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Georgia-Pacific announced today that it is now accepting mixed paper bales that contain single-use polyethylene (PE)-coated paper cups at its recycled paper mills in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Muskogee, Oklahoma. The development follows two years of partnership with the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) and collaboration with the NextGen Consortium, a global initiative led by Closed Loop Partners with founding partners Starbucks and McDonald’s, to help open opportunities for paper cup recycling. PE coatings, along with any remaining liquid and food left behind from use, have historically left single-use paper cups out of the recovery and recycling process. GP, though, has proven through its extensive re-pulping trials that the Green Bay and Muskogee mills can effectively recapture valuable cup fiber from paper cups while screening out PE-coatings and reuse the fiber to make toilet tissue, napkins and paper towels. “As single-use paper cups have grown in popularity in recent years so, too, has paper cup waste. As a leading manufacturer of paper foodservice products, we continually look for ways to consume fewer resources as part of our longer-term strategy to identify solutions that benefit society. Accepting mixed paper bales containing PE-coated cups at our Green Bay and Muskogee mills is a significant step in this direction,” said John Mulcahy, vice president of sustainability for Georgia-Pacific, which manufactures the Dixie® brand of paper cups.

TC Transcontinental takes a bold step in becoming the first Canadian-based manufacturer to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. TC Transcontinental is pledging, by 2025, for 100% of its plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable and to achieve a 10% use of post-consumer recycled content on average by weight across all plastics in its product basket. Additionally, the Corporation commits to collaborating towards increasing reuse, recycling and composting rates for plastic in the communities where it operates. Ever since TC Transcontinental adopted its first environmental policy in 1993, the Corporation has demonstrated proven leadership in conducting its business responsibly. Throughout its transformation and steadfast growth in packaging, TC Transcontinental remains driven by its unwavering commitment towards sustainability. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Austrian, Canadian, UK and Uruguayan national forest certification systems have successfully achieved PEFC re-endorsement, confirming they continue to meet our globally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks. Combined, these four systems account for over 40 million hectares of sustainably managed forest. For both Austria and the UK, this is the fourth time these systems have achieved PEFC endorsement; it is the third time for Canada and the second for Uruguay. Click Read More below for additional information.