Eastern Pulp & Paper, based in Maine, USA, has developed a new environmentally advanced bleaching process that uses oxygen in the bleach plant process for the first time and eliminates detectable dioxins.

"We have engineered this technology ourselves, which is a two-stage high pressure process," said chairman Joe Torras senior.

Several pulp and paper firms have expressed interest in acquiring the technology, which Eastern will look at developing for the US and European markets.

Torras said the company had benefited two-fold from the invention of the technology, called Enviro-2, which now has a patent pending. "No elemental chlorine has been used, and we have reduced our use of chlorine dioxide by 50%," he said.

He added that in the past, other companies had used oxygen, but only at the de-lignification stage.
The new technology tests at 10 times lower than the US environmental agency protection standards. "We believe the results we are achieving are the best in the US," Torras said.

Eastern has also been recognised by successive US presidents - George Bush and Bill Clinton - as a recycled product producer. It also produces a Kraft recycled pulp, 50% of which is produced from sawmill sawdust and the other 50% from hardwood chips, for use in the tissue market.

It recently received an environmental excellence award from the governor of Maine, Angus King, for its accomplishments in pollution prevention.