Q&A: Fiber Testing, Paper, and the Lacey Act

Answers to frequently asked questions about fiber testing, a technology that can help find potentially illegal wood in the paper supply chain.

In November 2010, WRI posted “Risk Free? Paper and the Lacey Act” in which we discussed using paper fiber testing to find potentially illegally harvested wood in paper products purchased in the United States. The article received a lot of interest from companies in the forest product supply chain and from civil society organizations working to reduce illegal logging. Here, we respond to some frequently asked questions about fiber testing and how one might use the technology to manage risk in the paper supply chain.

1. What is fiber testing?

Fiber testing is a technology that is used to identify and quantify the mix of tree fibers contained in a sample of paper. Using high-power microscopes, specialized labs identify the composition of a sample of paper by observing the reactions of fibers when treated with various chemicals (e.g., change in color) and by identifying unique anatomical features in softwood fibers and hardwood vessels (e.g., shape, size, pit pattern). Vessels are structures that transport nutrients and water in plants and can be identified in paper. Depending on the quality of the fibers, experts can determine the pulp type (softwood vs. hardwood), pulping process (e.g., mechanical, chemical), the genus, and sometimes the species of the tree fibers contained in a paper sample.

Continues at:  Q&A: Fiber Testing, Paper, and the Lacey Act | World Resources Institute.

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• Through the Mill (nytimes.com)
• UK: ViP conference to detail simple steps to paper cost savings (printmediacentr.com)