LEAD STORY: Publication on Wood Reduction in Buildings Hitting Bookstores

FEATURE STORY: Anthrax Scares Focus Attention on Junk Mail

NEWS BRIEFS
a) Green Architect Featured
b) Building With Recycled Paper
c) Another Lumber Company To Phase Out Endangered Wood
d) Bank Strives to Address Wood Consumption
e) Oregon Housing Department Pursues Sustainability
f) Greening Particleboard and Medium-Density Fiberboard
g) Nonwood Pulp Mill Moving Forward
h) Major Catalog Company Completes Recycled Paper Conversion
i) New Study Compares Forest Certification Schemes
j) Canadian Book Publishers Go Old Growth Free
k) Major Retailer to Sell Nonwood Compostable Plates & Bowls
l) Addressing Green Building Barriers

CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS
industrial hemp
Staples Day of Action

RESOURCES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
certification
ag-board panels
recycled paper
awards
campus programs

LEAD STORY
Publication on Wood Reduction in Buildings Hitting Bookstores

Watershed Media has recently published "Building With Vision: Optimizing and Finding Alternatives to Wood." The book is an excellent resource for architects, builders, designers and others wishing to reduce their impact on natural forests by eliminating the use of wood products or by specifying "good" wood products such as recycled and salvaged wood. The book includes a preface from Rainforest Action Network's Randy Hayes and an introduction from renowned sustainable architect Sim Van der Ryn. It details the numerous alternatives to uncertified, virgin wood building products which can be used for framing, siding, whole building systems, interior finishes, etc. The various alternatives are described and their "benefits," "challenges," and "applications" are highlighted, along with resources for more details. All of this information is packaged in a visually stunning and concise publication. The book retails for $22 and can be purchased directly from Watershed Media at . But, it is also coming to a bookstore near you this November.

FEATURE STORY
Anthrax Scares Focus Attention on Junk Mail

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the subsequent Anthrax letters, among the many previously normal routines of our society that are being reexamined is one which affects wood consumption -- junk mail. In the wake of September 11, consumers are even more wary of unsolicited mail, such as credit card applications which mask their identities to prevent recipients from immediately categorizing the letters as junk mail, according to the October 16, 2001 New York Times article "The Media Business: Advertising; With Consumers Concerned About Unexpected Mail, Direct Marketers Will Try New Approaches." The article suggests that these concerns may shift direct marketers (which spent more than $40 billion on advertisements in 2000) to alternatives such as permission-based e-mail marketing.

An October 29 article in the New York Times, "In Aftermath of Sept. 11, Direct Mailers Try to Adjust and Online Mailers Try to Take Advantage," confirms that Internet based marketing and billing services have seen a surge in inquiries from prospective clients. There had been some indications that a trend was already beginning as companies looking for cheaper advertising in a weak economy began shifting some of their marketing to the Internet. And, some companies have seen a big jump in consumers requesting on-line versus mail billing in the last few weeks. However, questions remain whether these latest events will truly stimulate the industry to permanently move away from paper mail and toward e-mail.

Even before the issue of security, junk mail has been a nuisance to many, a voracious consumer of wood and an often unnecessary source of waste. As a result, the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District in Ohio has implemented a drive to help residents halt unwelcome junk mail, according to the October 5 article "Cleveland-area Residents Plan to Give Junk Mail the Boot" in Waste News. The County has produced a brochure titled, "How to Stop Unwanted Mail" which includes a postcard that residents can send to the Mail Preference Service to prevent unsolicited advertising. The Direct Marketing Association states that this should stop 75 percent of all national mailings to an individual.

Co-op America's WoodWise program has long focused on the issue of reducing junk mail. For excellent suggestions on this topic, check out the "Junk Mail" portion of their Consumer Guide at . (The hard copy of their guide also includes a post card to stop junk mail.)

a) Green Architect Featured
Metropolis Magazine -- a design magazine -- spotlighted the noted "green" architect William McDonough in its August/September 2001 article "Think Green." While the article did not go into specifics on wood consumption, it makes a compelling case for "green" and sustainable building design in general. The article is also an indication of the inroads that "green" concepts are making into the world of design, shattering the myths that "green" equals ugly.

b) Building With Recycled Paper
Ban Shigeru, a Japanese inventor, uses recycled paper to erect homes and public buildings, according to "Paper Houses," Earth Island Journal, Summer 2001. The inventor and author of the book, "Paper Tube Architecture from Kobe to Rwanda" constructed a 15.5 meter tall Japanese Pavilion for the 2000 World Expo using 440 20 meter long tubes made from recycled paper which was later demolished and recycled.

c) Another Lumber Company To Phase Out Endangered Wood
The [Portland] Business Journal reported on September 30, 2001 in "Local Timber Watchdogs Hail Golden State Lumber" that Golden State Lumber -- a northern California lumber company -- has pledged to phase out sale of wood from endangered forests, as well as wood treated with arsenic. The company issued a statement encouraging suppliers, customers and competitors to implement similar environmental policies.

d) Bank Strives to Address Wood Consumption
According to Recycled Paper News' September 2001 article, "Bank of America Reports on Recycling Efforts," the bank -- often cited as a case study for corporations examining their wood consumption -- recently released a progress report which shows they have increased paper recycling by 27 percent over the previous year. The report also stated that 40 percent of the paper purchased was recycled (the bank purchases 30 percent post consumer recycled stationary and copy paper). The environmental program stresses paper reduction efforts such as sharing and ordering on-line subscriptions, reusing file folders and binders, making double sided copies and using electronic forms (with 9.5 million sheets of copy paper used per day, paper is the company's largest waste). Wood reduction is also accomplished in the furniture section, with the bank reusing and refurbishing its furniture, avoiding more than $10 million in costs.

e) Oregon Housing Department Pursues Sustainability
The Oregon Housing and Community Services Department (OHCSD) has pursued a Green Building Initiative whose advisory task force produced a report which included green building commitments and guidelines, reported In Business in "Green Building Reaches Out in Oregon," September/October 2001. (For information about the program, see .) As a result, sustainability considerations are beginning to be incorporated in the department's housing projects. For information about other government green building programs, see our website at .

f) Greening Particleboard and Medium-Density Fiberboard
While particleboard (PB) and Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF) are primarily manufactured from wood residues using toxic resins, Green Seal's October 2001 Choose Green Report features more environmentally sound options. Specifically, the issue describes formaldehyde-free products made from agricultural waste fibers. For a list of links to some of the companies that manufacture ag-fiber boards, see the "agriculture links" section of our website at (scroll down to companies).

g) Nonwood Pulp Mill Moving Forward
The Nile Fiber Pulp and Paper company produced 5,000 acres of Arundo donax or Fiber Cane, a viable wood alternative, in California and Alabama according to AgFiber Technology Newsletter, October 2, 2001, volume 3, number 14, issue 54's article "Nile Fiber Pulp and Paper Inc., Supplying Non-Wood Fiber to the Pulp and Paper Industry." The company contracts with two mills to produce chips for particleboard and hammermilled for pulping. Research and commercial plots will be grown in 2002. The company has applied for patents for processing the plant; they have a licensing agreement with Samoa Pacific Cellulose LLC; and, they have confidentiality agreements with International Paper, Georgia Pacific, Louisiana Pacific and Boise Cascade, among others. (For more information on nonwood fibers, see RCA's Agricultural Fibers & Residues site at .)

h) Major Catalog Company Completes Recycled Paper Conversion
Norm Thompson Outfitters announced the conversion of all of its catalog lines to at least 10 percent post-consumer content paper, according to Waste News' October 3 article, "Retailer Converts Last of Catalogs to 10 Percent Recycled Paper." The Oregon retailer had already converted several catalogs, but by October 2001, it completed the switch of its largest catalog titled, "Norm Thompson." (See "Resources & Announcements" below for more information on this topic.)

i) New Study Compares Forest Certification Schemes
Meridian Institute released a new study comparing the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the American Forest & Paper Association's Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification schemes. The study was sponsored by Home Depot and both certification schemes participated in its creation. The report showed that the FSC had more stringent environmental criteria on issues such as conserving old growth, protecting endangered species and minimizing toxic chemicals. The study also noted the paper industry's influence in the SFI system.

j) Canadian Book Publishers Go Old Growth Free
The October 21, 2001 edition of The Edmonton Journal reported that 21 major Canadian publishers have agreed to eliminate paper using pulp from old-growth trees in "Publishers Agree to Avoid Using Old-Growth Paper: New Harry Potter Will be Printed on Recycled Paper." Random House Canada, McClelland & Steward, Douglas & McIntyre, Penguin Canada Raincoast Books and New Society Publishers are among the companies that have made a commitment to the Markets Initiative of Tofino. (For more information on the initiative, see .) The publishers consume 100,000 tons of paper annually and only approximately 20 percent has recycled content. (For RCA's fact sheet on publishers, see .)

k) Major Retailer to Sell Nonwood Compostable Plates & Bowls
Wal-Mart has announced that it will test-market EarthShell Corporation's compostable plates and bowls made primarily of limestone and starch, according to "Wal-Mart to Test Compostable Plates and Bowls in Oregon and Maryland" published on October 24, 2001 in Waste News. Wal-Mart sites shoppers' growing interest in environmental products as a driving force behind the decision (100 million people shop at Wal-Mart stores every week).

l) Addressing Green Building Barriers
Greenbiz.com highlighted "Barriers to Building Green" in its October 2001 Natural Strategies column by Adam Davis. The column details some of the findings of a recent study on the topic sponsored by the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Some of the obstacles identified included builder incentives (cost savings of green buildings are generally accrued by building owners in the long term versus by the builders), lack of information on "green" products and sources and lack of knowledge on the part of clients.

CAMPAIGNS & EVENTS

The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) scheduled Representative Cynthia Thielen from Hawaii to be their keynote speaker during their October conference. Meanwhile the North American Industrial Hemp Council scheduled its annual meeting for early November. (For more information on industrial hemp, see RCA's website at .)

The Staples National Day of Action will be held on November 13. The campaign seeks a commitment from Staples -- the world's largest office supply store -- to stop selling 100 percent virgin fiber paper products. For more information on the campaign, see .

RESOURCES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Certified Forest Products Council (CFPC) announced the launch of a Certification Resource Center at certifiedwood.org that uses multiple search engines to allow on-line research of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forest products. The site also provides information about forest certification and comparing certification systems.

Panel Source International, an agfiber panelboard consulting and marketing firm which stays up to speed on the ever-changing agricultural fiber board industry, has built a new website at panelsource.net.

Conservatree is working with Alliance for Environmental Innovation (AEI) on a "capacity study" which measures the paper industry's ability to meet increased demand for recycled paper. The preliminary results of this report are included in the Appendix of AEI's new publication, "A New Norm in Catalogs." The publication details the impact of catalogs on wood consumption and the commitment made by Norm Thompson Outfitters to use recycled paper in their catalogs. For a copy of the report, see Alliance for Environmental Innovation.

Meanwhile, Moore & Associates released a study of 132 curbside recycling programs which concluded that there should be "no shortage of recovered paper available for future domestic and export needs for residential fiber," according to Waste News' October 25, 2001 article "Paper Market Should be Able to Meet Domestic and Export Needs, Report Finds."

The White House is taking nominations for its Closing the Circle Awards. The awards highlight success stories in federal "greening" efforts such as affirmative procurement programs which specify recycled material products. For more information, see Closing the Circle Awards.

The National Wildlife Federation has released its 200-2001 Campus Environmental Yearbook, see , which describes the efforts of two Massachusetts universities to "green" their paper purchasing policies -- University of Massachusetts Amherst and Brandeis University. For general information on "greening" paper and other wood-related purchasing policies, see RCA's guide How to Encourage Forest-friendly Purchasing [Get Acrobat].