Research, Reports & Publications

Domtar’s 2019 Sustainability Report: A Better Future Together

Sep 10, 2019 3:00 PM ET

Imagine a future with more sustainable fiber-based products as alternatives to plastic, and a circular economy that uses renewable and recyclable natural resources. At Domtar, we’re not just imagining that type of future; we’re innovating our way toward it. Our 2019 Sustainability Report, “A Better Future Together,” details our efforts to build a better future with all of our stakeholders — including our customers, employees, investors, communities and environmental partners.

A recent statement by leaders of the Business Roundtable, a group of nearly 200 chief executives, asserted that companies should advance not only the interests of shareholders, but also the interests of employees, the environment and local communities.

“We have long shared a similar belief,” says John D. Williams, Domtar president and CEO. “We and our investors care about how efficiently we use natural resources in our manufacturing, how we support our communities, how we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions and how we develop our employees and keep them safe. We believe that caring about our environment, our communities and our people helps us better meet our business objectives and deliver returns for the long term.”

The 2019 Sustainability Report highlights our progress toward our 2020 sustainability goals in three focus areas: responsibility across our supply chain, including sustainable forestry principles to ensure the health of forestlands; efficiency in our manufacturing to minimize the negative environmental effects of our operations; and engagement with a variety of stakeholders.

“We believe that transparency — about the achievements as well as the challenges — serves both our interests and the public’s interest well,” Williams says. “That’s not surprising, since they are intertwined. The interests of our customers, investors, employees and neighbors are more similar than dissimilar.

“We harness one of the world’s most renewable resources — wood — in service of literacy, education, communication, commerce, personal dignity and hygiene, as well as the development of sustainable alternatives to petroleum hydrocarbons. This is a story that is material to everyone.”

2019 Sustainability Report Celebrates Progress

Here are some of the highlights of our 2019 Sustainability Report, based on our performance in 2018:

  • 38 percent of the fiber procured for our pulp and paper mills came from certified sources, including 21 percent from Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC)-certified sources.
  • Our pulp and paper mills reduced landfill waste by 19 percent since 2013.
  • We beneficially reused 69 percent of our manufacturing byproducts.
  • 72 percent of the energy used in our pulp and paper mills came from renewable biomass fuels, mostly self-generated from our wood processing and pulping byproducts.
  • We’ve reduced greenhouse gas emissions at our pulp and paper mills by 15 percent since 2010.
  • We completed development of our full-cost-of-water model and began using it in project approvals to further support water and energy conservation efforts.
  • We’ve expanded our EarthChoice® Ambassador program to 30 locations in four countries, covering 86 percent of our facilities.
  • We invested $2.5 million in our communities, focusing on literacy, health and wellness, and sustainability.
  • Our colleagues contributed 13,800+ hours at Domtar-sponsored events in our communities.

Learn more about sustainability at Domtar, and read the 2019 Sustainability Report.