Carbon Neutral Paper Products, Is it Possible?

Are you looking for environmentally friendly paper products, but unsure of how to make sure they are sustainable? If so, you’re not alone. As more businesses shift their thinking to environmentally friendly products demand for carbon neutral paper products is on the rise. However, many large printing companies find it difficult to source affordable carbon-neutral paper supplies. 

So, what can be done to ensure that pulp and paper production is as eco-friendly as possible? In this article, we’ll explore the possibilities of creating truly carbon-neutral products from renewable resources. From exploring environmental initiatives already in place within commercial operations, to looking at the importance of corporate social responsibility, discover why greening your business isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s essential.

Why is carbon neutrality important and what does it mean?

Companies, processes, and products can do their part to reduce the effects of climate change by becoming carbon neutral. This means taking account for their emissions produced and compensating through projects like carbon offsetting – essentially offsetting harmful emissions with beneficial ones elsewhere across the globe.

Carbon neutrality is all about finding the right balance between adding carbon to the atmosphere through everyday behaviour – like driving cars or burning coal for electricity – while also taking steps to remove it by storing what we emit into something called “carbon sinks”. 

Natural sinks are said to remove between 9.5 and 11 Gt of CO2 from the atmosphere each year, but unfortunately we’re outpacing that with our current annual global emissions hitting 36.0Gt in 2020 alone. 

Artificial carbon capture technologies have yet to become efficient enough on a large scale for us to turn them into powerful allies in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, so until then it’s more important than ever that we reduce our emissions if we want to hit sustainability goals.

Examples of large corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, and Starbucks taking a carbon neutral pledge

Large corporations around the world have made the commitment to be carbon neutral by taking meaningful steps to reduce their emissions. From setting emissions reduction targets, investing in sustainable energy sources, manufacturing more eco-friendly products and services, and transitioning to green practices and operations – these companies are striving to meet their carbon neutrality goals. 

Many of these initiatives involve investments in renewable energy sources or partnerships with organizations that focus on reforestation projects. Additionally, many companies are implementing cost-effective solutions such as reducing waste and switching from traditional power sources to more efficient ones. Through these efforts, large corporations are leading the drive towards a greener future for all.

Large corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, and Starbucks have all committed to becoming carbon neutral. 

Amazon

Amazon has set an ambitious goal to become carbon neutral by 2040! To help reach this objective, they’ve already made some big changes in their operations. For instance, Amazon recently invested in a solar farm located in Virginia and purchased 100,000 electric delivery vehicles for its fleet.

Microsoft

Microsoft is taking massive strides in the fight against climate change! In January 2020, they announced a bold plan to become carbon negative by 2030. To reach this goal, Microsoft plans on relying more and more heavily on renewable energy sources like solar or wind power and will be replacing their traditional vehicles with electric models. Plus, all campus developments from now until then must strive for carbon-zero certification.

Starbucks

Starbucks has committed to creating a lasting and positive impact on the planet by introducing its resource-positive mission. To achieve this goal, Starbucks plans on investing in plant-based menu options; switching up their packaging with reusable alternatives; helping agricultural communities through regenerative farming and conservation methods; minimizing waste by employing greener operations throughout manufacturing and delivery processes as well as its stores.

All three companies are great examples of how corporations can take steps to reduce their carbon footprint and move toward creating a greener planet.

Paper Excellence

At Paper Excellence our mission is to lower our carbon footprint by switching from fossil fuels to carbon-neutral biomass fuel, as well as continuously focusing on energy efficiency. Since 1990 we have reduced our carbon output by two-thirds. Our ongoing low-carbon journey is being accelerated by financial support awarded to Paper Excellence Canada in 2021 by the CleanBC Industry Fund, a provincial government program that invests a portion of carbon tax revenues into businesses working on emission reduction projects. The five selected projects are projected to result in annual reductions of some 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalency, representing about a 10 per cent reduction in our Scope I carbon footprint.

What is carbon neutral credits and how can they bring paper purchases to zero carbon footprint?

Carbon credits are certificates that reward those taking action to fight climate change by preventing the emission of one metric tonne (that’s a lot!) of greenhouse gases. That’s the equivalent to driving 2,400 miles. 

Projects such as planting trees or improving energy efficiency can generate these special tokens and be validated by certified professionals – allowing organizations everywhere to do their part in helping our planet stay healthy. To ensure fairness, third-party verifiers keep an eye on the purchase of voluntary carbon credits. With methodologies in place and clear standards to adhere to, these transactions are held accountable for their environmental impact.

Companies and nations can trade these credits among themselves in order to reach a global goal of having fewer emissions overall. The whole purpose here is that by cutting down on the number of available carbon credits over time, it will encourage people and businesses everywhere to be more proactive regarding their environmental impact – leading us closer towards becoming a greener future.

Carbon credits can help companies bring their paper purchases to a zero-carbon footprint by offsetting the emission created during the production of paper products. By donating to such initiatives, companies can help reduce their environmental impact while still keeping up with consumer demand for paper products.

How can Paper Excellence’s Sage products help organizations meet their pledge and reduce their carbon footprint?

Make every printed page a statement of your commitment to sustainability with Paper Excellence’s Sage grade paper! We take the extra step in calculating our carbon emissions associated with each tonne sold, and then we purchase high-quality third-party certified offsets for an absolutely eco-friendly solution. Plus, you get all the same great features as other pulps and paper from us. That way, you can go green without missing out on performance.

At our mills, we produce SAGE while making sure to be eco-friendly – harnessing 85% renewable energy and reducing our carbon emissions. Our sustainable range of Sage products are crafted using fibre from forests that have been responsibly managed. Plus, they’re made with 100% third-party certified materials and produced scope 1 carbon neutral – an impressive feat we’ve achieved over the years by actively reducing our direct emissions at our paper mills.

UNLV Alumni Magazine Uses SAGE Advance for Latest Magazine

Through our strategic partnership with Hudson Printing Company, they recently provided an opportunity to The University of Nevada, Las Vegas to utilize SAGE Advance paper for their latest issue of the UNLV Alumni magazine. The choice to utilize our FSC / SAGE allows clients like Hudson Printing to provide an option for their customers to align their sustainability objectives with forest management, carbon reduction and environmental responsibility goals.

Now that you know that paper and paper products can be carbon neutral, are you interested?

Contact us today for more information and pricing on our FSC / SAGE paper options we would love the opportunity to help you help the environment.