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   The recent announcement by a Belgian research team that per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS) have been detected in paper straws has raised concerns that some inaccurate information and speculation could lead to consumer confusion and a decline in the Korean paper market. It was pointed out that the study was conducted on a few specific paper straws in circulation in Belgium and that it is unreasonable to generalize the result to all paper straws. The paper industry is concerned that this could lead to distrust of domestically produced eco-friendly paper straws that have been found to be free of the substance. Seoil, a purely Korean firm ranked first in the global straw market, also dismissed the allegation of detecting harmful substances in its paper straws on the market as unfounded. Seoil is a leading global straw manufacturer with nine factories in Korea and abroad, exporting to more than 120 countries around the globe for the past 45 years. The company supplies eco-friendly paper straws to global food and beverage firms such as Nestle and large Korean food and beverage companies such as Maeil Dairies and Seoul Milk. Moreover, with the recent ESG trend and the growing need for eco-friendly products, Seoil plays a leading role in the market shift from plastic to paper straws. With orders from food and beverage companies worldwide constantly increasing, the company is equipped with a paper straw production facility with a capacity of over 20 billion straws, thanks to its heavy investment. In addition, since straws are products that come into contact with the mouth, Seoil determined that it is of utmost importance that they are safe and eco-friendly. The company has taken the lead in developing and distributing eco-friendly paper by partnering with Moorim. This raw paper straw paper manufacturer has passed the tests on not only the harmlessness to the human body but also the biodegradability and recyclability. The base paper used for Seoil’s paper straws is Neoforet STRAW, Moorim’s representative eco-friendly paper, which has acquired certifications in biodegradability and recyclability. It has also passed food safety tests by the US FDA and the European BfR. In particular, it has obtained the test report from an international organization stating that it does not contain any per- and polyfluorinated compounds (that become the issue these days), as well as about 60 other harmful substances, officially proving its harmlessness to humans. “We are leading the global paper straw market with the best quality, but it is very unfortunate that all paper straws are glossed over as if they harm the environment and health,” said Park Jae-il, Vice Chairperson of Seoil. “We are making meticulous efforts day and night to improve our eco-friendliness and quality, so we hope that consumers will trust and support Korean paper and our paper straws.” Meanwhile, the paper industry and pulp and paper-related academia are also joining forces at the level of the entire paper industry to minimize the impact of the announcement of overseas study. They plan to establish clear standards for eco-friendly paper products and deliver correct information through various media while actively promoting the eco-friendliness of Korean paper to the general public.  ▷ You can find more eco-friendly information about Neoforet STRAW through the link below. https://www.neoforet.co.kr/product/product_food_straw​ 

 ​Moorim (CEO: Lee Do-gyun), an integrated pulp, paper, and new materials company is once again taking the lead in practicing ESG values in everyday life by launching real paper wet wipes made from 100% natural pulp. Their new product, ‘moohae Paper Wet Wipes,’ is paper wet wipes developed to contribute to carbon neutrality through eco-friendly paper products by participating in global efforts to reduce plastic usage, including the enactment of an international plastic convention. By using natural biodegradable materials to replace synthetic fabrics such as non-woven fabrics, polyester, and polypropylene, the company focused on preventing the generation of microplastics and realizing plastic-free value. The product is also a ‘paper fabric’ that is differentiated from other tissue fabrics made from natural pulp and is characterized by increased strength in addition to sustainability. In particular, a patent was applied (application number: 10-2023-0044821) for ‘moohae Paper Wet Wipes Natural,’ which retains a natural feel by using unprocessed natural pulp and has been tested for the absence of fluorescent brighteners and microplastics, as well as three harmful substances, making it safe for sensitive skin. Moorim P&P is the only company in Korea that manufactures natural virgin wood pulp in its pulp mill and stated that they developed the product using the said raw material.  ​Currently, moohae Paper Wet Wipes have been launched in a package containing a single sheet for business and promotion use so that they can be used and generalized first in hospitality establishments that prepare and sell food and beverages and companies that practice ESG management. Following the introduction of the product to restaurants, such as ‘Bomi Boribap,’ a healthy Korean food restaurant, the company plans to expand its sales network to large franchise restaurants, cafes, and food service facilities. Meanwhile, Moorim, which celebrated its 67th anniversary on July 26, is planning to continue its vision of expanding eco-friendly products based on its differentiated paper technology and know-how as the first company to mass produce wood-free paper in Korea. “Paper, which is born from nature and returns to nature, is the most representative model of the circular economy,” said Lee Do-gyun in his commemorative speech, and further expressed his will to lead the carbon neutrality through the circular economy with Moorim’s eco-friendly products. In addition, the eco-friendly molded pulp brand ‘moohae,’ which was launched with the meaning of ‘Moorim’s Answer,’ attracted the attention of the public after being selected in the ‘Personal Care Products’ category of the Korea Green Purchasing Network’s ‘2023 Korea Green Product of the Year Award (Green Award).’ To commemorate the winning of the Green Award and the launch of paper wet wipes, Moorim is offering a 30% discount on moohae Paper Wet Wipes (while stocks last) on ‘Moorim Store’ on Naver Smart Store. ​

    ​Moorim (CEO: Lee Do-gyun), the comprehensive pulp, paper, and new materials company, is back with a consumer-friendly event to practice ESG values. Until June 29, the company is holding ‘Paper Adventure 2023 – Moohae World’ at Shinsegae’s shopping complexes Starfield Goyang and Hanam to promote the value of paper in everyday life and the importance of the environment through unique experiences using low-carbon paper and biodegradable natural pulp. ‘Paper Adventure’ is the first large-scale paper experience event for the general public in Korea that is designed to provide new experiences and values through pulp and paper. It made its debut in May last year and received a great response, with about 40,000 people visiting the event over 14 days. This year, the event was doubled by extending the event period to a month and expanding to two locations – Starfield Goyang and Hanam – through a stronger partnership with Shinsegae Properties. The industry is expecting this event to be a meaningful example of collaboration for practicing ESG values. The meeting of Moorim, the only company in Korea that produces low-carbon paper certified by the Ministry of Environment and has a reputation as an eco-friendly paper company, and Shinsegae Starfield, a company leading ESG value management in various fields, is expected to present a new alternative to sustainable management. In particular, the event also introduced the eco-store ‘Moohae Store’ so that the visitors can not only experience but also purchase eco-friendly products and practice environmentally friendly consumption in their daily lives. Moorim’s eco-friendly products that can be used widely in daily life, such as natural virgin molded pulp containers and biodegradable paper cups, were offered at a special discounted price, allowing visitors to purchase them in small quantities as they wish. In addition, Moorim put the environment first, not only in products but also in operations, by replacing plastics with low-carbon paper shopping bags to minimize plastic packaging.    With this focus on the environment, the entire venue was decorated like a giant paper theme park to showcase the value of clean and safe paper. A ticket booth shaped like a large paper roll, a 7-meter high paper castle, and a paper carousel greet visitors as they enter the entrance of the ‘Moohae World.’ Various exotic experience contents are also organized to provide a whole new experience through paper. An experiential space was constructed to allow children to safely roll around and draw on large 1.2m-wide low-carbon paper to their heart’s content while rich programs for all, such as ‘making your own paper flowerpot’ using biodegradable paper cups, ‘molded pulp block games’ where visitors complete colorful Moohae World castle walls by coloring the natural molded pulp blocks, will stimulate visitors’ senses. There will also be special events to entertain visitors’ eyes and ears. An upgraded paper airplane stunt performance by the national paper airplane team ‘Weplay,’ which was very successful at the last event, will be put on stage to heat the scene. In addition, visitors who complete the experience authentication (punching) on the free Moohae World Pass distributed at the ticket booth or take a photo at the on-site photo booth and post it on Moorim’s official Instagram account (@moorim.official) with the required hashtag will receive generous gifts such as vouchers for the Aqua Field Spa and Moorim’s limited edition low-carbon memo kit. More information on the event is available on Moorim’s official Instagram account. “This event is carefully designed to promote the safe and environmentally friendly value of paper, while also to let it lead to eco-friendly consumption in real life, said Lee Do-gyun, CEO of Moorim, who added, “As Korea’s leading eco-friendly paper manufacturer, we will continue to take the lead in ESG management by organizing various events to promote the value of paper.” 

    ​‘Moorim’ (CEO: Lee Do-gyun), Korea’s leading pulp, paper, and new materials company, has announced that it will provide the environmentally friendly value and potential of paper, solidify its commitment to low-carbon green management, and strengthen its ESG management philosophy for a sustainable future. Moorim is the only company in the Korean paper industry to be certified as a low-carbon product manufacturer and has been producing products with superior greenhouse gas reduction compared to similar products in the same industry. In addition, the company recently confirmed the investment of about KRW 280 billion for the construction of an additional eco-friendly recovery boiler using clean fuel at its Ulsan Plant as a part of its commitment to contribute to carbon neutrality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As such, in addition to the production of low-carbon paper and the expansion of carbon-reduction facilities, the company decided to implement sustainable forest management and ecosystem protection projects in earnest to promote activities that contribute to carbon neutrality in the environmental and social sectors and shaped its low-carbon green management. As the first step, the company set May 25 as ‘Moorim Green Day’ and started activities to protect the green earth for a sustainable future as a part of its commitment to contribute to the protection of the environment by promoting the use of eco-friendly products by informing the public that biodegradable, endocrine disruptor-free and low-carbon emission products can be used in place of plastics in various parts of daily life. In response, Moorim donated 50,000 biodegradable containers made of natural wood pulp to ‘Kkottongne Box Lunch,’ which provides free box lunches for the underprivileged, to wish their neighbors good health and practice carbon neutrality by reducing the amount of plastics used. The donated containers are enough to provide box lunches for about 20 months for neighbors who visit Kkottongne Box Lunch. In particular, the meaning of the donation was enhanced by the collaboration with the Seoul Green Purchasing Support Center under the Ministry of Environment. Meanwhile, in addition to this donation challenge, PT. Plasma Nutfah Marind Papua (hereinafter PT. PNMP, a separately invested subsidiary of Moorim P&P), which has been conducting reforestation projects in Indonesia to further strengthen its commitment to ecosystem protection and forest management, also announced that it will declare ‘zero deforestation’ on June 1 and participate in sustainable forest resource conservation in line with increasing environmental standards worldwide. In line with its ESG initiatives to respond to climate change and realize carbon neutrality, the company will stop deforestation in its current forested areas and focus on forest management and conservation activities.Moorim’s commitment to sustainable forest management began early on and was crystallized in May 2021 when the 2,000-hectare (about 6.9 times the size of Yeouido) birch forest in Inje, Gangwon-do received FSC FM certification.The FSC FM certification system is a system granted by FSC to organizations and companies that manage forest resources in an environmentally and economically excellent manner in order to prevent forest degradation and environmental destruction and practice sustainable forest management. It is known for its difficult acquisition procedure, which includes preliminary audits, on-site inspections, and main inspections, and it requires annual maintenance inspections even after obtaining the certificate. Moorim’s Inje Forest is the first and, to date, only corporate forest in Korea to receive this certification. Since 1985, when Moorim acquired the Inje Forest, the company has thoroughly managed it for ecosystem protection and forest conservation without any commercial activities. This know-how will be shared with PT. PNMP, a separate entity that has declared ‘zero-deforestation,’ and be positively linked to the establishment of future management plans for the Indonesian region. Meanwhile, in addition to donating lunch containers to the underprivileged, Moorim is also preparing a second donation challenge to share the meaning of environmental protection and carbon neutrality with the general public. At its pop-up store event at the shopping complex ‘Starfield Goyang,’ the company is planning to hold a donation challenge for eco-friendly products on June 5, Environment Day. Moorim will donate as many eco-friendly products to environmental organizations as the number of paper postcards filled out by customers at the pop-up store – ‘Paper Adventure’ – to be used in a meaningful way. As such, Moorim has established a carbon neutrality plan that meets global standards for sustainable low-carbon green management and continuously manages it at the company level. In order to listen to international standards and expert recommendations, Moorim plans to actively participate in various conferences and is currently participating in WCEF 2023 (The World Circular Economy Forum), which is being held in Helsinki, Finland. WCEF 2023 is a global forum for government organizations and global companies on resource circulation systems, and Moorim was the only representative of the Korean paper industry to participate at the official invitation of the Embassy of Finland in Seoul. 

 Moorim, a comprehensive pulp, paper, and new material company, is accelerating its ESG management by strengthening differentiated eco-friendly systems for each business site. Moorim Paper’s Jinju Factory has established a ‘chimneyless factory’ system by closing its bunker-C oil steam generator and using steam from cogeneration facilities, while Moorim SP’s Daegu Factory became the first factory in the paper industry to replace bunker-C oil with liquefied natural gas (LNG), a cleaner fuel, in 1997 to minimize air pollutants. In addition, earlier this May, Moomin P&P announced that it will invest about KRW 280 billion to build a new ‘eco-friendly heat recovery steam generator’ at its Ulsan Factory, once again suggesting an alternative for sustainable management. Moorim P&P is the only company in Korea that produces pulp, the raw paper material, and converts ‘black liquor,’ a biomass fuel generated in the pulp production process, into renewable energy such as steam and steam to produce paper and other products. The eco-friendly heat recovery steam generator (eco-friendly boiler) is a core facility that plays a pivotal role in converting black liquor to green energy. Through this investment, Moorim P&P will produce pulp and paper without using any fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 870,000 tons per year. The factory is widely known as a leading eco-friendly factory in the paper industry and produces the only Ministry of Environment-certified low-carbon paper in Korea. In particular, the new eco-friendly boiler that will be introduced is equipped with the latest performance and outstanding efficiency and can produce about twice as much energy as the existing boilers. This will dramatically reduce greenhouse gases, and the energy cost savings alone is expected to reach about KRW 31.8 billion per year. In consideration of the positive effects of combating the climate crisis and increasing productivity, Moorim P&P has decided to make a bold investment in installing a new eco-friendly boiler and is in close consultation with external experts with the aim of starting construction in the second half of this year. “Based on our pulp competitiveness and stable cash flow, the installation of the new eco-friendly boiler is expected to proceed smoothly,” said an official from Moorim P&P, who added that once completed, the boiler was expected to bring tangible and intangible positive effects, such as cost reduction and environmental protection. Meanwhile, Moorim P&P had KRW 102.1 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the first quarter and recorded KRW 196 billion and KRW 14.3 billion in sales and operating profit in the first quarter, respectively. Moomin P&P will go one step further and actively consider selling surplus energy. The company is planning to use the energy generated by the new eco-friendly boiler to run the internal factory and promote the environmental value of black liquor to create added value and develop sales to companies that require such energy. The industry expects the introduction of Moorim P&P’s new eco-friendly boiler to be a major advanced case of ESG management. It is expected to be a new alternative for sustainable management by using resources from the production process as its own energy source and exploring various uses to contribute to net zero while generating economic benefits.   

 Moorim Paper’s social contribution activity delivers a heartwarming story. According to an industry insider, Big Issue Korea, a non-profit corporation, recently held a ‘Thank You Moorim” movie viewing event for Moorim Paper employees at Megabox Gangnam. This event was proposed by Big Issue Korea to thank Moorim Paper for its 13 years of paper sponsorship. The event was organized mainly for new employees of Moorim Paper in their 20s and 30s to share the company’s CSR direction and social concerns for the underprivileged. After receiving the ‘Big Issue Korea’ magazine printed with Moorim’s low-carbon paper and a ‘refreshment kit’ packed with eco-friendly paper, the participants watched the recently released movie ‘Dream,’ which depicted the true story of the Homeless World Cup. Since 2011, when Big Issue was founded, Moorim has fully sponsored the production of the magazine by providing Coated/Uncoated wood-free paper produced at Moorim Paper’s Jinju Factory. In 2017 and 2018, the company organized two ‘Sharing Flashmob’ events to promote the value of sharing and raise social awareness of the homeless. At these events, Moorim’s employees worked together with Big Issue’s salespeople (Bigpan) to pack magazines and share warm feelings. Having established itself as a ‘low-carbon paper expert’ in the paper market, Moorim is also actively engaged in collaborative projects with leading Korean companies and organizations in the arts and culture sector to promote the eco-friendliness of the paper. Since 2021, the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) to sponsor the paper for exhibition brochures, such as those for the retrospective exhibition of the ‘National Painter’ Park Sugeun. Moorim also sponsored printouts and food and beverage containers for the 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Asia’s largest genre film festival, taking the lead in holding an eco-friendly film festival. Meanwhile, Moorim, an eco-friendly paper specialist, was the first in the Korean printing paper industry to obtain the ‘Carbon Footprint Certification’ in March 2011, and the first in the paper industry to obtain the ‘Low-Carbon Product Certification’ in April 2013. This is a case of recognition from the Ministry of Environment that Moorim recorded the lowest carbon emissions among domestically produced papers and lead the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Moorim’s printing paper is the only one to be certified as a low-carbon product. 

  Moorim P&P (CEO: Lee Dogyun) and Lotte World Aquarium signed a business agreement on the expansion of the use of low-carbon certified paper products on April 14. Through this agreement, the two companies will share their commitment to carbon reduction activities and promote the expansion of the use of low-carbon certified paper in all social contribution activities and Lotte World business units as part of their ESG management. ‘Low-carbon product certification’ is an official certification given by the Ministry of Environment to products that have the lowest carbon emissions and are leading the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions; Moorim P&P’s printing paper is the only printing paper that has obtained low-carbon product certification. By expanding the use of low-carbon certified paper through this joint agreement, it is expected that the carbon emissions will be reduced by about 30% compared to existing products, contributing to practicing net zero. “Moorim’s low-carbon papers, comprising of six products including Coated/Uncoated Woodfree Printing Paper and MFC paper, are used in a variety of fields, from notebooks to books and quality magazines,” said Ryu Singyu, head of the sales Division of Moorim P&P, “Through this agreement, we will continue to contribute to the spread of low-carbon living culture in the paper market and take the lead in promoting the eco-friendliness of paper as a ‘low-carbon paper expert.’ 

 ▲ Moorim P&P (CEO: Lee Dogyun), a comprehensive pulp, paper, and new material company, collaborated with High1 Resort and ‘EDEN-D,’ a company specializing in ODM and OEM cosmetics, to completely replace the packages in amenity kits in all rooms of High1 Grand Hotel with molded pulp.  Moorim P&P, a comprehensive pulp, paper, and new material company, has partnered with High1 Resort and ‘EDEN-D,’ a company specializing in ODM and OEM cosmetics, to completely replace the packages in amenity kits placed in all rooms of High1 Grand Hotel. This is the first time in the industry that molded pulp made of 100% natural virgin pulp from Korea was supplied to a large resort, and it has been well received by guests who have visited the resort since its replacement in November last year. ‘Amenity,’ which refers to convenience items provided free of charge in the guest rooms, has been highlighted as a factor that determines the luxurious image of a hotel; therefore, the hotel industry has been paying close attention to areas from product selection to design concept. In line with this trend, High1 Resort, as Korea’s leading ‘wellness tourism destination’ selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, has newly planned the ‘eco-friendly amenity’ kit with the goal of becoming a ‘low-carbon green resort.’  The eco-friendly amenity kit replaces the existing shampoo and conditioner with EDEN-D’s eco-friendly solid products, while the packaging is customized with Moorim P&P’s eco-friendly and stable molded pulp, instead of plastic disposables, and has received eco-friendly certification from EVE, a global vegan certification organization. In particular, Moorim’s P&P molded pulp used in amenity packages is an eco-friendly product made of Korea’s only natural virgin pulp. It boasts excellent water resistance thanks to its outstanding strength and durability, as well as protection from impacts and excellent heat resistance that can withstand up to 200 degrees, and these traits make the product attract attention as a plastic substitute. In addition, it is certified biodegradable (OK compost HOME) due to its natural decomposition when buried in the ground after use, and it has been recognized for its world-class food safety by passing rigorous tests by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Federal Agency for Risk Assessment (BfR).   High1 Resort expects to reduce the use of about 400,000 unnecessary plastic containers per year through the production of eco-friendly amenity kits and plans to take the lead in ESG management by implementing an eco-friendly resource circulation resort. Meanwhile, the industry expects the collaboration to inject new vitality into the Korean molded pulp market. Molded pulp can be molded into any shape and is being widely used in advanced countries for various household products, digital appliance packaging, and buffers. On the other hand, the Korean market is still in its infancy and is mainly used for food containers. The application of molded pulp in the eco-friendly amenity package of High1 Resort is expected to showcase the various utilization values of molded pulp and serve as a catalyst for the expansion of the Korean molded pulp market. “Molded pulp is the next generation of eco-friendly products that are gaining attention as an alternative to plastics as the importance of the environment has recently been emphasized,” said Lim Yongsu, head of the Molded Pulp Division at Moorim. “As the ESG management philosophy spreads across all industries, interest in and demand for molded pulp products that are eco-friendly and safe is expected to increase.”