Pulp & Paper Industry Finds Environmental Solution

Chlorine dioxide technology virtually eliminates by-product emissions

For many years, elemental chlorine was used by pulp and paper mills in the manufacturing process. When it was discovered in the late 1980s that water emissions from pulp and paper mills contained high levels of dioxin, the industry moved quickly to reduce emissions of this unwanted by-product

Switching from elemental chlorine to chlorine dioxide provided the environmental solution, while preserving product quality and alleviating the blow to local jobs and economies. However, some mills were forced to close down because they could not pay the conversion cost, forcing thousands out of work. Today, chlorine dioxide technology is helping to assure that America’s 600,000 pulp and paper industry jobs are preserved as environmental progress continues.

Today, in over 90 percent of U.S. mills, dioxin cannot be detected in mill effluent. Dioxin levels in fish have declined so rapidly that 13 states have lifted 17 fish advisories downstream from pulp and paper mills. EPA predicts that the remaining few advisories will be lifted as U.S. mills complete the conversion to chlorine dioxide. EPA has designated chlorine dioxide as a "Best Available Technology" and reports that adopting new chlorine dioxide technologies will reduce emissions of furans (another unwanted by-product) by 99 percent.

Some people advocate switching to "Totally Chlorine Free" (TCF) technology to eliminate any possible dioxin emission from pulp and paper plants. But there is a big trade-off. TCF mills require up to 10 percent more trees to make pulp and paper. If all the mills in North America converted to TCF, about 100 million more trees would be cut down each year. In addition, TCF paper is not as strong as chlorine dioxide paper and is less recyclable. The Finnish Environmental Protection Agency recently reported that the environmental performance of TCF mills in that country has been no better than chlorine dioxide mills - and in some ways appears to be worse.

Chlorine dioxide pulp is the fastest-growing segment in the world bleached chemical pulp market - up 25 million tons since 1990. Chlorine dioxide paper has already captured 40 percent of the North American market. Its use is up 1,200 percent in just a few years. Meanwhile, less than 1 percent of the market uses TCF paper - and the TCF mills are running at half-capacity for TCF pulp.