PUREHEMP ANCIENT FOREST FRIENDLY AND NEXT GENERATION SOLUTION POLICY STATEMENT
April 6, 2023
PureHemp Technology LLC, a Colorado-based biorefining development company (PureHemp), is committed to playing a leadership role in providing novel biorefining technologies converting hemp stalks, wheat straw, corn stover, and other agricultural residues into pulp instead of using fibre from Ancient and Endangered Forests. We are also committed to supporting supply chain solutions that promote responsible environmental and ethical manufacturing practices and protect global ecosystems including Ancient and Endangered Forests.
PureHemp recognizes that business leadership and long-term success must consider the environment. Consequently, PureHemp is dedicated to building environmental awareness about these issues among customers, employees, suppliers and peers.
Conserving Ancient and Endangered Forests and Ecosystems
PureHemp provides a clear solution to protecting the world’s Ancient and Endangered Forests[i], by providing low-footprint technologies designed to process hemp and other agricultural residues into pulp, lignin and sugar as an alternative to forest wood inputs. As such we are helping to protect the world’s remaining Ancient and Endangered Forests including the Canadian[ii] and Russian Boreal Forests; Coastal Temperate Rainforests[iii]; tropical forests and peat lands of Indonesia[iv], the Amazon and West Africa, and the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems contained within these forests.
As the issue of Ancient and Endangered Forest fibre in pulp, paper and packaging gains increasing awareness among global retailers, brands, designers and producers, PureHemp is working with suppliers, Canopy and like-minded businesses that support Canopy policies aimed at protecting Ancient and Endangered Forests and providing solutions to reduce demand on the world’s forests. We will prioritize production partners who do not source from Ancient and Endangered Forests in order to meet the purchasing preferences of Canopy’s policy signatories.
Innovation and Development
PureHemp and a team of like-minded collaborators plan to scale up its patented continuous countercurrent reactor (CCR) technology along with other in-line equipment, that rapidly converts hemp stalks and other biomass into pulp, lignin and sugars. The primary product generated by the CCR technology is cellulose-rich pulp that will be used to manufacture a wide variety of paper products. PureHemp has been focusing on processing agricultural residues employing its advanced CCR technology for over 10 years, thus avoiding the use of trees. PureHemp guarantees that our company is not sourcing now nor do we ever plan to source biomass from controversial sources including wood from illegal logging[v], endangered species habitat, logging in contravention of First Nations/indigenous peoples’ rights or in contravention of Free, Prior or Informed Consent (FPIC).
Advance Joint Conservation Solutions
PureHemp supports the implementation of visionary conservation agreements in key forest areas, such as the Canadian Boreal Forests, Coastal Temperate Rainforests and Indonesia. We look to Canopy to identify opportunities to encourage existing and new initiatives to protect the world’s remaining Ancient and Endangered Forests.
Reduce our Carbon Footprint
In addition to reducing our company’s own greenhouse gas emissions, PureHemp collaborators are all committed to reducing their carbon footprint as we develop biorefineries around the world. Where possible, PureHemp will play a role in mitigating climate change by participating in initiatives that reduce the loss of biogenic carbon from carbon-rich forests (e.g. ancient old growth temperate rainforests and forests growing on peat lands) by encouraging the development of products made within an eco-friendly circular mode of production and low carbon feedstocks.
Pollution Prevention
Conventional pulp production is a resource-intensive process that results in air and water emissions that impact overall environmental quality. PureHemp is scaling up its CCR technology that has proven to be effective at rapidly converting non-food biomass such as wheat straw, grasses and hemp stalk into biobased pulps for papermaking including molded fiber products.
Internal Paper and Packaging
PureHemp is committed to improved efficiency in paper use in our own operations, and to reducing waste. We are committed to ensuring that any paper and packaging we use does not include fibre sourced from Ancient and Endangered Forests[vi] and to achieve this by the end of the year 2025 or sooner. We will source agricultural residues that may be mixed with post-recycled content paper in PureHemp’s operations,.[vii] We will not source trees or virgin tree pulp for any application. If any of our paper and packaging suppliers are found to be sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests we will engage them to change practices and/or re-evaluate our relationship with them.
Promote Industry Leadership
PureHemp recognizes the benefit of creating environmental awareness amongst its team, customers, and partners. Our company will work to highlight our environmental efforts on our website, in public communications and social media, and in partnership with stakeholders.
Strong Certification and Forest Management Standards
PureHemp fully supports responsible forest management practices that protect biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, provide long-term social and economic benefits to communities, and facilitate a stable, sustainable supply chain and climate of operational certainty. If any of our business partners, clients or suppliers are using forest products we will encourage them to instead use fibre certified to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard outside of Ancient and Endangered Forests . PureHemp also supports the adoption of Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials https://rsb.org/ certification throughout our entire alternative fibre supply chain.
Please do not hesidate to get back in touch with me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Ed Lehrburger
Founder and Executive Manager, PureHemp Technology LLC
[i] Ancient and Endangered forests are defined as intact forest landscape mosaics, naturally rare forest types, forest types that have been made rare due to human activity, and/or other forests that are ecologically critical for the protection of biological diversity. Ecological components of endangered forests are: Intact forest landscapes; Remnant forests and restoration cores; Landscape connectivity; Rare forest types; Forests of high species richness; Forests containing high concentrations of rare and endangered species; Forests of high endemism; Core habitat for focal species; Forests exhibiting rare ecological and evolutionary phenomena. As a starting point to geographically locate ancient and endangered forests, maps of High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF), as defined by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and of intact forest landscapes (IFL), can be used and paired with maps of other key ecological values like the habitat range of key endangered species and forests containing high concentrations of terrestrial carbon and High Carbon Stocks (HCS). (The Wye River Coalition’s Endangered Forests: High Conservation Value Forests Protection – Guidance for Corporate Commitments. This has been reviewed by conservation groups, corporations, and scientists such as Dr. Jim Strittholt, President and Executive Director of the Conservation Biology Institute, and has been adopted by corporations for their forest sourcing policies). Key endangered forests globally are the Canadian and Russian Boreal Forests; Coastal Temperate Rainforests of British Columbia, Alaska and Chile; Tropical forests and peat lands of Indonesia, the Amazon and West Africa. For more information on the definitions of ancient and endangered forests, please go to: http://canopyplanet.org/solutions/ancient-forest-friendly/the-science-behind-the-ancient-forest-friendly-brand/
[vi] https://canopyplanet.org/tools/forestmapper/
[vii] See Canopy’s Paper Steps: http://canopyplanet.org/resources/the-paper-steps/
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