Every Part of the Tree

Cellulose is the main building block for the pulp and paper products we make at Georgia-Pacific. When creating this product, we aim to use every part of the tree to its best and highest purpose.

Water makes up almost half of every tree, which we capture and reprocess in evaporators and utilize in our mills. During harvesting, the majority of the limbs, branches, leaves, and needles remain in the forest to promote nutrient cycling. These materials and the bark from the harvested trees make up about 22% of the tree.

Other residuals from our processes include black liquor and other Pine Chemicals which make up approximately 20% and 1% of the tree, respectively. Black liquor is processed in a recovery boiler for bio energy and other cooking chemicals. Pine chemicals, like turpentine and crude tall oil, are also recovered and sold in the market. Sand and other inorganic materials make up less than 1% of the remaining tree.

And it doesn’t stop there! Once the fibers are created, we continue using them. From corrugated boxes to tissues and paper towels, we use a mix of recycled fibers and fresh fibers to produce the products you know and love.

Learn more about how GP reduces our environmental impact.

Watch Georgia-Pacific's Director of Sustainability, Consumer Products, Todd Wingfield discuss how Georgia-Pacific promotes sustainability.  

Learn more about Georgia-Pacific's Environmental and Sustainability work in their 2021 Stewardship Report.