SUSTAINABILITY
REPORT

MANAGING OUR
ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT

In this section:

> Our Environmental Performance
> Our Carbon Footprint
> Managing our use of Natural Resources
> Our Products and the Environment

 

Environment image
ACHIEVEMENTS 2008 GOALS 2009
  • Formed the global Sustainability Affinity Group to integrate operational and marketing approaches to environmental and social responsibilities.
  • Achieved multiple external chain-of-custody certifications for a number of our merchanting and manufacturing operations.
  • Developed the first Australian-made range of carbon- neutral papers, called ENVI™, an Australian Government certified Greenhouse Friendly™ product.
  • Launched yoyo™, a unique combined office paper delivery and waste collection service in the UK.
  • Set up a new data collection system, Enviro Chart, to improve the Sustainability Action Plan.
  • Reduced carbon emissions by 11 per cent per tonne of paper produced in Australian manufacturing business.
  • Achieved a 6.7 per cent reduction in raw water used per tonne of paper produced.
  • Developed a waste reduction and recycling solution diverting more than 60,000 tonnes of pulp paper waste away from Australian landfill per year.
  • Completed life cycle assessments for all products made at Maryvale Mill in Victoria, Australia, to better understand environmental impacts.
  • No significant breaches or non-compliance with environmental regulations; all manufacturing sites maintained ISO 14001 certification.
  • Maryvale Mill’s pulp mill and bleach plant upgrade progressing, with efficiencies integrated to decrease energy demand.
  • Prepare Australian manufacturing operation to best comply with requirements of legislation related to the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2010.
  • Manage the impact of a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme on our manufacturing operations.
  • Continue to adapt our businesses to a carbon-constrained environment by decreasing demand for energy and our emissions.
  • Operations to begin at the new bleach plant and upgraded pulp mill at Maryvale Mill.
  • Start using recycled water from the Gippsland Water Factory at the Maryvale Mill.
  • Better understand and quantify the impact of transport energy relating to our logistics and distribution operations globally.
  • Continue to review our major paper and fibre suppliers so they comply with our sourcing standards and values.
  • All operating companies to demonstrate environmental leadership by achieving multiple chain-of-custody environmental certifications in 2009.
  • Raise employees’ awareness of their role and contribution to reducing our own operational environmental footprint.

The Company is committed to responsible environmental management as spelled out in the PaperlinX Sustainability Charter and our global Environmental Policy. We continuously seek to improve our environmental performance in measurable ways. Today, we are driving many environmental initiatives, the most pressing of which is the management of our carbon footprint and its impact on our paper products.

Our Environmental Performance

PaperlinX owns and/or operates many sites around the world including large paper mills, light manufacturing sites (including envelope and stationery manufacture, packaging and paper conversion), warehouses and offices. In addition, the Company’s logistics operations through transport and distribution efforts range from being fully owned, leased and fully and/or partly outsourced to third-party operators.

While many environmental issues affect the Company as well as its suppliers and customers, our current focus remains on these critical areas:

In the past year, we established the Sustainability Affinity Group to integrate operational and marketing approaches to sustainability issues on a global basis. Representatives from each region are responsible for developing a cohesive standard for key environmental and social responsibilities for all operating companies worldwide, as well as implementing regional sustainability strategies.

This approach extends to our employees, whom we encourage to come up with new initiatives as well as make a difference with such everyday measures as recycling office paper, turning off computers, whiteboards and lights when not in use.

 

ENVI paper

ENVI™ – AUSTRALIA’S FIRST CARBON-NEUTRAL PAPER

The impact of rising pollution on the environment means that we must understand and manage paper’s carbon footprint if we are to help our customers to reduce the impact of their paper consumption. So we developed ENVI, the first range of Australian-made carbon-neutral paper. Through external assessments, ENVI’s carbon impact has been defined and all greenhouse gases associated with the paper range are offset by carbon credits purchased from a government approved provider. This innovative range of papers, used mainly for printing catalogues, books and publications, is accredited by the Department of Climate Change with Greenhouse Friendly™ status.

 

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