Biofuel – Fuel that is derived from biomass — recently living organisms or their metabolic byproducts, such as bark and other wood residuals, the solids that result from mill effluent treatment, and spent pulping liquor generated as a byproduct in the manufacture of pulp from wood. It is carbon-neutral and is a renewable energy source, unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal, and nuclear fuels.

Carbon footprint – A measure of the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels (in the case of a paper mill as part of its daily operations); in materials such as trees and wood, a measure of embodied energy determined by lifecycle analysis. CO2 is recognized as a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change.

Carbon neutral – The point at which greenhouse gas emissions have been assessed, reduced where possible and the remaining non-reducible emissions offset through high quality renewable energy, energy-efficiency or forestry projects.

Certified fiber – Wood fiber that originates from a forest which has achieved third-party certification to a credible forest management certification standard.

Chain of Custody (CoC) certification – A process that assures documentation of the amount of third-party certified wood fiber as it moves through the supply chain from a certified forest through a pulp mill to the customer. The various forest certification standards (FSC, SFI, etc.) have differing CoC requirements. Some of the certification standards offer opportunities for product labeling if all CoC requirements are met, products contain a specified amount of certified fiber credits and all other uncertified fiber comes from responsibly managed forests.

Controlled Wood Standard - A Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard that assures uncertified wood has been evaluated to exclude wood from forests that have been harvested illegally; forests where high conservation values are threatened; forests where traditional or civil rights are violated; forests with genetically modified trees; and forests that are being cleared for plantation or other use.

Delignification – The removal during the pulping process of lignin, the “organic glue” that holds wood fibers together.

Elemental chlorine bleaching – A pulp bleaching process formerly in wide use by the paper industry. This process, which uses chlorine gas, produces small amounts of persistent chlorinated organic compounds such as dioxin.

Elemental chlorine-free bleaching – Currently the global standard for pulp bleaching, this process replaced elemental chlorine gas with chlorine dioxide as the bleaching agent, eliminating the production of persistent chlorinated organics such as dioxin. The chlorine atoms in chlorine dioxide leave the bleaching process as a salt.

Forest management certification – Certification by an accredited, independent auditor that a forest is managed in accordance with the principles of sustainable forest management.

Global climate change – Ongoing changes in average weather conditions, including the rise in surface temperature often referred to a global warming.

High conservation value forests – Forest areas with unique biological, geological, cultural or historical significance.

ISO 14001 – A voluntary environmental management standard that specifies the requirements for an environmental management system (EMS). The ISO 14001 standard provides guidelines to help organizations systematize and improve their environmental management efforts. The standard is not designed to aid the enforcement of environmental laws and does not regulate the environmental activities of an organization.

National Environmental Performance Track (NEPT) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Performance Track is designed to recognize facilities that consistently meet their legal requirements and have implemented high-quality environmental management systems. Participating companies must operate at a level that goes beyond compliance to benefit the environment and the community. Once accepted, members remain in the program for three years, as long as they continue to meet the program criteria. After three years they may reapply.

Post-consumer content – Recovered paper fiber used in recycled products that is collected from consumers. It does not include, for example, recovered paper fiber such as paper waste from a mill or unsold copies of newsstand magazines. Any fiber collected for recycling that has not been used by a consumer is called pre-consumer content.

Recovered fiber – Paper products that are collected for re-use in recycled products.

Sustainable business practices – Business practices that provide products of value for a growing world population without diminishing resources or degrading the environment.

Totally chlorine-free bleaching – A pulp bleaching process that uses oxygen and/or ozone as the bleaching agent to whiten kraft pulp. Ozone and oxygen destroy or degrade more wood fiber than the chlorine dioxide used in elemental chlorine-free bleaching, resulting in lower yields and weaker fibers. This, in turn, results in less efficient use off wood resources and reduces the number of times paper can be recycled.

Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) – This U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) program requires participating facilities to demonstrate a facility-wide commitment to health and safety, along with sustainable systems in all areas of health and safety management. VPP status is awarded on two levels, Star and Merit. Star participants must meet all VPP requirements, including an on-site review, an annual evaluation and a continuous improvement plan. Merit status is awarded to facilities that demonstrate the commitment and potential to achieve Star status.