Interconnected and Circular

Georgia-Pacific is one of the few U.S. pulp suppliers that owns and operates sawmills in the same region where we produce pulp. That enables us to optimize the use of every part of a tree. The majority of the raw materials used to make GP Cellulose pulps are the byproducts from growing and manufacturing trees for the wood building products industry. These byproducts include sawmill residuals, like chips, and small trees that are thinned from the forest to enable the remaining trees to grow larger.

Since 2018, Georgia-Pacific has built three new softwood lumber sawmills in the Southeastern U.S., giving us a network of more than 20 facilities in the region. These technologically advanced, highly efficient facilities serve two purposes – to meet the growing demand for bio-based building materials, and to provide a quality raw material supply for GP Cellulose’s pulp mills.

The graphic below illustrates how the byproducts from growing and manufacturing trees for GP building products become GP Cellulose products. This interconnected network of forests, sawmills, and GP Cellulose pulp mills maximizes circularity and minimizes waste while providing the materials we need to create high quality pulp products.

A: The forest is thinned to increase growth and reduce mortality. Removed trees are too small for lumber, so they are used in GP Cellulose’s pulp mills.

B: The forest is thinned again. Trees that are large enough become lumber. Smaller trees and the byproducts from GP sawmills supply GP Cellulose’s pulp mills.

C: All remaining trees are harvested and processed at GP plywood and sawmills.

The forest is now ready for replanting, and the circular process repeats.

To learn more about GP Cellulose’s commitment to sustainability, visit gpcellulose.com.