Buckeye Technologies Inc. has released its 2012 Sustainability Report. The report highlights Buckeye’s efforts to reduce fossil fuel usage, water usage, solid waste production, and air emissions during 2011. Buckeye said it reduced greenhouse gas emissions, which are generated by fossil fuels, and purchased electricity by over 10 percent per ton since 2007, and now generates 77 percent of its total energy needs from renewable biomass. In addition, reductions of water used daily were achieved—down six percent since 2007—while reducing wastes by 30 percent since 2007. The report also shares information about worker safety at Buckeye, where the total incidence rate dropped from 3.5 to two during the reporting period.

Buckeye announced separately in May 2012 that its Foley plant located near Perry, Fla., achieved certifications from three internationally recognized organizations that promote responsibly managed forests: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). These certifications followed a year-long process of developing documents, manuals and procedures to guide fiber procurement and track fiber chain of custody.