The Outlook
September 2008

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W e l c o m e

This month we report on the status of paper recycling rates in the U.S. and globally.  We also weigh-in on the green building debate related to forest certification. Check out some of our latest news headlines, and don't forget to check-in with the Green Doctor for answers to your frequently asked green-questions!

Enjoy!

- Jeff   

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I n   T h i s   I s s u e:

D o v e t a i l   C o m m e n t a r y:

Green Building Blues: Is Wood Getting A Raw Deal?

R e p o r t s:

Paper Recycling in the United States and Beyond: An Update

N e w s:

Dovetail Partners and Aitkin County host international forestry and green building tour

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D o v e t a i l   C o m m e n t a r y:

Green Building Blues: Is Wood Getting A Raw Deal?

For the past few years the North American forest products industry has correctly complained that current green building guidelines encourage aspirants to inappropriately substitute less environmentally friendly materials for wood due to the fact that only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood qualifies for a green credit while FSC certified wood is statistically unavailable in most regions.  

While this discussion has devolved into a debate about the relative qualifications between forest certification systems, the debate should really be about use of wood versus everything else.  

In other words, it should be a debate about green building materials and not about different shades of “green” wood. The USGBC's current proposal to take the next step in evaluating and benchmarking forest certification systems only exacerbates this problem as it opens a Pandora's box of detailed forestry issues that people have fought over for twenty years, many of which have no “right” answer. USGBC's attempt to specifically benchmark forest certification systems based on relatively detailed forestry and forest management issues is particularly inappropriate and ill-advised given the fact that they have yet to define what is a good choice for any other raw material.

For read the full commentary, visit:

http://www.dovetailinc.org/DovetailComm0908.html

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D o v e t a i l   R e p o r t s

All reports are available online.

Paper Recycling in the United States and Beyond: An Update

Steve Bratkovich

In the not-too-distant past it was commonplace to landfill old newspapers, used office paper, worn-out cardboard boxes, and other paper and paperboard products. Recycling initiatives, combined with an expanding ‘recycling mindset', have changed much of how we think about, and respond to, ‘trash.'

Today, paper and paperboard recovery (collection) and recycling (reuse) rates in the United States are approximately 56% and 37%, respectively.   Both numbers represent record or near record levels for the nation.   Since 1990, paper recovery in the U.S. has grown by more than 87%.   The U.S. paper industry continues to establish new benchmarks and has set 60% as the target recovery rate by 2012.

While recycling is a success story by many accounts, the U.S. is not the world leader in paper recovery.   As reported in an April 19, 2005, Dovetail report, the U.S. trails a number of other developed nations.   However, one nation highlighted in the 2005 report—Japan—has recently had numerous paper producers admit to falsifying recycled paper content claims in their products.   This revelation has cast a shadow on Japanese paper producers and led to difficulty in comparing paper recovery and reuse rates between the two countries.

This report provides the latest information about actual paper recycling rates in Japan and summarizes paper recycling data for the United States and Europe.

http://www.dovetailinc.org/reports/pdf/DovetailRecyclePaper0908bpn.pdf

To access Dovetail's Publications, click here.

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D o v e t a i l   N e w s

Dovetail Partners and Aitkin County host international forestry and green building tour

(Sept. 5, 2008) Two Cochran Fellows from Guatemala recently toured Aitkin County forests, wood product manufacturers and a local green building project. The tour was aimed at addressing interests in forest-based economic development opportunities.

“In natural resource rich areas like Northern Minnesota and Guatemala there is strong interest in maximizing value-added opportunities and creating local value chains that support regional economic development,” says Kathryn Fernholz, Executive Director of Dovetail Partners, a Minneapolis-based non-profit supporting the tour.

The Cochran fellows included Francisco Escobedo, General Manager of the Forestry Association of Guatemala, and Andres Bosch, whose small forestry and milling operation in Guatemala processes many different wood products including flooring, siding, and components for prefabricated homes. The Aitkin County Land Department, Aitkin County Economic Development, Aitkin Soil and Water Conservation District, and Dovetail Partners organized and hosted the event.

http://www.dovetailinc.org/DovetailNews090508.html

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Questions?  Call Dovetail at 612-333-0430