Earlier this month in my post “A Cynical Eye on Sprint’s ECO-mittment,” I got razzed a bit by a commenter about my ties to the printing and publishing industry. Do I have a bias towards paper and away from e-media? (I do, but not because I’m involved in the industry. It’s because I think e-media has a greater negative impact on the environment.)
I love comments like that, and frankly, if I couldn’t answer challenges from readers, I shouldn’t be writing for The Inspired Economist. But if you want another opinion, you’ll have your chance to poke the panel of experts during a discussion and debate over key issues related to paper production and sustainability next month in Belgium.
At the seminar, RISI, the European organization dedicated to information on the forest products industry, will be putting its panel out to the wolves for a discussion and debate. The event will be part of two half–day seminars at the Le Plaza hotel in Brussels, Belgium on November 15, 2011.
Panelists will include:
- Mark Rushton, RISI Seminar Chair, Editor, Pulp & Paper International (PPI), RISI
- Larry Tracy, Program Director, HP
- Martyn Eustace, Director, Two Sides and European Sustainability Manager and United Kingdom Country Manager, Print Power
- Jim Ford, Director, Climate for Ideas
- John Sanderson, Director, Environmental Market Support, UPM
The discussion will focus on these key issues:
- Identifying the challenges facing P&P producers to meet sustainability and environmental standards
- Ascertaining the obstacles and opportunities around recyclability of papers
- Understanding the business case for sustainable production and products
- Expanding the reach of sustainability from production to printing and recycling/de-inking
- Where is the paper industry in terms of sustainability? What work has been done, and what needs to still be done?
- How has the messaging around sustainability improved and what are the next steps needed?
- Is it more environmentally friendly to have certified paper from virgin pulp as opposed to recycled paper?
- Progress has been made, but what are we going to do next?
So got questions? Take them to RISI. This is quite a panel of experts, and I’m sure they’d love to field your rotten tomatoes — I mean, respectful questions!
