Productivity performance of the Canadian pulp and paper industry

1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 825-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Frank ◽  
Asghedom Ghebremichael ◽  
Tae H. Oum ◽  
Michael W. Tretheway
Keyword(s):  
Total Factor Productivity ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Pulp And Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Point Estimate ◽  
Factor Productivity ◽  
The Impact

This paper analyzes the productivity performance of the Canadian pulp and paper industry for the 1963–1984 period. The industry's productivity is first measured, then its sources are analyzed. Total factor productivity is used to measure industry productivity, and statistical estimation of neoclassical cost functions are used to determine sources of the productivity changes. In addition to decomposing the productivity changes into technical changes and changing the scale of the industry's output and capacity utilization, an attempt is also made to assess the impact of pollution control expenditures. The paper finds that although labour productivity grew at 2.5% per year (modest in comparison to other industries), the gross total factor productivity grew only by 1.2% per year. This is largely due to the fact that capital investment raises labour productivity but retards overall productivity. Of the 1.2% growth in total factor productivity, 0.88% was due to the increased scale of the industry output and 0.32% to technical change. Although there is no statistically conclusive evidence, the point estimate indicates that pollution control expenditures may have retarded productivity growth. However, this subject requires further investigation.

The Development of Waste Water Treatment in the Finnish Pulp and Paper Industry

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Luonsi ◽  
J. Junna ◽  
I. Nevalainen
Keyword(s):  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Biological Treatment ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Pulp And Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Target Values

The recent development of Finnish pulp and paper industry external wastewater treatment has created positive results by reducing the oxygen consuming load (BOD7) of the recipients. This is due to the thirteen activated sludge plants and one anaerobic reactor which have been constructed during the last four years. The target values set in the form of suspended solids (SS) and BOD7 for 1985 (400 t BOD7/d) are expected to be achieved during 1987. Activated sludge plants have also created negative effects in the form of large amounts of surplus biological sludge and increased nutrient discharges, especially phosphorus which with reduced acute toxicity will increase the eutrophication of discharge areas. The share of activated sludge plants for the increased phosphorus discharges remains to be studied. The rapid increase started before the activated sludge plants started operation. In well operated activated sludge plant nutrient discharge is not increased. Although the specific water consumption and specific organic loads continuously decrease in pulp and paper production the increased production and more stringent requirements for pollution control prerequisite investments for external treatment. Therefore it is the time for efficient biological treatment plant construction and before 1995 a good number of mainly activated sludge plants will be constructed, for which time target values and some alternative guidelines to pollution control have been planned but not yet officially issued. Also requirements for CODCr, and total organic chlorine (TOCl) will be among the effluent quality criteria in the near future. When further requirements are issued the basis must be in the requirements of the biota which it is desired to live in the discharge areas. Much research is needed to find out how many of these requirements can be satisfied by modifications of present treatment processes. Thereafter the possibility of removing specific pollutants from the low volume fractions must be identified. The results of these studies must then be compared with the tertiary processes which can be added after the biological treatment plants which process the combined mill effluent. The problem must be regarded as a complex one because any substance removed from the wastewater will be found either in the sludge or in the air. The harmful compounds should be returned to normal ecological circulation or to the least harmful form and location in the most suitable waste stream.

scholarly journals Environmental Regulation in the Pulp and Paper Industry: Impacts and Challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 185-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrik Söderholm ◽  
Ann-Kristin Bergquist ◽  
Kristina Söderholm
Keyword(s):  
Technological Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Environmental Regulations ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Pulp And Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Emission Reductions ◽  
Compliance Costs ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose of Review In this article, we review existing research addressing how environmental regulations have influenced the pulp and paper industry. These regulations appear in different forms and designs and address air and water pollution as well as climate change. The paper devotes particular attention to how various regulations have affected sustainable technological change and the prospects for inducing deep emission reductions without jeopardizing industrial competitiveness and future investments. Recent Findings Experiences from key pulp and paper regions, not least the Nordic countries, suggest that gradually tightening performance standards have contributed to radical reductions in emissions, e.g., chlorine compounds and biological oxygen demanding agents, and without imposing excessive compliance costs. This outcome can largely be attributed to how the regulations have been designed—and implemented—in practice, as well as to the presence of efficient and legitimate institutions. Long-term emission reduction targets, in combination with extended compliance periods and trustful firm-regulator relationships, contributed to radical technological innovation and permitted radical emission reductions without excessive compliance costs. The development of alternative bleaching technologies is an apt example. In contrast, the impact of carbon pricing schemes, including the EU emissions trading scheme, on carbon dioxide emissions reductions and related technological change in the pulp and paper industry has however been modest. Self-regulation, certification, and community pressure have exerted relatively modest influences on the environmental performance of the industry. Summary Important avenues for future research are identified. These include the following: (a) comparative research on how policy mixes in various countries have influenced environmental compliance and innovation; processes; (b) future studies of environmental regulations, their design and implementation, in emerging pulp and paper producing countries, not least China; and (c) research on how environmental regulations can affect ongoing restructurings in the industry towards a broader palette of products in biorefineries.

The impact of composite sampling and other data aggregation procedures on pollution detection in the pulp and paper industry

1978 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert D. Drechsler ◽  
Peter N. Nemetz
Keyword(s):  
Data Aggregation ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Significant Information ◽  
Composite Sampling ◽  
Effluent Quality ◽  
Measurement And Analysis ◽  
Pollution Detection ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the inadequacy of current procedures for the measurement and analysis of effluent data. The deficiencies of these procedures are illustrated using as an example the British Columbia pulp and paper industry. Four factors have been identified which restrict the ability of various monitoring systems to detect the presence and severity of excessive effluent discharge. These factors are the significant information losses associated with current grab and composite sampling techniques, the units of measurement presently required for the assessment of effluent quality, the infrequency of compliance monitoring, and information losses associated with statistical aggregation procedures used in the compilation and analysis of effluent data.

scholarly journals Soil invertebrates of coniferous forests along a gradient of air pollution (Komi Republic)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alla Kolesnikova ◽  
Tatyana Konakova ◽  
Anastasia Taskaeva ◽  
Alexey Kudrin
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper Industry ◽  
Komi Republic ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Soil Invertebrates ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Soil Invertebrate ◽  
Production Area ◽  
The Impact

The role of soil invertebrates in the cycle of substances, soil-forming processes and the provision of ecosystem services is undeniable. Therefore, soil invertebrates are valuable in bioindication studies. Comprehensive research of soil invertebrates in the production area of Mondi Syktyvkar JSC as the largest pulp and paper enterprise in the European part of Russia was initiated in 2003. A huge amount of data about composition, abundance and structure of soil macro- and mesofauna along an impact gradient was accumulated during the period from 2003 to 2019 years. These data can be used to study local biodiversity, monitor the state of soil invertebrate communities and assess the impact of the pulp and paper industry on the environment. Datasets here presented include information from a monitoring programme for soil invertebrates that inhabit coniferous forests in the production area of Mondi Syktyvkar JSC (Komi Republic). The assemblages' structure of macrofauna, collembolans and nematodes are described. Information on the number of individuals of springtail species, nematodes genera and macrofauna taxa is given. A total of 11146 sampling events of macrofauna, 6673 sampling events of Collembola, and 2592 sampling events of Nematoda are recorded along a gradient of air pollution from pulp and paper industry emissions.

scholarly journals SCIENTIFIC AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO CONDUCTING THE RESEARCH FOR COMMUNICATION OF HEALTH INFRINGEMENT WITH THE MULTI-MEDICAL INFLUENCE OF CHEMICAL FACTORS IN THE ZONE OF INFLUENCE OF ENTERPRISES ON PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM AND PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY

2017 ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
N.V. Zaitseva ◽  
М.А. Zemlyanova ◽  
A.N. Perezhogin ◽  
I.G. Zhdanova-Zaplesvichko
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Industrial Enterprises ◽  
Zone Of Influence ◽  
Chemical Factors ◽  
The Impact

The scientific-methodical and practical approaches to the organization and conduct of medical and biological research for establishing the connection between health disorders of the population and the multi-media impact of chemical factors in the zone of influence of industrial enterprises are presented. The order, methods, volume and the list of researches and the experts involved for the decision of tasks in view are stated. The algorithm of actions is presented on the example of the assessment of the impact of chemical risk factors associated with the economic activities of enterprises producing aluminum and the pulp and paper industry. The results of the hygienic assessment of the situation and the proven cause-effect relationships in the «environment – health» system at the population and individual level are the basis for making managerial decisions and developing hygienic recommendations for managing the health risk of the population, additional medical preventive measures for technologies that take into account the specific effects of priority сhemical risk factors.

Nutrient minimisation in the pulp and paper industry: an overview

2004 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 111-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.H. Slade ◽  
R.J. Ellis ◽  
M. van den Heuvel ◽  
T.R. Stuthridge
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper Industry ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Treatment Technology ◽  
Solids Separation ◽  
The Impact

This paper reviews nutrient issues within the pulp and paper industry summarising: nitrogen and phosphorus cycles within treatment systems; sources of nutrients within pulping and papermaking processes; minimising nutrient discharge; new approaches to nutrient minimisation; and the impact of nutrients in the environment. Pulp and paper industry wastewaters generally contain insufficient nitrogen and phosphorus to satisfy bacterial growth requirements. Nutrient limitation has been linked to operational problems such as sludge bulking and poor solids separation. Nutrients have been added in conventional wastewater treatment processes to ensure optimum treatment performance. Minimising the discharge of total nitrogen and phosphorus from a nutrient limited wastewater requires both optimised nutrient supplementation and effective removal of suspended solids from the treated wastewater. In an efficiently operated wastewater treatment system, the majority of the discharged nutrients are contained within the biomass. Effective solids separation then becomes the controlling step, and optimisation of secondary clarification is crucial. Conventional practice is being challenged by the regulatory requirement to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus discharge. Two recent developments in pulp and paper wastewater treatment technologies can produce discharges low in nitrogen and phosphorus whilst operating under conventionally nutrient limited conditions: i) the nutrient limited BAS process (Biofilm-Activated Sludge) which combines biofilm and activated sludge technologies under nutrient limited conditions and ii) an activated sludge process based on the use of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Aerated stabilisation basins often operate without nutrient addition, relying on settled biomass in the benthal zone feeding back soluble nutrients, or the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. Thus effective nutrient minimisation strategies require a more detailed understanding of nutrient cycling and utilisation. Where it is not possible to meet discharge constraints with biological treatment alone, a tertiary treatment step may be required. In setting nutrient control guidelines, consideration should be given to the nutrient limitations of the receiving environment, including other cumulative nutrient impacts on that environment. Whether an ecosystem is N or P limited should be integrated with wastewater treatment considerations in the further design and development of treatment technology and regulatory guidelines. End-of-pipe legislation alone cannot predict environmental effects related to nutrients and must be supplemented by an effects-based approach.

scholarly journals Empirical Cost of Electricity Outage on Labour and Capital Productivity in Nigeria

2022 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Osinachi Iroh ◽  
Ijeoma Kalu ◽  
Alwell Nteegah
Keyword(s):  
Total Factor Productivity ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Electricity Pricing ◽  
Factor Productivity ◽  
Power Outages ◽  
Power Outage ◽  
The Impact

This study empirically examined the impact of electricity power outages on Nigeria’s capital and labour productivity.  The emphasis is on how frequent electricity outage reduces labour and capital effectiveness and other factors of production.  To achieve the above objective, annual time series data on Total Factor Productivity - a proxy for Nigeria’s factors productivity, Power Outage (electric power transmission and distribution losses as % of output), and other controlled variables were used to estimate the relationship and all data were from World Bank Development Indicators (WDI). The Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FOLS) technique was adopted for analysis.  The empirical results showed a negative relationship between power outages and factor productivity.  The result also reveals that electricity pricing has a significant negative impact on the factor productivity while both electricity generation and population have a significant positive impact on Nigeria’s total factor productivity.  The implication is that the substitution effect between labour and capital is positive, meaning that Nigeria exhibits a labour-intensive production function. In conclusion, the study is of the opinion that power outage and electricity pricing negatively impact factors productivity while electricity generation and population have a positive relationship with factors productivity in Nigeria.

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