LP’s Commitment to Sustainability

The last Wednesday in October has been designated Sustainability Day throughout the world. Since the mid-1990s, LP has made great strides in sustainable forest management and manufacturing - and both Donna Kopecky, LP's Public Policy & Sustainability Manager, and Kevin Warkentin, LP's Business Environmental Health and Safety Manager for OSB and EWP, have been there every step of the way.

"In Canada, the majority of our fiber comes from publicly owned lands, while in the U.S. it comes primarily from privately owned sources,” says Kopecky. “In the past 20 years, LP has raised the bar by focusing not only on environmental regulatory compliance but also going beyond that to conduct research in forest sustainability such as climate change, wetland conservation, wildlife and species at risk management, and many others. We are also certified to the SFI Inc. forest certification standard in both Canada and the United States. This program ensures that our fiber procurement program is managed responsibly and is evaluated through a transparent third-party verification audit process."

“Every LP plant has its own environmental manager and environmental management system tailored to the mill’s requirements that includes detailed procedures and training to ensure compliance,” said Warkentin.

The Canadian government recently recognized LP's mills in Swan Valley, Manitoba, and Dawson Creek, British Columbia, as "first in kind" facilities that are helping transform the forest products industry. These facilities produce treated engineered wood siding, and they do so while producing as little waste as possible.

"We use nearly 100 percent of the log in the manufacturing process," said Warkentin. "We use the bark to generate heat for each mill, and we use the white fiber for either fuel or raw material for our panels."

It's easy for a company to pay lip service to sustainability for just one day in October. But LP has a very mature sustainability program at every mill, every day of the year.

“Our actions are guided by our values, including ‘Do the Right Thing Always^™’,” said Warkentin.