Identification of 'Mixed Tropical Hardwood (MTH)' in Paper - a contribution to species protection
Funded by the German Environmental Foundation (DBU)
Illegal logging of tropical timber continues to increase. The environmental foundation WWF estimates that up to 40 percent of the global output of timber was felled without official authorisation. Probably 20 percent of the trees imported into the European Union (EU) originates from illegal sources. From 2013 a new regulation will come into force. For every product made of wood that will be imported into the EU, the trade name, botanical name and origin have to be declared. Pulp and paper products are included.
However, a method to proof the fiber origin is still missing. A reason for this is the fact that it is difficult to determine the origin and variety of the fibres due to mechanical and chemical treatments during pulp and paper production processes.
The intention of the project which is funded by the German Environmental Foundation (DBU) is to develop methods and processes for detecting fibres from tropical forest wood in various products, so that very soon the illegal use of tropical pulp and paper sources can be identified. The project partners in this collaboration are the Technical University of Darmstadt (Department of Paper Testing), University of Hamburg (Department of Wood Science), and the Research Lab ISEGA (Germany).