|
ABCD Waste: Classification System used by some of the Paper Industry to define types of waste used to make a particular recycled paper. Although not perfect, it gives some indication of technical and environmental quality.
Acid free: A paper manufactured to a neutral pH reading. Primarily used for permanent records and to protect materials when contact with paper acidity would be harmful.
Acid Rain: A combination of atmospheric moisture, airborne sulphur and nitrogen oxides to form sulphuric and nitric acids.
Adsorbable Organic Halogen Compounds(AOX): Reported as the total amount of chlorine bound to organic compounds in waste water.
Afforestation: is the process of converting open land into a forest by planting trees or their seeds.
Alternative Fibre: Alternative pulps to woodpulps used in papermaking such as hemp, bamboo or cotton. Sometimes referred to as 'tree-free'.
Annual Renewable: Crops harvested annually as an alternative to woodpulps
Bagasse: is the biomass remaining after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juice.
Biodegradable: Any substance which can be easily broken down by biological means. Most substances will only biodegrade quickly in the right circumstances, usually in the presence of air, not available in landfill. Products that biodegrade may also break down into toxic substances.
Biodiversity: A large number and variety of species of animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms. Ecologically, wide biodiversity is conducive to the development of all species.
Biofuel: Renewable fuel such as bark and wood waste.
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD): A measure of the amount of oxygen consumed by micro-organisms in breaking down organic matter in effluent during a certain period.
Blue Angel: A German eco-label for recycled paper.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Produced by burning fossil fuels or wood based products, which raise atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and contribute to the greenhouse effect.
Carbon Footprint: A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of the greenhouse gases produced, (measured in units of carbon dioxide)
Carbon Neutral: Carbon neutral describes products, operations and activities, which have had their emissions calculated and reduced where possible. The remaining carbon dioxide emissions are then offset through credits that fund renewable, emission–free energy projects such as wind farms and solar installations.
Cellulose: A complex carbohydrate which is synthesised by all green land plants. Cellulose obtained from trees account for over 90% of primary cellulose fibre used in the paper making process.
Certification: The process of evaluating practices against an agreed standard by an accredited independent third-party.
Chain of Custody (CoC): The "Chain of Custody" concept ensures that wood and paper products are certified at each stage of manufacture (from the forest to the end-use) providing a means to identify products that meet stringent environmental standards.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): Chemical substances which consume oxygen. It is a measure of theamount of oxygen required for the total chemical breakdown of organic substances in water.
Chemical Pulp: Produced by cooking wood chips in a pressure vessel with cooking liquor. The chemicals in the liquid dissolve the lignin, so the fibres are liberated. The woodpulp is used to produce high quality papers, as the fibres are longer and stronger.
Chlorine Bleaching: The use of either chlorine gas or chlorine dioxide in the production of chemical pulp. Used to fully separate out the cellulose fibres and to produce an acceptable white pulp.
Chlorine Free Pulp: Should mean TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) pulp, but may also refer to ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) pulp.
Corporate Reporting: Reporting which is based on guidelines to achieve sustainable development. Among these are the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) used internationally and Triple Bottom Line (TBL), a reporting system used in Australia which covers economic, social and environmental issues.
De-Inking: Process used to remove ink from waste paper to achieve an acceptable shade. This process principally uses water and detergents and is environmentally a relatively benign process.
Deforestation: Large scale clearance of trees, either for the timber and/or the land. Major contributor to global warming, flooding and soil degradation.
Dioxin: A group of 75 chlorinated compounds. Dioxins are formed in a complex process, where chlorine combines with other additives during bleaching.
Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI): The Index was launched in 1999 to track the financial performance of the world's leading sustainability-driven companies. The Index tracks performance using economic, social and environmental criteria. Companies listed on the DJSI are revised annually.
ECF: Pulp bleached without the use of chlorine gas. Known as 'Elemental Chlorine Free'.
Eco Label: Eco labels are designed to guide consumers and purchasers in their desire to shop with a 'green' conscience, and thus contribute to a better society. There are a range of eco labelling schemes from different sources and countries.
Eco System: The plants, animals and microbes that live in a defined geographical area and the physical environment in which they live. An eco-system has the means of producing both energy and the materials for life on an ongoing basis.
EMAS: The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), used by the European Union since 1995 and updated in 2001, regarded as the superior environmental standard. The scheme requires transparent public reporting, monitoring, auditing and employee involvement in its implementation. EMAS is designed to deliver continual improvements in a company's environmental performance.
Environmental Management System - (EMS): Part of a general management system, consisting of organisation structures, planning functions, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, fulfilling, analysing and maintaining a companyÕs environmental policy.
EU Eco-Label: Launched 10 years ago to avoid a proliferation of separate national schemes. It is 'a unique certification scheme to help European consumers distinguish greener, more environmentally friendly products and services (not including food and medicine).' Award of the label means that the item has been 'checked by independent bodies and complies with strict ecological and performance criteria.'
Fibre: String of cellulose from which paper is made.
Forest Certification: A declaration of successful completion of a system which takes into account the environmental aspects of forestry.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): An international non-governmental organisation founded in 1993, whose task is to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests. Fulfilling the FSC standard requires independent third-party verification.
Fossil Fuels: Materials that contain hydrocarbons which are used for heat or power and produce carbon dioxide when burnt. Materials such as natural gas, coal and oil.
Global Warming: The rise of air temperature at the Earth's surface caused by the build-up of gasses in the Earth's atmosphere which trap radiant heat from the sun. The principle culprits are CO2, CFC's and Methane.
Green Seal: Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services
Green-E Certified: Green-e identifies products made with certified renewable energy, including but not limited to wind power, solar power, low impact hydropower, and biomass.
Greenhouse Effect: Is caused by gases in the atmosphere, which absorb the earth's heat radiation, which results in an increase in temperature. The most important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chloroflurocarbons and ozone.
Integrated Mill: A production plant combining both wood pulping and paper manufacture.
ISO: The International Organisation for Standardisation based in Switzerland.
ISO 14001: The International Organisation for Standards (ISO) promotes the development and implementation of voluntary international standards. ISO 14001 has established performance objectives and environmental management systems to prevent pollution, ensure compliance with regulations and achieve continual improvement.
Landfill: Solid or liquid waste material that is disposed of by burial in the ground. This system is the most common method used in Australia for disposal of household and commercial rubbish.
Lignin: Wood is made up of cellulose fibres and lignin. The lignin acts as glue, which binds all the fibres together. Lignin is removed to make chemical woodpulp in the papermaking process
Mechanical pulp: In papermaking, ground wood pulp is produced by mechanically grinding logs or wood chips. Paper produced from this method is weaker and of lower quality than that produced from chemical woodpulp. It is used mainly for newsprint and as an ingredient of base stock for lower grade publication papers.
Methane: A natural gas responsible for about 16% of green-house gasses.
Mill Broke: Paper that is impaired before it leaves the paper mill and is unsuitable for commercial sale. It is then repulped and added back into the paper making cycle.
Monoculture: The large scale commercial growing of a single type of crop, in this case, trees suitable for pulping. Growing crops of any sort on a monoculture basis has considerable environmental impact.
NAPM: National Association of Papers Merchants
Nitrogen: An element. A high nitrogen content in water, together with phosphorus and organic substances, can lead to increased biological activity in water known as eutrophication.
Nordic Swan: An eco-label applied, in the main, to papers produced by Scandinavian integrated pulp and paper mills that have particularly low sulphur emissions.
NOx: A collective term for the nitrogen oxides formed during combustion. When precipitation occurs, they can contribute to the acidification of soil and water.
NTOT Nitrogen: Total amount of organic and inorganic nitrogen measured as Tot-N (nitrogen).
Oxygen Bleaching: An addition to the conventional chemical bleaching process using oxygen gas to reduce the lignin content, and make waste water treatment easier.
PCF: Process Chlorine Free - paper made from recycled fibre that has not been rebleached with any chlorine based bleach.
PEFC: Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes is, by area, the world's largest forest certification system. Fulfilling the PEFC standard requires independent third-party verification. PEFC members are national or regional forest certification schemes based on inter-governmental processes for sustainable forest management around the world.
Post Consumer Waste (PCW): Term used to describe paper which becomes waste after reaching the final consumer of the paper or paper product.
Pre Consumer Waste: Term used to describe paper which becomes waste before the finished product reaches the final consumer of that product.
PTOT Phosphorous: Total amount of organic and inorganic phosphorous measured as Tot-P (phosphorous).
Rain Forest: Areas of evergreen forest receiving over 150 inches of rain a year. Rain forests play a critical role in regulating the worldÕs climate. We have already destroyed half of all rain forests, and at the current rate of destruction, the rest could be gone in as little as 50 years.
Recyclable: Used to describe a product which has the potential to be recycled.
Recycling: Waste materials used in such a way that new materials can be manufactured from it.
SFI - Sustainable Forestry Initiative: SFI is one of the world's largest sustainable forestry and certification programs available only in North America. SFI is a system of principles, objectives, and performance measures that integrates growing and harvesting trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil, water quality and certain aspects of social responsibility. SFI is governed by an independent board with one third industry representation.
SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide): Sulphur dioxide is formed when sulphur-containing fuels such as oil and coal are burned. Sulphur dioxide contributes to the acidification of soil and water.
Softwood Pulp: Pulp made from coniferous trees.
Solid Waste Landfill: Organic and inorganic waste materials are defined, calculated and declared as completely dry matter. If not properly managed and controlled, leaks from landfill can contaminate ground water.
Sustainable: Sustainability is all about preserving the world's natural resources for future generations. A fully sustainable industry would be one that has zero impact, or a postitive impact on the environment.
Sustainable Forestry: Sustainable forests are those, which are planned and managed to achieve environmental, social and economic targets. There are a number of schemes for certifying this.
T.C.F.: Totally Chlorine Free, pulp bleached without the use of any chlorine gas or chlorine dioxide.
Toxic: Substances that are capable of harming living organisms with the outcomes ranging from chronic to lethal.
Triple Green: is a unique environmental initiative from Sappi's Stanger Paper Mill in South Africa, which produces paper products that are manufactured using 60% sugar cane fibre, an ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) bleaching process and sustainable afforestation.
Virgin Fibre: Cellulose fibre which has not previously been processed, e.g. derived from wood, raw cotton, straw, bagasse etc. Virgin Fibre is also known as "primary fibre".
Waste Paper: Paper which has ended its immediate useful life, created before or after reaching the final consumer of the paper, or paper product.
Water Pollution: Introduction of foreign substances to a water source, either toxic to life forms or creating an oxygen demand, depriving indigenous life forms of oxygen and resulting in their death.
Well Managed Forest: Forests that are certified and audited to ensure they comply with environmentally sustainable practice and principles. Tropical hardwood and softwood trees are now grown in well managed forests.
Woodfree Papers: Term used to describe paper made from chemically produced pulp which does not contain lignin. A more precise description would be Lignin Free Paper.
|
