australian creatives for positive change
Q - how do you sell woodchipped Australian native forest to an
Australian market who is becoming more environmentally aware?
A - buy some offset credits and launch Australia's
first carbon neutral paper.
Go Greenwash with ENVI
Australian Paper (AP), the manufacturer of ENVI has had a long history of sourcing fibre from native forests and has been subject to consumer boycotts.
AP's Maryvale Mill in Gippsland Victoria will consume 350,000m3 of native forest pulp in 2009 [pdf pg 29] as well as producing pollutant emissions [link]. This mill produces its famous Reflex paper and some of the ENVI range. [link]
"ENVI grades are exactly the same paper that AP already produces. The only difference is that they have had the associated greenouse gas emmissions calculated and offset with carbon credits" (quote from Dalton). Some of ENVI's range includes part recycled content such as "ENVI Recycled 50/50" while some of their papers such as "ENVI DM MATT" and "REFLEX CARBON NEUTRAL" contain no recycled content. [link]
![Australian Paper's Maryvale Mill]()
Image: Australian Paper's Maryvale Mill. [source]
Currently, AP is linked to logging in the Central Highland, Strzelecki Rainforest Reserve and the Baw Baw National Park, which has been recognised by several key scientific studies as one of Victoria’s most biologically significant sites and one of its most important water catchments [link] [link] [link] [link] [pdf]
The Central Highlands of Victoria are the world’s most carbon-dense forest according to researchers from the Australian National University. Professor Mackey said "It identifies a gap in climate change policy that Australia needs to address. There has been a lot of talk about the need to address tropical deforestation in developing countries, but these results show we must start by recognising the carbon benefits to be gained from protecting our native forests". [report pdf] [link][link] [link] [link] [link]
Accrediting a paper which is sourcing part of their pulp from the worlds most carbon dense forests raises questions about the integrity of the "Greenhouse Friendly" program and what "Carbon Neutral" really means. [link]
While Melbourne is facing strict water restrictions this summer, Melbourne's main water catchment is losing 20,000 megalitres a year due to logging. Logging reduces waterflow in to our dams by 50% and causes erosion and pollution which impact on water quality. [link] [link] [link]
Image: Melbourne's Thomson catchment [source]
AP's Maryvale Mill in Gippsland Victoria will consume 350,000m3 of native forest pulp in 2009 [pdf pg 29] as well as producing pollutant emissions [link]. This mill produces its famous Reflex paper and some of the ENVI range. [link]
"ENVI grades are exactly the same paper that AP already produces. The only difference is that they have had the associated greenouse gas emmissions calculated and offset with carbon credits" (quote from Dalton). Some of ENVI's range includes part recycled content such as "ENVI Recycled 50/50" while some of their papers such as "ENVI DM MATT" and "REFLEX CARBON NEUTRAL" contain no recycled content. [link]
Image: Australian Paper's Maryvale Mill. [source]
Currently, AP is linked to logging in the Central Highland, Strzelecki Rainforest Reserve and the Baw Baw National Park, which has been recognised by several key scientific studies as one of Victoria’s most biologically significant sites and one of its most important water catchments [link] [link] [link] [link] [pdf]
The Central Highlands of Victoria are the world’s most carbon-dense forest according to researchers from the Australian National University. Professor Mackey said "It identifies a gap in climate change policy that Australia needs to address. There has been a lot of talk about the need to address tropical deforestation in developing countries, but these results show we must start by recognising the carbon benefits to be gained from protecting our native forests". [report pdf] [link][link] [link] [link] [link]
Accrediting a paper which is sourcing part of their pulp from the worlds most carbon dense forests raises questions about the integrity of the "Greenhouse Friendly" program and what "Carbon Neutral" really means. [link]
While Melbourne is facing strict water restrictions this summer, Melbourne's main water catchment is losing 20,000 megalitres a year due to logging. Logging reduces waterflow in to our dams by 50% and causes erosion and pollution which impact on water quality. [link] [link] [link]
Image: Melbourne's Thomson catchment [source]
7 sins of Greenwash
Promoted as "A real solution to climate change" while containing Australian native forest.
Entrust Wise Paper Choice - you made that one up, didn't you ENVI?
Carbon Neutral but containing Australian native forest.
Greenwash Sin 1
Sin of the Hidden Trade-offPromoted as "A real solution to climate change" while containing Australian native forest.
Greenwash Sin 4
Sin of Worshiping False LabelsEntrust Wise Paper Choice - you made that one up, didn't you ENVI?
Greenwash Sin 6
Sin of Lesser of Two EvilsCarbon Neutral but containing Australian native forest.
“The seven sins of greenwash” is not associated with or does not endorse this article
Logging Industry Jargon
Sustainably managed forests
Also used as "sustainably managed forestry operation". These terms refer to Government endorsed logging of native forests. This endorsement has been established through various legislative and business deals using tactics such as the suppression of scientific evidence and environmental reports. [link] [link] [link] [link]Old growth forest
Is defined in the 1992 Commonwealth National Forest Policy Statement as "Forest that is ecologically mature and has been subjected to negligible unnatural disturbance such as logging, roading and clearing". This definition is also susceptible to corruption in process. [link] [link]Forest chain of custody certification schemes
These are schemes designed to manage timber sources. [link]Australian Forestry Standard
The critised Australian certification scheme. [link] [link] [link]PEFC
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification does not attempt to exclude wood from the conversion of natural forests to plantations or other land-uses, so long as the activities are accepted as legal in the country of origin. [link] PEFC have also been criticised for their industry-dominated governance and non-transparent processes. [link]Forest Stewardship Council
The FSC certification is the strictest mainstream scheme in Australia but comes with different types of certification. The most lax FSC certification is "Mixed Source" which was designed to be used in areas such as Brazil as a compromise to help prevent illegal logging. Australian Paper has obtained an FSC Mixed Source certification for a few of their papers as they source their fibre from native forests (government supported), plantations as well as importing fibre from overseas. [link]ISO 14001 (and related ISO)
ISO 14001 is a standard for environmental management system certification, it is designed to guide adopting organisations in the processes of environmental protection and prevention of pollution, however does not necessarily lead to ongoing improved environmental performance. [link] This standard does not imply that products or industrial processes are not impacting the environment.Images 1-3: salvaged logged Victorian native forests [source]
Image 4: Stump of Brown Mountain old growth tree logged in November 2008, radiocarbon dated at over 500 years old [source]
Logging of Australian Native Forests
"A high proportion of the hardwood used in Reflex comes from eucalypt wood, sourced from sustainably managed plantations and forestry operations and pulped at its Maryvale Mill. "Quote from Paperlinx [pdf]
"Wood for the pulpmills is sourced from both plantation and native forest sources. 64% of all Maryvale’s primary wood supplies (as distinct from imported pulp) are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and the remaining fibre derived fromsustainably managed forests" Quote from Australian Paper [link]
"Pulp and paper is by far the largest segment of the processing sector, with the Maryvale mill converting 1.4 million m³ pa of log and sawmill chip (42% of Gippsland’s supply) into 466 kt of pulp and 585 kt of paper". Quote from Gippsland Private Forestry Inc. [pdf page 11]
"Of the 630,000 hectares of State forest, 407,000 hectares (39% of public land) are used to produce sawlogs on a sustainable basis". Quote from DPI [link]
"Public native forest harvestable under multiple use management occupies 9% of Gippsland and generates 45% of the region’s wood production." Quote from Gippsland Private Forestry Inc [link]
"The harvestable area of Gippsland’s public native forests (G. Featherston DSE unpublished data) is dominated by mixed species which account for 80% of the area (325 000 ha), followed by Alpine ash with 11% (45 000 ha) and Mountain Ash 9% (35 000 ha)" Quote from Gippsland Private Forestry Inc [pdf page 31]
"With efficient management focused on commercial wood production, the native forests are capable of producing logs with lower growing costs than plantations" Quote from Gippsland Private Forestry Inc [pdf page 35]
This research only covers Victoria and not the other areas in which Australian Paper operate such as Tasmainia.
Image: Protected Melbourne water catchment Watts River. [source]
"Wood for the pulpmills is sourced from both plantation and native forest sources. 64% of all Maryvale’s primary wood supplies (as distinct from imported pulp) are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and the remaining fibre derived fromsustainably managed forests" Quote from Australian Paper [link]
"Pulp and paper is by far the largest segment of the processing sector, with the Maryvale mill converting 1.4 million m³ pa of log and sawmill chip (42% of Gippsland’s supply) into 466 kt of pulp and 585 kt of paper". Quote from Gippsland Private Forestry Inc. [pdf page 11]
"Of the 630,000 hectares of State forest, 407,000 hectares (39% of public land) are used to produce sawlogs on a sustainable basis". Quote from DPI [link]
"Public native forest harvestable under multiple use management occupies 9% of Gippsland and generates 45% of the region’s wood production." Quote from Gippsland Private Forestry Inc [link]
"The harvestable area of Gippsland’s public native forests (G. Featherston DSE unpublished data) is dominated by mixed species which account for 80% of the area (325 000 ha), followed by Alpine ash with 11% (45 000 ha) and Mountain Ash 9% (35 000 ha)" Quote from Gippsland Private Forestry Inc [pdf page 31]
"With efficient management focused on commercial wood production, the native forests are capable of producing logs with lower growing costs than plantations" Quote from Gippsland Private Forestry Inc [pdf page 35]
This research only covers Victoria and not the other areas in which Australian Paper operate such as Tasmainia.
Image: Protected Melbourne water catchment Watts River. [source]
Companies Linked to ENVI
Nippon Paper
Nippon Paper recently bought Australian Paper from Paperlinx. [link] [link] [link] Nippon has a history of logging Australian forests [link] as well as falsifying the percentage of recycled paper used in its products. [link]Paper linX
In June 2000 Amcor de-merged its fine paper business and PaperlinX was created as the parent company to Austraian Paper.Australian Paper
Australian Paper created the ENVI brand. Australian Paper has a history of logging Australian forests. [link] [link] [link]Dalton
Dalton is the Australian retailer of ENVI. Dalton sells all sorts of paper including paper made from Australian native forests. [link] Dalton also sells papers with low impacts such as Revive. [link]VicForests
VicForests is a state owned statutory company responsible for administering the sale and supply of timber on publicly owned native forest on a commercial basis. VicForests have been accused of undercutting planation pulp suppliers by selling off native hardwood timbers for as little as $2.50 a tonne. [link] [link] [link] [link]OMG
The marketing company (with many faces) who worked with Australian Paper to market ENVI. [link] [link] [link]DISCLAIMER - All the companies and organisations included in this article are not associated with, or do not endorse this article
Image: A ream of Reflex paper in a clearfell logged and burnt area, Melbourne domestic water supply catchment at McMahons Creek 2007 [source]
What does ENVI have to say?
Stephen Hawkins, Corporate and Government Relationship Manager
We contacted Australian Paper to ask how they respond to claims of ENVI using Greenwash. Here is Stephen's unedited response. [link]Paul Allen, GM Marketing, PaperlinX Printing & Publication Papers (spokesman for ENVI)
When did you become interested in sustainable issues?(from a Design Victoria interview) [link]
It was probably about two and a half years ago. My interest was more of a commercial one working for a paper company in a highly commoditised market place, with little hope or no differentiation. For me, sustainability became a beacon of hope. I saw this movement taking place around the world and a greater consciousness and actually saw this could be a field our company could adopt as a positioning and pathway for growth. [link]
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July 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 ami feel decieved…. and won’t be ordering anything from Australian Paper ever again…
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:59 amWould the Whaling industry get away with what they are doing if they were to support Greenpeace?
how exactly are they putting back the CO2 released from the trees as they are being pulped?
July 27th, 2009 at 6:01 pm[...] have released a report claiming ENVI, Australia’s first carbon neutral paper is a deceitful greenwash. ENVI paper includes pulp from Australia’s native forests. These [...]
July 28th, 2009 at 12:24 pmThis gets me angry and is typical of the Labour Gov. They just don’t get it. I will be writing to Joe Helper MP, member for Ripon, Minister for Agriculture atjoe.helper@parliament.vic.gov.au and Gavin Jennings MLC, member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region, Minister for the Environment atgavin.jennings@parliament.vic.gov.au in regards to the corrupt double standards that enabled paper which uses Old Growth Forest to be given the ISO 14001 certification.
I recommend everyone else does to.
August 4th, 2009 at 1:05 amThis is absolutely disgusting and I will be sure to spread the word!!
August 19th, 2009 at 4:53 pm[...] 18007 Feed Readers! go greenwash with ENVIPosted by dvize melbourne on August 19, 2009 | Popularity: 1%Australia’s first carbon neutral paper includes includes pulp from Australia’s native forests, including the worlds most carbon dense forests and water catchments.more information: ENVI paper [...]
August 19th, 2009 at 6:02 pmENVI paper is such a sham… how can ENVI Paper get away with it?
August 19th, 2009 at 8:07 pm[...] forests, including the worlds most carbon dense forests and water catchments.more information: ENVI paper Design You Trust sponsors: W3 MARKUP – CSS & HTML for Your Designs | Wix.com – [...]
August 28th, 2009 at 12:37 pmHow can any company say they are environmentally good citizens when the source of much of their product is from Australia’s native forests, the most carbon dense of all and critical to drawing down the carbon debt from centuries of clearing and logging forests.
Logging native forests causes at least 7% of GHG emissions; this comes from intense practices supposedly for sawlogs but effectively for woodchips: 80-95% of logs are chipped. The Forestry Industry says it is carbon positive yet it is clearly not.
If your company wishes to move to a low carbon future, stop woodchipping publically owned, subsidized native forests for ‘cheap as
chips’ low quality copy paper and move to the glut of tax scheme plantations grown for the purpose of leaving native forests alone.
And stop trying to pull the wool over the public’s eyes ; recent polls say 77% do not want native forest logging to continue.
It’s time for the Forestry industry to listen and become good corporate citizens and stop native forests woodchipping.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:10 pmNot suprised that these planet rapers are also filthy liars.
I’ll be going out oif my way to avoid this mob and will let the purchasing officer know as well.
Many people will be shocked to learn this.
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:17 pmExcellent review team.
Thank you.
I cannot understate how useful this sort of work is for discouraging greenwash decisions in the first place.
Far too often exec’s arrogantly think they will get away with it.
Work like this enables such myths to be squarely put to bed.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:21 pmReposted at http://thesietch.org/mysietch/keith/2009/10/15/go-greenwash-with-envi/
Good work!
K.
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December 13th, 2009 at 7:02 pmTassie’s toxic time bomb – Burnie pulp mill
“However, there is a high degree of mercury contamination associated with the structure to be demolished which gives rise to significant potential for environmental harm.”
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/12/06/113951_tasmania-news.html
December 17th, 2009 at 5:16 amLogging native forests causes at least 7% of GHG emissions; this comes from intense practices supposedly for sawlogs but effectively for woodchips: 80-95% of logs are chipped.
December 19th, 2009 at 10:36 amKick Reflex out of Native Forests – Boycott Woodchipping
Nippon Paper this year purchased the Maryvale Mill, where seven of every ten trees logged in Central Gippsland and the Central Highlands are pulped for paper, including Reflex paper.
The launch of the Friends of the Earth ‘Kick Reflex out of native forests’ will take place in Victoria’s Central Highlands on Saturday February the 6th 2010. The event will include a launch of campaign materials, bands, BBQ and community picnic.
For information, or to help out please contact:
lauren.caulfield@foe.org.au
More details regarding bus travel and car pooling will be released shortly.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:29 pmBuyers force Tasmanian woodchip mills to use only plantation timber. WOODCHIP stockpiles are mounting unsold on Tasmanian wharves as Japanese paper-making customers increasingly resist chips from native forests.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/buyers-force-tasmanian-woodchip-mills-to-use-only-plantation-timber-20100204-ngb2.html
June 14th, 2010 at 8:00 pmThis mail was written to the organisers of the Green Marketing Forum.
http://www.3pillarsnetwork.com.au/p3_Events-Resources.html?&event=61&page=4&entry=323
By presenting Paul Allen as “cream of Australia’s crop of sustainable brand leaders”, The Australian Green Forum are legitimising Australian Paper’s Greenwashing as well as Greenwashing the issues yourselves.
ENVI paper is marketed as a product that is good for the environment with their main slogan “Go Green with ENVI”
Australian Paper are currently sourcing a major part of their pulp for their ENVI brand from Central Highland, Strzelecki Rainforest Reserve and the Baw Baw National Park, which has been recognised by several key scientific studies as one of Victoria’s most biologically significant sites and one of its most important water catchments.
The Central Highlands of Victoria are the world’s most carbon-dense forest according to researchers from the Australian National University.
I am also disappointed in the topic he is discussing which is “value of gaining sustainable certification for their brands.”
Although AP should be acknowledged and credited for reaching their current certification, they should not be put up as a leader or presented as proactive.
It is clear that AP has manipulated the certification process, using the most lax certification available, to allow them to use pulp from ecologically important forests and then market their product in a deceiving way (good for the environment).
Additionally, My opinion is also AP has only gone through certification to offset political and community pressure to allow them to continue logging important forests, not to lead in any way.
I assume that Paul will not be discussing the exemptions in the certification they have chosen and the fact that they use these exemptions allow them to source pulp from ecologically important forests.
AP is encouraging using certification to continue environmental damage, rather than reduce it. This is contradictory to the aims of the certification in the first place.
I came along to your event last year, and brought this exact issue up via questions to Paul from the floor. Paul declined to discuss the issue. The Forums response was to ignore the issues and book Paul again as an example of someone who is doing it right.
I urge you to drop Paul from the Forum due to the AP’s reckless approach to Green Marketing and the damage they are doing to our Industry by lowering consumer confidence in Green Marketing.
Alternatively I would be happy if you applied the “Honesty and Transparency” approach and provided a disclaimer on all marketing materials and his introduction “outlining that a sizeable proportion of their pulp is sourced from ecologically important forests”.
I urge you to read the article I have written abut this issue and more importantly follow the links to the references.
September 17th, 2010 at 1:06 pmGreens hail win on logging. Environment East Gippsland had sued VicForests, the government agency responsible for logging in state forests, over plans to log about 60 hectares at Brown Mountain, near Orbost.http://www.theage.com.au/environment/greens-hail-win-on-logging-20100811-11zsy.html
September 17th, 2010 at 1:09 pmForests NSW is being forced to review its logging practices, after the discovery of a spate of new breaches including logging old-growth rainforests and destroying the habitat of threatened native animals.
The latest damage, at Girard State Forest near Tenterfield, is the fifth time in five months that the state agency has come under investigation.http://www.smh.com.au/environment/forests-nsw-investigated-over-logging-breaches-20100817-128lo.html
November 1st, 2010 at 10:27 pmPaper is a basic important commodity in our society and no matter what we do, we simply have to produce papers to make society work. The recent green movement to lessen the use of paper by using digital documents, e-bills, and e-books should somehow reduce the demand for papers.Nevertheless government should be vigilant enough to implement the laws and regulations in the production of papers, reserves should be respected and forest should be sustainably used by a good reforestation program done along the logging and paper production.
August 3rd, 2011 at 6:36 pmI just received a “Clean Energy Future” brochure in the mail from the Australian Government..In the bottom right hand corner it has mentioned that “Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency uses National Carbon Offset Standard (in smaller letters – certified ENVI Carbon Neutral paper)!!
September 27th, 2011 at 12:32 amIt’d be nice if you could also share with us a basic manual on how to do these things. It’s quite intimidating and quite confusing for beginners like me to get involved in the carbon market for the first time. Great job!
December 21st, 2011 at 5:56 pmpaper is one of the most important things in the world which we really rely on paperworks and hard copy… we really have to recycle paper as much as possible..