Definitions

Terms and Definitions

Alternative/Agricultural fibres refer to non-wood plants that are grown intentionally for paper and other products (e.g. hemp, kenaf).

Agricultural waste/residue refers to usable materials recovered primarily from annual crops as byproducts of food and fibre production (e.g. flax/wheat/rice straw).

Ancient Forests refer to forest areas that are relatively undisturbed by human activity. Ancient forests vary significantly in age and structure from forest type to forest type and one biogeoclimatic zone to another. Boreal forests, temperate or tropical rainforests may all be classified as ancient or old growth forests. The following features characterize ancient forests:

not undergone any significant industrial activity
naturally regenerated and dominated by a range of indigenous tree species
tree size, age and spacing vary widely
accumulations of dead standing trees (snags) and fallen trees are much more frequent than in younger forests
trees are large for the species and site combination
the canopy has many openings and the forest floor is lush with ferns, berry bushes, mosses etc.
multiple canopy layers
support old-growth dependant species like the endangered Spotted Owl

Ancient/Endangered Forest Friendly Papers are free of ancient forest fibre, made with any combination of post-consumer recycled, recycled/deinked fibre, agricultural waste fibre, agricultural fibre, second growth forests independently certified according to strict ecological criteria, and are processed or totally chlorine free

Ancient/Endangered Forest Fibre Free means that the product does not contain any material from trees of ancient and other endangered forests.

Elemental Chlorine (EC) is the traditional method for paper bleaching using chlorine gas (elemental chlorine) to whiten paper. This process produces large amounts of dioxins. Paper with EC bleaching can contain either virgin or recycled fibres.

Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) is a bleaching process that substitutes chlorine dioxide for elemental chlorine in the bleaching process. Compared to elemental chlorine bleaching processes, ECF bleaching reduces the formation of many chlorinated organic compounds. However the quantity of effluent from the mill is not reduced and additional unnecessary human health and environmental hazards remain.

Elemental Chlorine (ECF) with extended or oxygen delignification uses technology standard in TCF mills to remove more lignin from the wood before bleaching. Therefore, fewer bleaching chemicals are required. In addition, compared with traditional ECF, this process reduces energy consumption by 30%, improves the quality of mill wastewater and reduces the quantity of mill wastewater by nearly 50%.

Endangered Forests are defined in the Wye River document according to biological, ecological, social, and legal categories. In summary they include:

Rare Forests
Anthropogenically Rare Forests (e.g. Western Temperate Rainforests)
Intact (Frontier or Near-frontier) Forests
Other Ecologically Important Forests (i.e. roadless areas and old growth patches)
Forests with ongoing Human and Indigenous Rights violations
Illegally Harvested Forest Products.

Enhanced Elemental Chlorine (EECF) with ozone substitutes ozone for chlorine or chlorine dioxides as a brightening agent in the initial stages of the bleaching process. (Final stage uses chlorine dioxide.) This process further improves the quality of the wastewater and enables recovery of most mill wastewater. In addition, this process reduces mill wastewater by 70-90% compared to traditional ECF. A truly "enhanced" mill reduces, reuses and recycles all emissions to air, land and water both to the outside world and in the workplace.

FSC Certification provides on the ground forest certification by an international, 3rd party, multi stakeholder body. It is currently the only certification scheme to have broad environmental support. To have an FSC certified paper or printed product the whole paper manufacturing chain has to be FSC certified from the forest floor up. Markets Initiative sees virgin pulp from FSC certified second growth forests as a part of the environmental paper solution.

Post-Consumer Recycled/Waste Paper (PCR/PCW) has completed its first consumer life cycle (generally recover through the blue bin) and has been reconstituted into post-consumer recycled fibre in a recycling mill.

Aim for as high post-consumer recycled content as possible. Post consumer recycled paper differs from paper that is labeled as recycled/pre-consumer recycled paper. Often paper labeled as recycled also contains virgin fibre. Recycled paper is often a mix of pre-consumer, post-consumer and virgin fibres.

Pre-consumer/Post-industrial Recycled is material or by-products generated after a product is completed but before it reaches the end-consumer. Also referred to as Recycled/Deinked.

Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) is the best type of chlorine processing, along with Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) processing. PCF uses oxygen-based compounds instead of chlorine based compounds in the bleaching process. PCF products contain post consumer recycled fibre content that has been re-bleached using this process. Since it is impossible to tell whether the recycled content has been bleached with chlorine in the past, PCF papers cannot be labeled totally chlorine-free.

Recovered Fibre refers to the universe of materials that count as both pre and post-consumer recycled.

Recycled Paper. There is no universally accepted legal requirement for the designation ‘recycled paper’. Paper labeled as recycled can be a mix of virgin, pre and post consumer fibres. Therefore, ask for clarification on the post-consumer content of recycled paper and specify as high a post consumer recycled content as possible, preferably 50% to 100% post consumer recycled.

Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) is the best type of chlorine processing, along with Process Chlorine Free (PCF) processing. TCF uses oxygen-based compounds instead of chlorine-based compounds and chlorine derivatives in the virgin pulp bleaching process.

Tree Free Paper is made from agricultural waste/residue fibre or agricultural fibres

Virgin Fibre has not been previously used in a product. It can refer to fibre that originates from forests or agricultural sources. The vast majority of virgin forest fibre in Canada originates from endangered/ancient forests. Unless a product stipulates its recycled and post-consumer recycled content, it is generally comprised of virgin fibre.


	Terms and Definitions Alternative/Agricultural fibres refer to non-wood plants that are grown intentionally for paper and other products (e.g. hemp, kenaf). Agricultural waste/residue refers to usable materials recovered primarily from annual crops as byproducts of food and fibre production (e.g. flax/wheat/rice straw). Ancient Forests refer to forest areas that are relatively undisturbed by human activity. Ancient forests vary significantly in age and structure from forest type to forest type and one biogeoclimatic zone to another. Boreal forests, temperate or tropical rainforests may all be classified as ancient or old growth forests. The following features characterize ancient forests: not undergone any significant industrial activity naturally regenerated and dominated by a range of indigenous tree species tree size, age and spacing vary widely accumulations of dead standing trees (snags) and fallen trees are much more frequent than in younger forests trees are large for the species and site combination the canopy has many openings and the forest floor is lush with ferns, berry bushes, mosses etc. multiple canopy layers support old-growth dependant species like the endangered Spotted Owl Ancient/Endangered Forest Friendly Papers are free of ancient forest fibre, made with any combination of post-consumer recycled, recycled/deinked fibre, agricultural waste fibre, agricultural fibre, second growth forests independently certified according to strict ecological criteria, and are processed or totally chlorine free Ancient/Endangered Forest Fibre Free means that the product does not contain any material from trees of ancient and other endangered forests. Elemental Chlorine (EC) is the traditional method for paper bleaching using chlorine gas (elemental chlorine) to whiten paper. This process produces large amounts of dioxins. Paper with EC bleaching can contain either virgin or recycled fibres. Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) is a bleaching process that substitutes chlorine dioxide for elemental chlorine in the bleaching process. Compared to elemental chlorine bleaching processes, ECF bleaching reduces the formation of many chlorinated organic compounds. However the quantity of effluent from the mill is not reduced and additional unnecessary human health and environmental hazards remain. Elemental Chlorine (ECF) with extended or oxygen delignification uses technology standard in TCF mills to remove more lignin from the wood before bleaching. Therefore, fewer bleaching chemicals are required. In addition, compared with traditional ECF, this process reduces energy consumption by 30%, improves the quality of mill wastewater and reduces the quantity of mill wastewater by nearly 50%. Endangered Forests are defined in the Wye River document according to biological, ecological, social, and legal categories. In summary they include: Rare Forests Anthropogenically Rare Forests (e.g. Western Temperate Rainforests) Intact (Frontier or Near-frontier) Forests Other Ecologically Important Forests (i.e. roadless areas and old growth patches) Forests with ongoing Human and Indigenous Rights violations Illegally Harvested Forest Products. Enhanced Elemental Chlorine (EECF) with ozone substitutes ozone for chlorine or chlorine dioxides as a brightening agent in the initial stages of the bleaching process. (Final stage uses chlorine dioxide.) This process further improves the quality of the wastewater and enables recovery of most mill wastewater. In addition, this process reduces mill wastewater by 70-90% compared to traditional ECF. A truly "enhanced" mill reduces, reuses and recycles all emissions to air, land and water both to the outside world and in the workplace. FSC Certification provides on the ground forest certification by an international, 3rd party, multi stakeholder body. It is currently the only certification scheme to have broad environmental support. To have an FSC certified paper or printed product the whole paper manufacturing chain has to be FSC certified from the forest floor up. Markets Initiative sees virgin pulp from FSC certified second growth forests as a part of the environmental paper solution. Post-Consumer Recycled/Waste Paper (PCR/PCW) has completed its first consumer life cycle (generally recover through the blue bin) and has been reconstituted into post-consumer recycled fibre in a recycling mill. Aim for as high post-consumer recycled content as possible. Post consumer recycled paper differs from paper that is labeled as recycled/pre-consumer recycled paper. Often paper labeled as recycled also contains virgin fibre. Recycled paper is often a mix of pre-consumer, post-consumer and virgin fibres. Pre-consumer/Post-industrial Recycled is material or by-products generated after a product is completed but before it reaches the end-consumer. Also referred to as Recycled/Deinked. Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) is the best type of chlorine processing, along with Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) processing. PCF uses oxygen-based compounds instead of chlorine based compounds in the bleaching process. PCF products contain post consumer recycled fibre content that has been re-bleached using this process. Since it is impossible to tell whether the recycled content has been bleached with chlorine in the past, PCF papers cannot be labeled totally chlorine-free. Recovered Fibre refers to the universe of materials that count as both pre and post-consumer recycled. Recycled Paper. There is no universally accepted legal requirement for the designation ‘recycled paper’. Paper labeled as recycled can be a mix of virgin, pre and post consumer fibres. Therefore, ask for clarification on the post-consumer content of recycled paper and specify as high a post consumer recycled content as possible, preferably 50% to 100% post consumer recycled. Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) is the best type of chlorine processing, along with Process Chlorine Free (PCF) processing. TCF uses oxygen-based compounds instead of chlorine-based compounds and chlorine derivatives in the virgin pulp bleaching process. Tree Free Paper is made from agricultural waste/residue fibre or agricultural fibres Virgin Fibre has not been previously used in a product. It can refer to fibre that originates from forests or agricultural sources. The vast majority of virgin forest fibre in Canada originates from endangered/ancient forests. Unless a product stipulates its recycled and post-consumer recycled content, it is generally comprised of virgin fibre.