Environmental Footprint

Catalyst Paper specializes in lighter basis weight papers — products with superior strength, press performance and runnability that have been manufactured in an environmentally sustainable way. Further, with a 100% recycled fibre mill in Snowflake, Arizona, Catalyst is one of the premier recycled paper operations in North America.

Our Commitment

Catalyst maintains a longstanding commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Our ongoing alliances and engagement with projects such as the Coast Forest Conservation Initiative, and partnerships with environmental organizations such as the WWF have positioned us as a business leader on issues related to environment and sustainability.

Our Footprint

Lighter basis weight paper is a responsible environmental choice because it requires fewer resources: less fibre, fewer raw materials, and less energy for production, shipping and printing. It also means more paper from each roll, fewer roll changes, fewer pastings, and greater efficiency of storage — all of which adds up to a greater product efficiency and a lower environmental impact.

We maintain a low carbon footprint by using 86% renewable energy at our BC operations. We have also reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 85% from 1990 baseline figures, allowing us to affordably offer Catalyst Cooled manufactured carbon neutral specialty papers.

Further, through 100% recycled fibre use at our Snowflake, Arizona mill — and by supplying our U.S. paper customers from that mill — we offer freight-logical solutions all over western North America, as well as recycled products that carry a valued environmental pedigree.

Our Fibre

None of our fibre comes from the Boreal forest, nor is it genetically modified or illegally harvested. More than 40% of fibre used at our BC mills in 2009 was certified, to PEFC  or FSC standards, while about 80% of fibre used at our Snowflake recycling mill met FSC post-consumer criteria.  Recovered paper made up about 30% of our fibre supply in 2009.  FSC and PEFC chain of custody systems are also in place to provide transparency and assurance that select paper products are made of fibre from recycled or certified fibre sources.

Our Processes

Catalyst produces bulky, lightweight, high opacity papers that are efficiently manufactured using fewer resources and creating less waste. Our mechanical papers are produced with 95% groundwood pulp compared to freesheet paper manufacturers who use only 50% groundwood pulp — this means Catalyst uses far fewer chemicals than freesheet paper manufacturers.