Case Studies

Domtar, a Canadian based paper company, developed an innovative solution to help educate and give customers more access to the company’s paper product information. The company believes that consumers have the “right to know” where their paper comes from – going beyond a simple “made in” label.

The Paper Trail is Domtar’s online tool that provides information on the environmental and social impacts of many of the company’s papers. Described as “the only one of its kind in the industry”, the paper resource aids customers and consumers in understanding more about paper products and the environmental impacts of their buying choices. The online resource, which is found on the home page of Domtar’s website, allows users to see the origins of specific Domtar products, together with information about the mill that made the paper including the mill’s history, number of jobs it creates, economic impact and specific environmental characteristics. Users are able to calculate and obtain the precise environmental footprint of their purchasing decisions by entering information about the product of their choice and quantity. The Paper Trail then generates specific information on water, shipping distance, greenhouse gas emissions, waste and renewable energy. The tool can generate a personalized impact report for the user.

For each product, the company provides an analysis of the degree to which they have been successful in environmental management, in addition to details on the challenges and future commitments.

The Paper Trail has advanced capabilities to provide information based on actual measurements of mill-specific performance, not industry averages. Data is periodically updated to keep it reliable and to cover more products and manufacturing sites.