Displaying items by tag: willamette falls paper company

2020 01 07 191241

Willamette Falls Paper Company is pleased to announce that it has added Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) chain of custody certification (SFI-01924) to its full line of paper products. 

Growing numbers of consumers want assurance that their buying decisions represent a sound environmental choice. They are asking for proof that wood, paper and packaging products are made with raw materials from certified forest content, certified sourcing or recycled content. SFI’s Chain-of-Custody Standard and associated labels deliver a reliable and credible mechanism so businesses can provide this assurance to customers.

By becoming SFI certified, Willamette Falls Paper Company is one step closer to achieving its sustainability goals.

“Willamette Falls Paper is committed to offering a full range of sustainable paper products,” states Brian Konen, CEO of Willamette Falls Paper Company. “Providing customers with certification options allows them to choose which system works best for their projects.”

The SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard is an accounting system that tracks forest fiber content (certified forest content, certified sourcing and recycled content) through production and manufacturing to the end product. Companies can use chain-of-custody certification to track and communicate forest fiber content using one of three optional approaches for chain-of-custody: physical separation, average percentage and the volume credit method. To be certified, companies must be audited by an independent third party to the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard.

“By choosing to certify to the SFI Chain-of-Custody Standard, Willamette Falls Paper Company is telling forest managers it values their commitment to sustainable forest management, and it is telling its customers they can be part of the solution,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc.

Published in North American News
Wednesday, 08 January 2020 10:44

Willamette Falls Paper Company Launches reHARVEST™

2020 01 07 191241

New sustainable paper line uses wheat straw pulp, a first in the U.S. coated paper industry

Willamette Falls Paper Company Inc. announces the launch of reHARVEST coated, envelope and offset, a paper product family made with 10% wheat straw fiber. The reHARVEST papers are domestically made, readily available and offered at a competitive price.

Recent process technology developments have enabled the production of high-quality papermaking fibers from wheat straw agricultural waste. What was previously removed from the field as waste or even burned is now collected, pulped into high-quality papermaking fiber and available for use in paper products. The pulping is done at a recently commissioned wheat straw pulping plant that generates zero effluent and zero solid waste. The use of this agricultural fiber reduces field burning and takes the pressure off forests. Finally, the wheat straw fiber has a lower carbon footprint and uses less energy than conventional wood pulping processes. The reHARVEST product family incorporates this agricultural waste fiber into 24# envelope, 60# and 70# offset and 80# and 100# gloss and matte coated paper grades while maintaining the key quality and performance specifications for which Willamette Falls Paper Company is known. The paper grades are available in web rolls and priced competitively for truckload orders in Q1.

“We are thrilled to be the first coated paper mill to offer non-wood grades made in the U.S. and sourced with local agricultural fiber, in this case, straw,” says Phil Harding, Director of Technology and Sustainability at Willamette Falls Paper Company. “Our long-term focus is sustainable papermaking and releasing reHARVEST is a huge step toward this goal. The use of agricultural fiber sources is a key part of our strategy.”

“Willamette Falls Paper Company facility, staff and external consultants are actively collaborating in their research and development, bringing this paper mill into the 21st century. Collectively, they are breaking down barriers for customers who have long hoped for these types of solutions to pulp availability in the manufacturing of commercial and industrial papers,” said Kris Grimshaw, Print Production Manager at Scentsy, Inc.

Published in North American News

2020 01 07 191241

Natural kraft paper is now available as an extension of the reHARVEST line

Willamette Falls Paper Company Inc. announces a new grade offering as part of the reHARVEST™ family of products. reHARVEST is now available as natural kraft paper. Initially, Willamette Falls paper will be producing natural kraft paper using a minimum of 30% agricultural fibers, in this case, wheat straw. Natural kraft paper uses include flexible packaging applications such as paper bags, pouches, and poly-coating basestocks.

The reHARVEST natural kraft paper met typical bag strength tests and have been successfully converted and printed in trials. An additional benefit is that the bags offer a bright golden color with no fiber bleaching, a unique attribute of the straw fiber. The natural kraft paper is FDA compliant and will be available in 30# to 70# basis weights (49 to 114 GSM). Willamette Falls Paper has reconfigured the mill to dedicate one machine to brown grades and two machines to manufacture both high-bright coated and uncoated legacy grades. Commercial production of the natural kraft grades is estimated to start at the end of January. 

“With so many states, like Oregon, working to reduce the use of plastic bags, we are excited to be able to offer a more sustainable choice in paper and packaging,” says Phil Harding, Director of Technology and Sustainability at Willamette Falls Paper Company. “Using straw pulp in our production – from an agricultural waste product – offers a unique opportunity to add an innovative solution for sustainable paper options.  The mill has a long-term goal of developing natural kraft grades with up to 100% straw fiber.”
 
Package Containers, Inc. is proud to partner with Willamette Falls Paper Company converting the reHARVEST paper into their paper bag line. “We believe the reHARVEST paper can take our already industry-leading sustainability story to even greater heights,” said Dave DeMots, CEO of Package Containers, Inc. “Willamette Falls Paper has created a paper that not only meets industry needs but also breaks new ground using agricultural waste wheat straw as a fiber source. Retailers and consumers are asking for products that offer a lower environmental impact and this is a major step toward that objective.”

Published in North American News

Willamette Falls Paper Company has made its first successful trial of non-wood paper grades using pulp from local agricultural waste – producing both coated and uncoated grades using 10% non-wood pulp fiber.
 
Additional machine and press trials are ongoing to refine the paper properties and specifications. However, preliminary outcomes from press room trials and initial customer feedback show very promising results. The mill expects to announce the commercial production of coated and uncoated grades by mid-November.

2019 09 19 105309“We want to be the first coated paper mill to offer non-wood grades made in the U.S. and sourced with local agricultural waste, in this case, straw,” says Phil Harding, Director of Technology and Sustainability at Willamette Falls Paper Company. “Our long-term focus is sustainable papermaking, and successful trials using non-wood raw materials is another step toward this goal.”
 
Working with several key suppliers, including Trinseo, Willamette Falls is confident it is one step closer to developing both uncoated and coated grades that will have similar characteristics to the mill’s standard grades.
 
“Trinseo is pleased to partner with Willamette Falls Paper Company in the development of the first domestic non-wood containing coated papers. Finding innovative ways to increase the use of sustainable materials is a critical focus for us, the industry, and modern society, so we’re thrilled to continue our support in their development and commercialization of this new product,” said Todd Crook, North America Latex Binders business director for Trinseo.
  
ABOUT WILLAMETTE FALLS PAPER COMPANY, INC. 
Willamette Falls Paper Company is a newly formed company that owns and operates a mill in West Linn, Oregon. The company is a non-integrated mill, capable of making coated and uncoated grades with an annual capacity of 260,000 tons. The Willamette Falls Paper Company looks to be an innovative leader in environmental paper production, including the use of non-wood fibers as an alternative pulp source. www.wfpaperco.com

Published in North American News
Thursday, 19 September 2019 10:52

Willamette Falls Paper Company is now FSC Certified

Willamette Falls Paper Company, Inc. has achieved Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Chain-of-Custody certification through SCS Global Services.
 
FSC Chain-of-Custody certification assures consumers that the products they are purchasing have been responsibly managed and harvested. FSC-certified products are tracked throughout their life cycle, from forest to end product. For a final product to be certified, all companies along the supply chain (in this case from forest to paper mill) need to be FSC certified. All certification audits and assessments are done by third-party companies. Certification for Willamette Falls Paper Company (FSC-C151152) was performed by SCS Global Services.
 
2019 09 19 105309By becoming FSC certified, Willamette Falls Paper Company is one step closer to achieving its sustainability goals.
 
“We are dedicated to offering environmentally sound options to our customers,” says Brian Konen, President of Willamette Falls Paper Company. “Our long-term focus is sustainable papermaking, and FSC certification is just the first stage.”
 
Looking to the future, Willamette Falls Paper Company will explore the use of non-traditional fiber sources such as wheat straw and hemp in the papermaking process. The company also plans to work with local waste management companies to find better solutions for paper recycling in the West Linn region.
 
ABOUT WILLAMETTE FALLS PAPER COMPANY, INC.
Willamette Falls Paper Company is a newly formed company which owns and operates the machinery and equipment at the paper mill in West Linn, Oregon. The company is a non-integrated mill, capable of making coated and uncoated grades with an annual capacity of 260,000 tons. The Willamette Falls Paper Company looks to be an innovative leader in environmental paper production. www.wfpaperco.com.

ABOUT SCS GLOBAL SERVICES
SCS Global Services is a leader in environmental and sustainability certification. A founding member and one of the first certification bodies accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council in 1996, SCS is one of the world’s leading FSC certifiers with more than 35 million acres of responsibly managed forests and 4000 companies in the FSC supply chain worldwide. SCS programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in green building, manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, and more. SCS is a Certified B Corporation™, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. Learn more at www.scsglobalservices.com.
 
ABOUT FSC
FSC is the most rigorous international standard for responsible forestry. FSC certified forests conserve biological diversity, water resources and crucial ecosystems. The FSC standard also upholds worker rights and supports economic prosperity in surrounding communities. The FSC Chain of Custody certification ensures that certified wood products are tracked from forest to final product (and if applicable, that qualified recycled materials are used), adding legitimacy to the FSC claim throughout the supply chain.

Published in North American News

Willamette Falls Paper Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Columbia Ventures Corporation in Vancouver, Washington, announces Dr. Phil Harding will join Willamette Falls Paper Company as the Director of Technology and Sustainability.
 
Dr. Harding has spent the past twelve years serving as the Linus Pauling Chair of Chemical Engineering at Oregon State University. He will bring his wealth of industrial chemical engineering and business experience to develop paper and other products from wheat straw, recycled fiber, and hemp. His background includes work in the paper industry with James River Corporation and in microelectronics with Hewlett-Packard, with responsibilities including process engineering, research and development, product reliability, global manufacturing and research strategy. He is the winner of the Oregon State University Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching, is a certified Professional Engineer, and holds 15 patents.

2019 07 08 123624

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Harding to the team at Willamette Falls Paper Company,” states Brian Konen, President of Willamette Falls Paper Company. “His expertise in our industry and his innovation and forward thinking on sustainability will be critical for our new product development and the long-term viability of the business.”
 
“It is an honor to join Brian Konen and Columbia Ventures Corporation CEO, Ken Peterson, in not only restarting the paper mill, but also creating new market segments that synergistically engage economic opportunity and sustainability,” states Dr. Harding. “State and federal regulatory movement on managing carbon emissions strongly favor our location and business interests.”
 
 
COLUMBIA VENTURES CORPORATION (CVC) is a private equity diversified holding company. Notably, CVC is the majority owner of Northwest Straw Pulp, LLC which is in the final stages of constructing a first-of-its-kind pulp mill near Starbuck, Washington, to manufacture high-quality pulp fiber from wheat straw. At full production, it expects to annually produce 140,000 tons of pulp that will be able to directly substitute for hardwood pulp in terms of specifications and quality.
 
WILLAMETTE FALLS PAPER COMPANY, INC. is a newly formed company which owns and operates the machinery and equipment at the paper mill in West Linn, Oregon. The company is a non-integrated mill, capable of making coated and uncoated grades with an annual capacity of 260,000 tons. The Willamette Falls Paper Company looks to be an innovative leader in environmental paper production.

Published in North American News