“Canada is one of the “have” nations of the world, with more than half of the planet's fresh water by area, and 15 to 20 per cent by volume. The Great Lakes alone… contain nearly 20 per cent of all the fresh water on Earth...” (Dr. David Suzuki 1997)
With its abundance of fresh water, Canada is extremely fortunate. At Resolute Forest Products we don’t take this abundance for granted.
The entire production of forest products is a water-dependent process—from the water needed to grow the forests to the water used to manufacture paper and kraft pulp.
Our Thunder Bay mills are among the largest users of fresh water in Canada. Also, thousands of our staff live and work here. So protecting our fresh water supply is a major priority for the company.
Well before harvesting, Resolute Forest Products foresters plan harvesting operations leaving a buffer of trees around lakes and rivers. During manufacturing, Resolute staff ensures that the huge volume of mill water taken from the river is treated and returned to the river.
Organic material, chemicals and solid wastes are removed using sophisticated water treatment systems. The remaining waste is reused in the manufacturing process, for fuel to generate electricity, or sent out as harmless, and sometimes beneficial, landfill.
Federal and provincial government regulations monitor our water quality program. At Resolute Forest Products, we’re committed to meeting, and exceeding, these stringent requirements.
All of our operations in Northern Ontario have water quality programs in place.