April 1997
Elemental Chlorine-Free (ECF) bleaching -- based on chlorine dioxide -- is the superior choice for pulp and paper manufacture. New science, a proven environmental track record, and strong market demand demonstrate that ECF is without rival in terms of pollution prevention, resource conservation, and product quality.
"Chlorine dioxide is a solution to dioxin and other persistent, bio-accumulative, toxic substances in mill waste water." [1]
Dr. Robert Huggett, U.S. EPA Assistant
Administrator, Research & Development"ECF is an excellent example of enlightened industrial response to an environmental concern and should be embraced by the environmental community." [2]
Professor Don Mackay, University of Toronto
Institute for Environmental Studies"We were especially pleased that the 'best available technology ' selected for the papergrade kraft mills was an Elemental Chlorine-Free (ECF) technology." [3]
Carol Browner, U.S. EPA Administrator
To find out more about what other experts say on ECF, choose from the
following topics:
While chlorine dioxide has "chlorine" in its name chemistry is very different from that of chlorine gas...
- Chlorine gas (Cl2) is made up of two chlorine atoms. Chlorine
dioxide (ClO2) is composed of one chlorine atom and two oxygen
atoms. It is roughly 50 percent oxygen by atomic weight.
- During the pulp bleaching process, chlorine tends to combine with lignin (the substance that holds the wood fibers together) to create chlorinated organics that end up in mill waste water.
In contrast, chlorine dioxide typically breaks apart the lignin, leaving behind organic compounds that are water soluble and very similar to those occurring naturally in the environment. [4]
"The substitution of chlorine dioxide for elemental chlorine in the first stage of the bleaching process reduces the discharge of chlorinated organic compounds." [5]
Paper Task Force
The science is compelling: the ECF process prevents pollution. It virtually eliminates dioxin in mill waste water...
"...pulp and paper industries in both countries are converting to elemental chlorine-free technology and secondary effluent treatment, resulting in a significant reduction in adsorbable organic halogen (AOX) effluents and approaching the virtual elimination of dioxin and furans." [6]
International Joint Commission
"...the recent effort of the industry to deal with the dioxin problem can be regarded as a salutary example to other industries..." [7]
Barry Commoner et al., Center for the Biology of Natural Systems
Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) bleaching, based on such chemicals as ozone and hydrogen peroxide, was once trumpeted as environmentally superior to the ECF process. Yet, ...
"Research carried out at universities in Gothenburg and Stockholm showed that effects of waste water from bleaching plant on water organisms is the same, irrespective of the bleaching method. And the National Swedish Environment Protection Board refuses to classify the chlorine free method as more environmentally friendly." [8]
Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm, Sweden
"There is no appreciable environmental difference between TCF and ECF." [9]
International Institute for Environment and Development
With the virtual elimination of dioxin in mill waste water, the U.S. EPA has recorded significant improvements in aquatic eco-systems...
Since 1990, environmental and health authorities in 13 states have lifted fish consumption advisories for dioxin on a total of 17 waterbodies downstream of U.S. pulp mills. [10]
According to an analysis of U.S. EPA and state environmental and health authority data, dioxin advisories on waterbodies downstream of U.S. pulp mills now number only 18--about one percent of the nation's total 1,740 waterbodies under all types of fish consumption advisories. [11]
The U.S. EPA predicts that all remaining dioxin advisories downstream of U.S. pulp mills should be lifted following completion of the industry's conversion to ECF bleaching. [12]
"Contamination of fisheries by dioxin/furan releases in pulp mill effluent has stopped and significant environmental improvements achieved. Approximately 46 percent of commercial fisheries previously closed by dioxin contamination in coastal area of British Columbia have now been reopened." [13]
Environment Canada and Health Canada
ECF pulp provides for strong paper products and its manufacture places a lower strain on precious forest resources...
- ECF bleached pulps have a higher tear and fiber strength compared to TCF pulps. [14]
"ECF bleaching allows production of kraft pulps that meet the highest requirements with respect to strength, brightness, brightness stability, cleanliness, etc." [15]
Jan Rennel, Jaakko Pöyry Consulting AB, Stockholm, Sweden
Studies indicate that TCF pulp manufacture may increase wood consumption up to 10 % more than an ECF process. [16]
"Wisaforest claims it requires 6 % more wood to make a ton of TCF pulp than ECF pulp. This was confirmed at the Enocell mill. All of the mills that produced any TCF pulp noted its lower strength properties." [17]
Gerry Boudreau, TAPPI Journal
Demand for ECF pulp has dramatically increased over the last six years...
- ECF pulp production in the U.S. has increased by more than 2,000 percent
since 1990. It now commands 47 percent of the U.S. bleached chemical pulp
market. [18]
- Worldwide, ECF production is expected to top 38 million tons in 1997. That's 50 percent of the world market. TCF production, in contrast, has stalled at 6 percent of the world market and remains less one percent of the U.S. production. [19]
"The decision for our concept [bleaching strategy] was guided by the expectation that with ECF we would find a market for 100% of our capacity and that this would not apply to TCF." [20]
Dr. Karl Heinz Haller, Managing Director,
Production/Research & Development, Zellstoff Pöls AG, Austria"We have found that our ECF sequences give the best results when it comes to effluent, pulp quality, and economy." [21]
Erik Wikberg, MoDo Paper AB, Sweden
"Paper producers and converters are abandoning TCF, using ECF instead..." [22]
Hans Burmeister, Marketing Director,
Södra Cell AB, Sweden