Since its launch in April this year, the program has been used by over a dozen brands and has balanced the CO2 emissions related to the manufacture of over 6.5 million pounds of paper.
Carbon Balanced Paper (CBP) launched in North America in partnership with international conservation charity World Land Trust (WLT). The program has been very successful in Europe for over 10 years.
The program enables organizations in the United States and Canada to carbon balance any paper product, helping them to meet growing commitments to carbon reduction and carbon neutrality and to simply, yet effectively, differentiate themselves as market leaders in environmental responsibility.
To date the program has been used by over a dozen North American brands to carbon balance a variety of paper products such as catalogs, envelopes, annual paper supply, marketing materials, and others. This has enabled the following progress:
- Over 6.5 million pounds of paper balanced (equivalent to 150 18-wheeler truckloads)
- Over 9 million pounds of CO2e emissions balanced (equivalent to taking over 900 cars off the road for one year)[1]
- Over 11.5 million square feet of forest preserved (equivalent to 206 NFL football fields)[2]
The North American initiative is made widely available through a network of partners and distributors, including U.S.-based paper merchants Midland and WCP Solutions, and Canada-based merchant West World Paper.
An additional option is also now available to any company or individual to carbon balance any North American paper product using the online carbon calculator. Users simply need to register paper volumes using the online calculator. Following secure payment, users will be sent their unique World Land Trust logo and certificate outlining the carbon benefits.
The CBP program balances the carbon impact of paper by investing in WLT conservation projects around the world. Through the preservation of ecologically important standing forests under real and imminent threat of clearance, carbon is locked-up that would otherwise be released. These protected forests are then able to continue absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. The CBP program follows the principles of REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).
When using Carbon Balanced Paper, a unique logo can be used, serving as a high-visibility demonstration of commitment to the environment. Users can also receive a certificate from WLT which highlights the amount of CO2 that has been balanced and the area of land preserved.
“Midland is extremely happy with the roll-out of the Carbon Balanced Paper program. Over a very short period of time and despite the challenging marketplace, we have seen remarkable progress and steadily growing interest in Carbon Balanced Paper. The word is getting out – companies are actively choosing to reduce their carbon footprint and proudly displaying the World Land Trust logo on their printed products,” says David Goldschmidt, President of Midland National.
Dr. Gerard Bertrand, Honorary President World Land Trust, says: “We are delighted this program is now being extended to the United States and Canada. It is a great opportunity for brands and organizations to support the work of World Land Trust, protecting land of high conservation importance rich in its biodiversity. This is real action in real places.”
For more information on Carbon Balanced Paper visit www.carbonbalancedpaperna.com
About Carbon Balanced Paper
Carbon Balanced Paper was first introduced in Europe in 2008. The initiative considers the average carbon emissions related to the manufacture of paper (cradle to gate). In North America, Carbon Balanced Paper is administered by Sustainable Paper Group in association with World Land Trust. The program is fully accessible to the entire paper and print sectors in the U.S. and Canada. For more information visit: www.carbonbalancedpaperna.com
About World Land Trust
World Land Trust is an international conservation charity that protects the world’s most biologically significant and threatened habitats acre by acre. Since its foundation in 1989, WLT and its project partners have been instrumental in the purchase and protection of more than 2,000,000 acres of tropical forest and threatened habitats in 25 countries. WLT’s patrons include world-renowned environmentalist Sir David Attenborough and Dr. Gerard Bertrand, WLT’s Honorary President and ex-science advisor in the Executive Offices of Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter. www.worldlandtrust.org
For further details, please contact:
info@carbonbalancedpaperna.com; Tel: 506-210-1126
[1] Based on US EPA data for CO2 emissions of an average car (4.6 metric tons per year)
[2] Based on 1.32 acres in an NFL football field
