The Wisconsin Paper Council's Weekly News Brief
Headlines for the Week of November 29, 2021
Domtar’s 1K Your Way Reflects
Spirit of "GivingTuesday"
Have you heard about GivingTuesday? It’s a global movement that encourages people to give with a generous spirit every Tuesday of the year. This month in particular, Americans are asked to move from giving thanks to giving money to nonprofits on Tuesday, Nov. 30.

We’re celebrating GivingTuesday sharing how we give funds and opportunities to employees who want to make a difference in their communities.

What good could you do with $1,000? We asked our colleagues that very question, and many of them submitted proposals for our 1K Your Way program. These $1,000 grants have aided important causes across the Domtar network.

“We’re honored to see the many ways colleagues contribute to the life of their hometowns and to join them in this work,” says Paige Goff, vice president for sustainability at Domtar. “This aligns so well with our value of caring and our desire to be a good neighbor in all of the communities where we operate.”

Giving in Meaningful Ways
Our 1K Your Way grants are offered in addition to the millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours that Domtar has given corporately to improve literacy and learning, health and wellness, and sustainability.

Some of these efforts are focused on nutrition, education, civic events or environmental initiatives. Here are just a few of the places where Domtar has invested alongside our employees for GivingTuesday and throughout the year:
  • At our Hawesville Mill in Kentucky, Robert Roberts led an effort to support the South Hancock Family Resource Center at an elementary school. With his help and a $1,000 grant, the resource center was able to fill shelves with basic necessities of food and supplies for families. “This is a true blessing,” Roberts wrote, “for this will help so many families in our area, especially with the current times we are living in. Thank you all for your generous support.”

  • In York County, South Carolina, Carla Harrison proposed a donation to assist teens through the local library system. The York County Library Young Adult Department serves teens by providing reading materials, educational media and an array of engaging programs, including game events, craft programs, instructional programs (robotics, cooking, sewing, etc.) poetry slams, movie events and more. Because of limited in-person activities during the pandemic, the library decided to offer weekly Grab ‘n’ Go activity kits for students. These kits featured an educational element, instructions, materials needed for the craft or activity, and an advertisement for library resources and a snack. With Domtar’s gift, the library offered more than 1,200 kits during the summer.“They were so popular with our students,” wrote Abbie Townson, manager of young adult services for the library. “I am especially proud of these kits, because we used quality materials and gave students [a chance] to learn about the world around them (Boba tea kits, upcycling record albums to create mandalas). I cannot thank you enough for the impact you made on the lives of these teens.”

  • Dave Erich and colleagues at the West Carrollton plant used a 1K Your Way grant to support the Springboro Optimist Club’s annual flag program. For an annual fee, the club puts out and takes down American flags at homes and business in the community for each of the five major flag holidays: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Veterans Day. The group also replaces flags as needed due to wear and damage. In 2021, the program extended the Labor Day flag display through Patriot Day to recognize the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The program has grown to more than 1,000 flags, and the renewal process had become challenging to manage with manual invoices and checks. The 1K Your Way funds have allowed the club to begin moving to an online renewal and ordering system, which will be fully implemented for 2022.

  • Karen Franch, an employee at the Addison, Illinois, converting center, received a grant to support the DuPage Forest Preserve’s initiative to conserve the Blanding’s turtle. The Blanding’s turtle is a state-endangered species in Illinois, and since 1996, the Forest Preserve District has been working to revitalize the country’s dwindling population. The district has successfully hatched 2,336 Blanding’s turtles since the program started.

How Will You Celebrate GivingTuesday?
With so many good causes to support, it’s not hard to go from Thanksgiving to GivingTuesday. Find a great cause to support with a small (or big) donation on Nov. 30, and look for ways to give back all year long. Use the hashtag #GivingTuesday to share your story online

For more highlights of Domtar’s giving activities throughout the year, follow us on Facebook @DomtarEveryday.
Back To Paper Bags and Cups:
Old is New Again!
In the 1960s no matter the retail store, the most-often used methods of bringing goods home were paper/Kraft bags, cardboard boxes or hand-carry—no plastic bags until the 1980s in most developed countries. Ever since, plastic refuse has been showing up on city streets and sidewalks, suburban lawns and drives, along highways and in the oceans—and plastic molecules are found in aquatic life, animals and humans.

But now, old is new again—at least somewhat. Today, fortunately, there is a move away from single-use plastic bags and packaging to paper and fiber-board solutions—and major retailers and dairy products producers like Chobani see the damage plastic has done to our environment and are migrating to either cardboard or using new plastics that will decompose naturally in the environment.

Retailers initiate changes to plastic bags
Last year, the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag was founded under the sponsorship of Closed Loop Partners. Initial founding members included CVS Health, Target and Walmart, committing $15 million collectively to find alternative solutions to the plastic retail bag. Today, additional partner retailers signed on to the Consortium include DICK’S Sporting Goods, Dollar General, The Kroger Co., The TJX Companies, Inc., Ulta Beauty, Ahold Delhaize USA Brands, Albertsons Companies, Hy-Vee, Meijer, Wakefern Food Corp. and Walgreens.

Recently, the Consortium reached a significant milestone a year after its founding: the launch of a series of tests and first-of-a-kind, multi-retailer pilots to advance sustainable alternatives to the single-use plastic bag and accelerate their potential to scale. The pilots will help refine winning solutions from the Consortium’s global Beyond the Bag innovation challenge, evaluating multiple factors, from technical feasibility to desirability.

In addition to the in-store pilots, other winning solutions from the Beyond the Bag Challenge will be piloted and tested in different contexts. For example, Returnity (reusable shipping and delivery packaging systems) and Eon (system that facilitates data exchange across the circular economy) will pilot through Walmart delivery in select markets. This pilot will test a different part of the retail system, knowing that people shop in various ways––ranging from at home to in store.

“At Walmart, we believe climate change requires bold collective action. Minimizing plastic waste, in particular, depends on collaboration and cooperation across the retail industry,” says Jane Ewing, senior vice president of sustainability at Walmart. “These pilots represent a unique and exciting industry-wide commitment towards a more sustainable future, and we are excited to work with the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag and to be a catalyst for meaningful change.”

Other Consortium Challenge winners, Domtar, PlasticFri and Sway––companies developing innovative, alternative materials to single-use plastic––will undergo rigorous material performance and recovery testing to optimize their designs to meet the needs of retailers and customers, and match the specifications of recycling and composting facilities.

“We all have a role to play in protecting our planet.”
— Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO, Chobani

Food and beverage processors working on solutions, too
Food and beverage processors have been dealing with trying to reduce the use of plastic in their products. Of course, the aluminum can is highly recyclable and valuable because it’s already in the form to be easily melted and reused, requiring less energy than to smelt ore. Then there is the “wood bottle,” recently covered in Food Engineering.

According to Transparency Market Research, the paper bottles market is expected to be valued at $93 million by 2029, due to a surge in demand for sustainable packaging solutions. Besides Pulpex noted in the above link, other suppliers include Paper Water Bottle, Frugalpac, Pulp Packaging International and Choose Packaging to name a few.

In something reminiscent of the old Dixie cup ice cream containers, Chobani is launching a new paper cup for some of its yogurt products. Chobani’s new product innovations—oatmilk, cold brew coffee and coffee creamers—already come in paper-based packaging that is recyclable. After two years of development, Chobani will move its oat yogurt into a paper-based cup, but that won’t be the end. The company will continue exploring more sustainable packaging across its portfolio, which means less plastic and more paper.

Chobani’s paper cup is 80% paperboard, made from responsibly sourced and renewable material. The cup has a thin plastic lining to maintain the quality of the product. “While this paper cup is a step in the right direction, it’s just the beginning,” says Chobani Founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya.

“We all have a role to play in protecting our planet,” adds Ulukaya. “People have been asking for a paper cup, and we welcome this challenge to start reducing our plastic use, and to spark a conversation about how we can drive change together.”

The cup will be made of recyclable materials, but Chobani is realistic about the complexities of the recycling system in the U.S., which is fragmented across more than 10,000 municipal-run recycling centers—each with its unique rules.* Chobani will continue to work with partners, including the Sustainable Packaging Association and policymakers to advocate for improvements that expand the recycling infrastructure in the U.S.

Not just Chobani
Before plastic, wax-coated paper/paperboard tubs were common for cottage cheese and yogurt products. Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) has announced some ambitions goals in reducing the amount of plastic used and finding alternative recycling alternatives. TCCA intends to achieve the following goals:
  • Avoid additional and unnecessary packaging while prioritizing the uncompromising quality of its products and the reduction of food waste
  • Commit 100% of its packaging solutions to being recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2030
  • Increase recycled content to 20% (on average) in its plastic packaging by 2025 and eliminate use of all virgin plastic by 2035
  • Source all virgin paper packaging from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified materials and use 50% or more recycled fiber by 2025
  • Educate consumers on actionable ways to reduce food waste and properly dispose, recycle, or re-use Tillamook packages

TCCA evaluates its packaging by conducting thorough, science-based lifecycle assessments (LCAs) and has already completed LCAs for its cheese, yogurt, and ice cream packaging. As part of the LCAs, TCCA measures multiple packaging aspects, such as the greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts associated with material sourcing, transportation, production, and the final destination of Tillamook packaging.

Chobani and TCCA aren’t the only processors looking at plastic alternatives. Dole’s products rely on high quality packaging, and therefore, require innovative solutions that work to protect the planet. Dole aims to begin removing fossil-fuel-based plastic from its pouches and Fruit Bowls packaging with sustainable alternatives such as paper or pulp-based, and polylactic acid (PLA) based stickers for fresh fruits in 2022. And in South Korea, Dole introduced paper-based straps for its bananas, a move bringing the company closer to its goal of zero fossil-fuel based plastic packaging.

A new twist on recycling in Canada
If a local recycling center doesn’t accept baby food containers, Canadian parents have options. Gerber has partnered with TerraCycle to make it easy for parents to recycle their baby food packaging. Parents sign up on TerraCycle’s Gerber Recycling Program web page, and get free (shipping charges paid) pickup of their waste packaging that isn’t recyclable through their normal municipality pickup. All that’s necessary is to collect it in a box, attach a label obtained from the website, and call UPS to pick it up.
Speaking of Canada, KFC Canada announced that all consumer-facing packaging will be fully home compostable. KFC is piloting its first home compostable bucket this year, and the company says this commitment will divert nearly 200 million pieces of packaging from Canadian landfills each year.

In addition, KFC Canada has been testing fiber-based cutlery since last November in select restaurants. The combination spoon and fork is made from bamboo, corn and sugarcane, which decomposes at room temperature, leaving no toxic byproducts. By the end of 2021, KFC Canada will have removed 12 million plastic poutine containers, from its operations by transitioning to bamboo. By the end of 2019, KFC Canada had removed all plastic straws and bags from its restaurants, eliminating 50 million plastic straws and 10 million plastic bags across the country and replacing them with fiber-based alternatives.
Xcel Unveils Goal of Carbon-neutral Natural Gas By 2050
Minnesota's largest utility already had a net-zero goal for electricity. Now, it's laying out a path to net out the carbon impact of natural gas consumption. 
Assembled wind turbines that make up Xcel Energy’s Dakota Range wind farm outside Marvin, S.D.

Xcel Energy is aiming for "net-zero" carbon emissions from its natural gas system by 2050, an ambitious goal but one with steep challenges.

The company joined just a handful of U.S. gas utilities Monday by announcing plans to extricate carbon in Minnesota and other states — including by replacing some gas with hydrogen, a cleaner alternative.

"It is really an evolution from the company's perspective," said Bob Frenzel, Xcel's CEO. "This is just the next big sector of the economy where we can provide leadership in reducing emissions."

Minneapolis-based Xcel, Minnesota's second-largest gas utility and largest electricity provider, was one of the first U.S. companies to set goals for 100% carbon-free power by 2050. Meeting that electricity goal will be difficult enough for Xcel; the gas-greening project is likely to be even more so.

Fossil-fuel-generated electricity can be more easily — and affordably — replaced by renewable power than natural gas can be for heating. Cleaner substitutes for natural gas are now quite expensive or are criticized for not being environmentally beneficial enough.

"Xcel Energy's announcement that it will set goals to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from its gas business is commendable, but it is just a start,"Joe Dammel, gas decarbonization director at St. Paul clean energy advocacy group Fresh Energy, said in a statement.

"In order to meet our climate goals, the gas system must decarbonize by midcentury, which is why it's crucial we focus now on what the future of gas will look like and make the right investments."

Net-zero generally refers to the notion that increases in carbon emission from an industrial process are balanced by an equivalent amount of carbon reductions.

"We are going to limit the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (from gas) as much as possible," Frenzel said. He added, "We are not going to do anything that jeopardizes the reliability of the system or affordability of the product."

Xcel's net-zero gas plan starts with measures that can be taken soon, notably by ramping up efforts to detect and stop leaks on its distribution system; and through purchasing gas only from suppliers with "certified low emissions."

In recent years, several efforts have cropped up to certify natural gas suppliers using such environmental metrics as methane emissions. "There are more sustainable and less sustainable producers of natural gas," Frenzel said.

On the demand side, Xcel's net-zero plan includes gas conservation measures, including offering incentives for electric appliances and water heaters, as well as electric heat pumps to supplement or replace gas heating.

Xcel also plans to launch pilot programs to test both "green" hydrogen and renewable natural gas (RNG) in its gas delivery system. The company, though it has released no details, plans five to eight hydrogen projects.

"We are in an exploratory phase at a number of our existing sites to utilize hydrogen,"
Frenzel said.

Green hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced by renewable energy or nuclear power, rather than the conventional method of burning natural gas. The former currently costs two to almost four times the latter.

President Joe Biden's clean-energy package before Congress includes tax credits for hydrogen similar to the credits used for years to stimulate wind power.
"We think there will be tailwinds from the federal legislation," Frenzel said.

Hydrogen is a big topic in future clean-energy scenarios; it could be used to replace natural gas for both heating and electricity generation.

Xcel, aided by a $10.5 million federal grant, already has a pilot hydrogen project at Prairie Island. It will produce hydrogen by electrolysis, using steam from its nuclear power production.

In electrolysis, an electric current is used to separate water into its components of hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen electrolysis can also be conducted with renewable energy — notably wind in the Upper Midwest.

Still, hydrogen use faces many challenges, including that gas pipelines must be adapted for heavy hydrogen use — a costly endeavor. Currently, Xcel's system can handle a blend of only 5 to 20% hydrogen.

Renewable natural gas has perhaps even more challenges, though both Xcel and CenterPoint Energy — Minnesota's largest gas supplier — are pushing ahead with the concept.

Renewable natural gas is produced by breaking down organic waste through anaerobic digestion. Once cleaned of impurities, it can be injected into existing natural gas pipelines. Manure from dairy farm and livestock operations is a prime source of biogas; so is food waste.

However, renewable natural gas has faced criticism from clean-energy and environmental groups, who say it lacks a solid accounting system to measure carbon intensity — the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from producing, distributing and consuming a fuel.

Some forms of renewable gas aren't carbon-neutral, they say. Currently, renewable natural gas is considerably more expensive than fossil gas — and the adequacy of its supply, even in the long-term, is questionable.

"It is a piece of the solution, but not an enormous piece of the solution," Frenzel said.
New Shopping Behaviors Impact
2022 Retail Trends
Stay-at-home shoppers didn’t know it at the time, but during the most intense months of the worldwide pandemic shutdown, retail shopping behaviors changed in ways that will impact the retail experience forever.

As a tumultuous 2020 was rocked by COVID-19, U.S. retail wasn’t left unchanged. What started as “pandemic shopping” out of necessity is driving the strongest retail trends:
  • Delivering faster than the competition
  • Connecting online and in-store shopping experiences
  • Sharing more relatable brand stories
  • Creating more satisfying in-store experiences

1. The All-Important Last Mile
The shift to online shopping, particularly for necessities, has put enormous pressure on what’s called “last-mile delivery.”

Last-mile delivery is the final, most expensive and challenging step in delivery to the intended destination, most often the consumer’s front door. It is affected by traffic, weather and the need to move many single-package deliveries quickly.

Changes in shopping behavior and consumer expectations have put even more focus on last-mile delivery. Fast shipping is the new gold standard of consumer satisfaction. Several emerging trends in last-mile delivery include:

  • Same-day delivery. Retailers that can deliver the same day stand the best chance of securing a return customer. Consumers, particularly millennials, are willing to pay a premium for faster shipping.

  • Insourcing the last mile. According to a study from Square and Wakefield Research, independent small-to-medium-sized local shops can take advantage of delivering direct to their customers. Many are utilizing their own fleet to better control delivery, or they are joining with other retailers to save costs associated with outsourcing delivery.

  • Urban warehouses. Creating delivery hubs closer to consumers reduces delivery time, miles traveled and overall costs. It also increases the pool of resources needed to get products to consumers fast.

  • Smart technology. Online inventory systems and technology have improved significantly. They allow consumers to keep updated in real time as to where their packages are in the delivery process. The next wave of tech may be inside the package, monitoring the temperature and condition of perishable items or helping plan the safest delivery route to avoid weather occurrences that could delay shipping.

  • Upselling opportunities. Delivery could be the new point of sale. Technology enables delivery vehicles to carry targeted products that are frequently ordered, allowing customers to purchase additional items when the driver arrives at the customer’s doorstep.

With 75% of shoppers now preferring delivery over pickup, and additional revenue opportunities connected to exceptional delivery service, retailers are investing in improving last-mile delivery.

2. Blurring Online and Offline Shopping Experiences
Though the omni-channel revolution that connects at-home and in-store shopping experiences had already begun, Retail Dive says the pandemic accelerated what would have been several years of e-commerce growth into a few months.

“During the pandemic, people were spending an increasing amount of time on their phones and other devices,” said Carmine Bucalo, Director of Creative Services at Packaging Corporation of America. “As a result, e-commerce shopping exploded.”

Businesses that underutilized their websites quickly learned that “nice to haves” were now critical to staying open. Many smaller businesses that never had an online store suddenly had to adjust quickly or risk closing for good. Other technology, including QR codes, has come back into fashion since the pandemic, allowing shoppers to move seamlessly from offline to online experiences.

Shoppers are increasingly supportive of local businesses, but online opportunities like virtual shops that are accessible on social media platforms can help small businesses compete with the largest online retailers. This creates an opportunity for businesses to create a consistent brand story with both in-store and e-commerce packaging.

3. Brand Storytelling Becomes Personal
If we learned one thing in 2020, it’s that few things are more important than connecting as humans. However, random content about your brand that is scattered throughout digital channels won’t go far. In order to build loyalty, brands need to tell a consistent story.

According to recent retail studies, 76% of U.S. consumers shop online, and it is predicted that e-commerce sales could nearly double by 2024. With greater selections and options online, brick-and-mortar retailers must create a shopping experience that invites customers back to see, feel and experience a brand.

Consumers are now connected digitally for more than 12 hours a day. That said, brick-and-mortar will continue to be important, and brands need to seamlessly connect online and offline experiences through consistent storytelling.

4. Creating a Fresh In-Store Design Experience
Although consumers have fully embraced online shopping, Retail Customer Experience reported that nearly half of post-2020 shoppers surveyed prefer in-person retail experiences. And if a retailer gives them a positive experience or even a memory to walk away with, the likelihood of those shoppers returning increases to 90 percent.

Stats like those are driving brick-and-mortar retailers to rethink shopping experiences. What should we expect?
  • Design for demographics. Retailers are designing store environments to encourage shoppers to post their experiences on social media and promote the retailers’ products. This includes displays or entire walls that create a backdrop for selfies.
  • Minimalistic merchandising. Shelves are no longer packed with inventory, and broad selection isn’t the draw for in-person shopping. With online shopping offering every option and variety delivered to your doorstep, in-store retailers can differentiate the shopping experience with awe-inspiring, experiential displays.
  • Comfortable and inviting store design. Post-2020 retail environments are incorporating the safe-at-home feeling. Retail experiences are mimicking home interior design trends.
  • Natural lighting. Likewise, natural lighting feels more like home. According to RetailBiz, natural light is a mood booster and also gives consumers a more precise sense of colors.
  • Wayfinding leads the way. Wayfinding describes how retailers guide shoppers through the store with signage and simple layouts. The goal is to make it easy for shoppers to navigate the in-person shopping experience on their own. When combined with pleasing visuals and signage, wayfinding enhances the overall shopping experience.

As consumers increasingly return to the retail environment, retailers can make a lasting impression by creating a more emotional and memorable in-store shopping experience for customers.

In-Person Retail Changed Forever
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc with supply chains and accelerated the adoption of online shopping. As consumer behaviors shifted, retailers that are improving the in-store experience will be positioned to increase sales.

PCA creates high-graphic packaging and merchandising solutions for consumer goods manufacturers and retailers of all sizes and distribution channels. To help meet today’s shopper expectations, we have corrugated solutions to get products to customers, no matter when, where or how they prefer to shop.