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New Annual Sustainability Report Shows Weyerhaeuser Reducing Environmental Impact
PRNewswire
FEDERAL WAY, Wash.
Jun 27, 2005
Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY), one of the world's largest forest products companies, continues to make gains reducing air and water emissions, according to its latest citizenship and environment report released today.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-b )
"Over the past decade, Weyerhaeuser has significantly improved its environmental performance and reduced its environmental footprint," said Steven R. Rogel, chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We are part of the environmental solution for the future -- both in how we make our products and in what we produce."
Titled "Roadmap for Sustainability," the 96-page report describes the company's practices with respect to corporate ethics, managing environmental performance, practicing sustainable forestry, reducing pollution, and conserving natural resources. It also addresses how the company treats employees and supports communities. The full report is available online at www.wy.com/environment.
Since 1999, per ton of production, Weyerhaeuser mills have reduced waste going into landfills by 45 percent and cut energy consumption by 27 percent. Since 1996, wood products facilities have reduced air emissions of carbon monoxide by 71 percent, volatile organic compounds by 59 percent, and particulate matter by 67 percent. Because Weyerhaeuser no longer uses elemental chlorine for bleaching paper, releases of dioxin in wastewater have been practically eliminated.
The company uses virtually every portion of the logs brought into its mills, recycles 98 percent of the chemicals required for making pulp and paper, and generates 70 percent of its pulp and paper mill energy needs from the manufacturing process. Since 1980, it has reduced the amount of water required to produce a ton of pulp or paper by 59 percent.
Other highlights include these facts from 2004: -- Collected 6.7 million tons of recycled paper, a new company record, representing 13 percent of all paper recovered in the United States last year. -- Averaged 35 percent postconsumer recycled content across all paper products. -- Planted more than 111 million trees. -- Contributed $15.1 million to charitable causes.
During 2004, the company inventoried its greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of carbon stored in its forests and products. The data showed that for 2004, the company acted as a net "storer" of carbon, sequestering more than 3.5 times the amount of GHG it emitted from the use of fossil fuel. Greenhouse gases (GHGs), especially carbon dioxide, are known to trap heat, which some researchers say may be increasing Earth's average temperature.
The report was prepared in accordance with the 2002 Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines, a voluntary process for standard reporting on the economic, environmental and social dimensions of a company's activities, products and services. It lists and references a number of the company's policies, including the company's position on old-growth forests, tropical forests and boreal forests.
In the social area in 2004, more than 22,000 volunteers -- Weyerhaeuser employees, retirees, family members and friends -- contributed more than 163,000 hours to 356 projects benefiting 150 communities in 33 states and four Canadian provinces.
The report lists third-party recognition the company received in the past year, including that Weyerhaeuser was the only North American forest products company listed among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World compiled by the internationally recognized investment research firm Innovest.
Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest integrated forest products companies, was incorporated in 1900. In 2004, sales were $22.7 billion. It has offices or operations in 19 countries, with customers worldwide. Weyerhaeuser is principally engaged in the growing and harvesting of timber; the manufacture, distribution and sale of forest products; and real estate construction, development and related activities. Additional information about Weyerhaeuser's businesses, products and practices is available at http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/ .
SIDEBAR Weyerhaeuser by the Numbers in 2004 Employees 53,600 Managed forests 38 million acres (15 million hectares) Trees planted 111 million Harvest rate 1% Homes built and delivered 5,264 Percent of U.S. forests certified 100% Percent of Canadian forests certified 98% Tons of paper recovered 6.7 million Average amount of postconsumer recycled content in paper products produced by Weyerhaeuser mills 35% Percent reduction in the amount of water required to produce a ton of pulp or paper since 1980 59% Percent of chemicals reused for making pulp and paper 98% Percent of energy needs for pulp and paper mills met by using greenhouse-gas-neutral fuels 70% Tons of carbon dioxide equivalents effectively removed from atmosphere by operations or products 19 million Grants made by the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation since 1948 $173 million Source: 2004 Roadmap for Sustainability Weyerhaeuser Company All data for 2004 For more information: Media - Frank Mendizabal, 253-924-3357 Analysts - Kathryn McAuley, 253-924-2058Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-b
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SOURCE: Weyerhaeuser Company
CONTACT: media, Frank Mendizabal, +1-253-924-3357, or analysts, Kathryn
McAuley, +1-253-924-2058, both of Weyerhaeuser Company
Web site: http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/