Paper — Office / Printing

Material Composition Assumptions

The default reference product is 1 kg of uncoated woodfree (UCW) office paper (80 g/m², A4), approximately 200 sheets:

• Cellulose fiber: Bleached chemical pulp (kraft process) from softwood or hardwood, approximately 70-80% of paper mass. Virgin fiber from managed forests or plantation eucalyptus.
• Mineral fillers: Calcium carbonate (PCC or GCC) or kaolin clay, approximately 15-25% of paper mass. Fillers improve opacity and printability.
• Sizing agents: Alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) or alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) for water resistance, <1%.
• Optical brightening agents (OBA): Fluorescent whitening agents for brightness, <0.5%.
• Recycled content: Default assumes 0% recycled content (virgin woodfree). 100% recycled office paper typically has 15-30% lower production emissions.

The kraft pulping process generates significant biomass energy from black liquor combustion, making many pulp mills 50-80% energy self-sufficient. This internal bioenergy supply is the primary reason paper’s fossil carbon footprint is lower than its total energy consumption might suggest.

Manufacturing Geography

Pulp and paper production is concentrated near fiber resources:

• USA: International Paper, Domtar, GP. Southeastern US softwood pine plantations.
• EU: UPM, Stora Enso, Sappi. Finland, Sweden (hydropower + biomass), Germany.
• China: Largest producer by volume. Mix of virgin and recycled fiber.
• Brazil: Suzano, Klabin. Eucalyptus plantation pulp.
• Grid intensity (Sweden/Finland): ~30 gCO2e/kWh. Nordic paper mills benefit from hydro/nuclear grids plus substantial biomass self-generation.
• Grid intensity (USA): ~390 gCO2e/kWh nationally, but many paper mills generate >50% of electricity on-site from biomass.

Regional Variation

Production Region	Grid + Biomass Mix	Estimated Score (per kg)	Adjustment
Global average (default)	Mixed	1.0 kgCO2e	Baseline
Nordic (Finland, Sweden)	Hydro + biomass	0.5-0.6 kgCO2e	-45%
USA (Southeast)	Grid + biomass	0.9-1.0 kgCO2e	-5%
Brazil (eucalyptus)	Hydro + biomass	0.5-0.7 kgCO2e	-35%
China	Coal grid + recycled	1.2-1.5 kgCO2e	+30%

Provenance Override Guidance

1. EPD for the specific paper grade (EN 15804 or ISO 14025).
2. FSC or PEFC chain-of-custody certification verifying sustainable fiber sourcing.
3. Mill-level data: Biomass self-generation fraction, grid energy consumption, and fossil fuel use.
4. Recycled content: Verified post-consumer recycled fiber percentage.
5. EU Ecolabel or Blue Angel certification for reduced environmental impact.

Methodology Notes

• CCI score of 1 kgCO2e/kg is a conservative global average. EPDs from major producers report 0.6-1.2 kgCO2e/kg for virgin UCW paper.
• Scope breakdown: Scope 1 at 30% (0.3 kgCO2e/kg) from lime kiln, recovery boiler fossil fuel, and bleaching chemicals. Scope 2 at 20% (0.2 kgCO2e/kg) from paper machine electricity. Scope 3 at 50% (0.5 kgCO2e/kg) from forestry, chemical inputs, and transport.
• Confidence: High — pulp and paper has extensive EPD and industry LCA data.
• Functional unit: 1 kg of UCW office paper (80 g/m²), cradle to gate.
• Biogenic carbon: Paper contains biogenic carbon from photosynthesis (~0.4 kgC/kg = ~1.5 kgCO2e of biogenic storage). Reported separately per EN 15804. Excluded from the fossil GWP score.