Weyerhaeuser Reduces Water Use by 19% and Sets Additional Reduction Goal

Weyerhaeuser’s Cellulose Fibers business achieved a 19 percent reduction in water use between 2007 and 2012 and set a stretch goal to reduce water use by an additional 12 percent by 2020.

The company recognizes that water use and water quality go hand in hand. Using less water and ensuring its return to the natural system free of harmful pollutants are both goals in Weyerhaeuser’s Sustainability Roadmap.

Senior leaders in the Cellulose Fibers business first set a goal to reduce water use by 20 percent by 2012 (compared to a 2007 baseline). As of 2012, a 19 percent reduction was achieved and leaders have set a new goal to achieve an additional 12 percent reduction by 2020.

The company’s second goal is to reduce discharged water pollutants by 10 percent per ton of production using a measurement called biochemical oxygen demand, or BOD, which measures the amount of oxygen required to decompose organic materials in wastewater. In 2012, the company reduced BOD by 21 percent (compared to a 2010 baseline), exceeding its goal.

Read more about Weyerhaeuser’s commitment to reducing water use and improving water quality in its online sustainability report.