BS copy Series

What is eco-pulp?

We strove to conceive of a solution that is ever friendlier to the environment.

Paper is made from bleached pulp as its raw material. This bleaching process, which uses chlorine, is being reassessed because of its environmental impacts.

The Japan Papermaking Association is adopting voluntary regulations regarding plant wastewater. These regulations stipulated absorbable organic halogen (AOX) content of 1.5 kg/pulp.t or less achieved by 1993. In 1994, all plants cleared this target. At present, plants are able to far surpass the target amount, with only 0.7 kg/pulp. This statistic indicates that the wastewater of Japan’s paper manufacturing plants is not a cause for concern.

However, it is also a fact that even safer bleaching methods are being advanced elsewhere (mainly in Europe). On top of this, there have been recent reports regarding a number of chlorine compounds contained within environmental hormones (or endocrine disruptors), which are attracting suspicion. With the construction of new paper making machines at its Niigata plant, the Hokuetsu Kishu Paper Company has adopted a process on par with the European method. This process allows for stringent quality control and the use of Eco-pulp for Hokuetsu Kishu’s paper products. In other words, when customers use Hokuetsu Kishu’s paper products, they are making an environmentally friendly decision.