WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) recognized Domtar as a leader in sustainability with two 2015 AF&PA Sustainability Awards. This is the third consecutive year AF&PA has honored Domtar for its sustainability advancements. The awards were presented at AF&PA’s annual meeting on Friday, Nov. 13 in San Antonio, Texas.
 
Domtar received an Innovation in Sustainability Award for their Plymouth K-Lime Project and the Leadership in Sustainability Award for Sustainable Forest Management for their Marlboro FSC Partnership project. Designed to recognize exemplary sustainability programs and initiatives in the paper and wood products manufacturing industry, AF&PA’s annual sustainability awards are given based on the merit of entries received across multiple categories.
 
“Domtar’s Plymouth K-Lime Project is a fantastic example of innovation and how sustainability can be simultaneously good for the environment and the bottom line. K-Lime enabled Domtar to eliminate material going to landfill and the new product benefited the local farming community,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. 
 
Domtar’s Plymouth, North Carolina mill eliminated materials being sent to landfill by creating K-Lime, a substitute for traditional fertilizer that consists of byproducts of the manufacturing process. K-Lime is all-natural and works better than traditional fertilizer, with farmers reporting increased crop yields, all being provided by Domtar to farmers at a third of the cost.
 
“Sustainability and leadership often come down to doing the right thing, and Domtar successfully accomplished this in the sustainable forest management realm with their Marlboro FSC Partnership project,” said Harman.
 
FSC certification can be pricey for small landowners, but paper companies often need FSC certified fiber to meet specific customer demands. Through the Marlboro FSC Partnership, Domtar covers certification costs and pays a premium to receive certified fiber, and landowners receive advice and support in getting their wood certified. Through partnerships such as these, Domtar is getting closer to its goal of using 20 percent FSC-certified material in its pulp and paper mills by 2020. 
 
“On behalf of all of my colleagues at Domtar, I would like to thank AF&PA for recognizing our achievements in innovation and sustainable forest management,” said Domtar President and CEO John Williams. “We are proud of our sustainability journey and look forward to breaking the norm in years to come.”
  
AF&PA member company applicants are considered in two categories. Projects that support progress toward the Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability goals qualify for recognition in the “Leadership” category, which has five subcategories that correspond to the goals: Paper Recovery for Recycling, Energy Efficiency/Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Sustainable Forest Management, Safety, and Water. The “Innovation in Sustainability” award is reserved for projects that merit recognition for their contribution to sustainable business practices, not one of the goals specifically.
 
AF&PA releases its sustainability report every other year. The 2014 Sustainability Reportshowed that the U.S. pulp, paper, packaging and wood products manufacturing industry has made significant, measurable progress toward achieving its Better Practices, BetterPlanet 2020 sustainability goals.  
 
For more information about the Sustainability Awards program and AF&PA’s Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 initiative, visit afandpa.org/sustainability.