FPInnovations invites mills worldwide to measure and benchmark the quality of their kraft pulp. Benefit from FPInnovations’ expertise in benchmarking (with previous studies conducted in 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2017-2018) and obtain credible independent assessment of your product in relation to the competitors. To address the increasing production of unbleached kraft pulps worldwide for manufacturing paper-based packaging products to replace plastics, FPInnovations will be benchmarking both fully bleached and unbleached kraft pulps. A series of tests used to characterize pulps and evaluate their paper, tissue, and packaging making potential will be conducted in FPInnovations ISO-accredited laboratory. The reports issued cover an array of bleached and unbleached kraft pulps criteria and properties. Any specific information pertaining to the mills—such as process conditions or type of end-use products for which the pulp is intended—will remain strictly confidential.
FPInnovations’ anticipated course, the 
VICTORIA, BC — Victoria has introduced a new bylaw designed to salvage valuable wood and other construction materials from homes being demolished in Victoria. The new rules are expected to divert up to 3,000 tonnes from landfill each year. Victoria is the first community on Vancouver Island, and one of only three in Canada, to implement such a bylaw. Construction waste makes up more than one-third of all waste generated in the city. Each demolition under the new bylaw will recover more than five tonnes of old-growth lumber that would otherwise be sent to the landfill, in addition to 50 tonnes of recyclable building materials. City staff will work closely with industry to guide them through meeting the established salvage targets. The new regulations were developed in consultation with industry in order to create a bylaw that works for Victoria and the construction and demolition sector.
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Analysts have calculated that utilizing wood in 80% of new residential building projects in Europe alone would absorb 55 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). This would effectively halve the CO2 annual emissions caused by the construction industry in Europe. Meanwhile, supply chain issues, rising energy costs, and scarcity of materials highlight a need for the construction industry to shift to more sustainable, locally sourced building materials like wood. In the twentieth century, construction with load-bearing lumber was largely replaced with concrete and steel-based methods. This was a result of the need to build quickly… with on-site concrete casting and prefabricated steel framing significantly speeding up construction projects. Wood was also maligned somewhat due to the fire risk it posed. Large nineteenth-century and pre-war buildings made with dry, often over-exposed wood frames were a factor in a number of large-scale and tragic fires in built-up cities in the early twentieth century. However, recent years have started to see a shift in this trend.
California has caught up with the tall wood movement. In July 2021, California adopted the tall wood provisions in the 2021 International Building Code (IBC), with California Building Code amendments. California’s adoption of the provisions enables mass timber structures of up to 18 storeys and an increase in allowable square footage. “We anticipate an increase in tall wood projects in California as a way to address housing needs with more sustainable construction,” says Bill Parsons, COO of WoodWorks. …Neighboring Oregon and Washington have already adopted the tall wood provisions in their respective building codes. …In 2020, the California Government Operations Agency held a mass timber building competition. The state awarded a total of $500,000 to four projects that demonstrate mass timber’s potential to help address multiple challenges while creating new rural economic opportunities. 
Sappi North America in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Maine, announced the national rollout of the Paper Scientist Patch program. The patch program teaches girls the science and technology of the pulp and paper industry. The first-of-its-kind program first welcomed Girl Scouts from around the State of Maine in 2017 to attend a paper scientist expo at Sappi’s Technology Center in Westbrook. Girl Scouts participated in activities aimed at teaching the science of paper, ranging from papermaking to recycling, and could earn their Paper Scientist Patch at the conclusion of the expo. With the addition of the Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry as a partner in the initiative earlier this year, the Girl Scout patch program has expanded. …The new virtual program is now available and accessible nationwide.
India produces gigantic amounts of plastic waste – over 3.5 million tonnes a year – & over a third of this is not recycled, creating a health and environment nightmare. As a solution to this intractable problem, India decided to ban the use of single-use plastic products such as straws, polythene bags etc. effective July 1. …It is important to note that other plastic products — like water bottles, soda bottles, chips packets, etc — aren’t covered under the ban. …The ban on single-use plastics has led to an increase in demand for wood and bamboo dealers as manufacturers are now looking to switch to eco-friendly options, according to a report by Just Dial, which helps users find all kinds of vendors through its large database. …Demand also shot up for a wide range of wooden cutlery like spoons, knives, forks, wooden trays, stirrers, ice cream spoons and bamboo sticks.
