EPIPI: an Integrated Indicator for Environmental Performance Assessment in the Pulp and Paper Industry

ABSTRACT This study proposes and applies the Environmental Paper Industry Performance Indicator (EPIPI), a sector‐specific composite indicator for assessing the environmental performance of pulp and paper production based on process‐related wastes. EPIPI integrates results from the ReCiPe life cycle impact assessment method (ReCiPe), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Improved Analytic Hierarchy Process (IAHP) weights, and operational waste data (annual mass, spatial dispersion, and disposal adequacy) into a single measure expressed in weighted kilograms per year (w·kg/year). The indicator was applied to an integrated pulp and paper mill in Brazil, using data on waste composition, generation, and management practices. The final EPIPI value was 9.097×10 7 w·kg/year, very close to the theoretical worst‐case value of 9.138×10 7 w·kg/year, which would occur if all wastes were improperly managed; thus, only 0.45% of the weighted waste was effectively managed in an environmentally appropriate way, indicating poor environmental performance. Atmospheric emissions accounted for approximately 99% of the EPIPI score and about 35% of the total weighted impact, largely due to their high annual volume and wide spatial dispersion, despite being legally permitted. Ashes ranked second in weighted impact but contributed less than 1% to the EPIPI value because of their lower mass. Other wastes—such as secondary sludge, lime mud, primary sludge, dregs, and eucalyptus bark—showed high impact potentials but did not contribute to the EPIPI score because they were composted, reused, or otherwise managed in environmentally appropriate ways ( k = 0). The results demonstrate that EPIPI can distinguish between potential impact and effectively mismanaged wastes, helping prioritize critical waste streams (especially atmospheric emissions from recovery boilers, biomass boilers, and lime kilns) and supporting targeted improvement actions in the pulp and paper industry.