New Fisher Study Examines Mill Water Issues around the World

Fisher International, South Norwalk, Conn., USA, has conducted a study of water use in the pulp and paper industry, and published its findings in a study titled The 2012 Global PPI Water Benchmark Report. The report is intended to help environmental managers understand how water issues are affecting pulp and paper mills around the world as they benchmark their own positions and evaluate their policies.

The study finds that many mills expect that their access to water will be threatened in the next five years. Even more mills – a majority worldwide – expect to make changes to their water usage goals in the next five years, particularly in developing countries.

Worldwide, the range of water usage per ton of paper produced was found to be quite broad, from under 250 gal/short ton of paper produced up to 70,000 gal/short ton of paper produced. Similarly, sludge production was found to range from almost nothing to just over 0.4 short tons of sludge/short ton of pulp or paper produced. Nevertheless, attitudes about the seriousness of potential threats to water availability are similar across types of mills and regardless of how mills handle effluent treatment.

The report is free to mills that take part in Fisher International's water survey. It is also available for purchase. To take the survey, obtain a copy of the report, or receive additional information, please email Fisher or call +1 203.854.5390.

TAPPI
http://www.tappi.org/