Reduction of Greenhouse Gases by Fiber-Loaded Lightweight, High-Opacity Newsprint Production, 1999 Environmental Conference Proceedings

John H. Klungness

Matthew L. Stroika

Said M. AbuBakr

USDA Forest Service

Forest Products Laboratory

We estimated the effectiveness of fiber loading in reducing greenhouse gas emissions for producing lightweight high-opacity newsprint. Fiber loading enhances fiber bonding at increased precipitated calcium carbonate levels without significant loss in Canadian Standard Freeness or additional energy use. We investigated the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for a hypothetical 600 metric ton/day newsprint mill. The energy reductions responsible for the reduction in greenhouse gases were due to substituting more readily dewatered fiber-loaded precipitated calcium carbonate (FLPCC) for fiber, reducing grammage, and reducing the energy needed for processing fiber. This was offset by the energy needed for operating the fiber loading equipment. Assuming that a 4-g/m 2 reduction in grammage and a 6% increase in ash as a result of FLPCC are reasonable, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced. If all newsprint currently manufactured in the United States were fiber loaded, 341,000 metric tons/year of CO2, 127.1 metric tons/year of N2O, and 8.7 metric tons/year of CH4 could be prevented from entering the atmosphere. Given the high reductions in greenhouse gases possible with FLPCC lightweight high-opacity newsprint, the environmental benefits for producing FPLCC lightweight high-opacity mottled and white-top linerboard and printing and writing grades need to be assessed.