Woody Harrelson hoping tree-free paper takes off

Actor invests in company that makes high-quality, eco-friendly paper from wheat and flax straw.

Tue, Jun 15 2010 at 12:38 PM

Related Topics:

Forests & Trees, Green Business, Celebs

Photo: ZUMA Press

Woody Harrelson has seen the future of paper — and it's one that doesn't include trees as a primary resource.

The actor is one of the investors behind Prairie Pulp and Paper, creators of high-quality, "tree-free, chlorine-free" paper made from sustainable wheat and flax straw. The Canadian company has already produced small runs of the product but now wants to ramp up production and distribute on a massive scale.

On June 11, the company received a $400,000 boost from provincial and federal governments to begin its expansion, with interest from chains like Staples and Office Depot already flowing in. From the Winnipeg Free Press:

The company plans to build North America's first commercial-scale non-wood pulp and paper mill in rural Manitoba. The facility would produce 200,000 tonnes of paper annually and employ 300 to 500 people.

If successful, the project would be a huge boon to Winnipeg farmers, who could sell their excess wheat straw — instead of burning it.

"Using technology to produce paper products from agricultural byproducts is an exciting venture — it's innovative, good for the environment, and creates new market opportunities for industry and farmers," Manitoba Member of Parliament Candice Hoeppner said.

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Comment: 1

archie beaton Jun 22 2010 at 3:06 PM

I wanted to introduce myself, my name is Archie Beaton- Executive Director of the Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA). The CFPA is an internationally recognized standards and accreditation association founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit headquartered in Algonquin in the State of Illinois, USA In our experiences there are many paper companies doing exactly the same mislabeling as the Body Care Products you have found lacking integrity. One example happened just this last month when recently

.... More

one of our certified tissue mills bought up a competitor who made claims they were PCF (Processed Chlorine Free). As our auditing firm began working with the mill management and walked through these mills they found the plants didn’t and couldn’t meet the standards for PCF. I would like to discuss with Whole Foods Markets a way to protect your integrity by demanding a Certificate of Authenticity (see attached). The CFPA works with international experts involved in water, energy, carbon gas, and forestry conservation; raw material management; pollution prevention; government; environmentally preferred purchasers; academia; and corporate social responsibility. Our standards are dedicated to sustainable manufacturing and environmental practices improving industrial performance. All products are screened under the SMI (Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative) TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) – PCF (Processed Chlorine Free) using a Sustainability Index = Environmental Policy + Environmental Management + Mill Process + Forestry Certification + Environmental Risk Management + Product Stewardship + Public Information + Environmental Compliance + Employee Recognition CFPA is a leader in acknowledging the need for third party chain of custody for raw materials, audits of processes and working toward promoting certified sustainable manufacturing process and products. The Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative (SMI TCF-PCF) guidelines provide real environmental value to the market. CFPA has no financial interest in the products it certifies, in any manufacturer, or company. www.chlorinefreeproducts.org Best Regards Archie Beaton Executive Director Chlorine Free Products Association 1304 S. Main St Algonquin, IL 60102 847-658-6104 office 847-658-3152 faxwww.chlorinefreeproducts.org