And in many ways, they did. As a result, annual worldwide production of printing and writing papers has declined by about 30 percent since its high in 2007. But that’s not quite why American paper mills, overall, are closing. Many of the mills closing in the U.S. don’t make this kind of paper, and the diminishing relevance of printer paper hasn’t spelled the end of Big Paper, anyway. Annual production of paper and paperboard has grown by about 60 percent since 1993. …The real game changer was the entry of China into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
In January 2016, Dovetail Partners released a report addressing modern tall wood buildings. In the conclusion of that report we noted: “The extent to which tall wood buildings will be developed in the U.S. remains to be seen, but there is little doubt that wood use will increase in high-rise structures. Wood has now re-entered the tall building discussion as one of many materials available to the design community. Its many attributes ensure a greater role in buildings of all kinds going forward.” Nearly seven years later, this update report (2023) summarizes policy and code changes which have occurred in recent years and the trends in adoption of mass timber. We also look ahead to consider the challenges that mass timber may face. This report focuses on developments related to mass timber construction in the United States with some references to resources and information available globally. 
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — A provision in a new state law barring most North Carolina governments from requiring inspections of the plywood and nails that hold a home’s frame together could leave many vulnerable to high winds, building safety experts are warning. …North Carolina’s existing building code did not require sheathing inspections anywhere in the state, but does say builders are responsible for all elements of a structure being up to code even if they are not visible when mandatory inspections occur. …Failing to inspect sheathing in most of the state makes North Carolina homes away from the coast “less resilient and less safe,” Roy Wright, of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. …The N.C. Home Builders Association opposed requiring inspections beyond coastal counties. Builders also argued that waiting for the sheathing inspection slows progress. Due to those concerns, the N.C. Building Code Council pared back efforts at increasing inspections. 
