As Science Journal has stated, forests are crucial for human beings, not only for their products, but also for their ability to foster biodiversity, preserve water quality, and capture carbon.  

Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) is a specialty materials company focused on unlocking the full value of sustainably harvested trees.

“With almost 100 years of continuous operations, RYAM is an expert in cellulose chemistry and converting renewable trees into remarkable products” says De Lyle Bloomquist,  President and CEO of RYAM. 

Innovative approaches and development initiatives

RYAM has a long and productive history of innovation, including developing the first natural rayon fibers in collaboration with DuPont and the first fluff fiber used to produce diapers by Johnson & Johnson. Today, as the world demands more sustainable options, the company is focused on responsibly utilizing 100% of the tree for its highest value uses.  

 “What we do here at RYAM, it’s more demanding. We go into specialty filtration and absorbent materials, but we also go into dissolving pulp applications” says Larissa Fenn, Director of  New Products at RYAM. These more demanding dissolving wood pulp applications include acetate plastics used in LCD screens and ethers used in a range of products from paints to pharmaceuticals. 

RYAM operates two research centers, one in France and one in the UnitedStates to support customer research and develop new products. The company operates its core plants as “biorefineries”  and has “focused on maximizing and utilizing all parts of the wood for many years now” adds Christian Ribeyrolle, Vice President of Biomaterials. An example being the company’s recently announced plans to build a bioethanol facility adjacent to its Tartas biorefinery. This new facility will focus on producing second generation bioethanol in support of the European Union’s RED II directive.

Boost Sustainability and devote to preventing climate change

By creating and producing materials that originate from responsibly harvested trees, RYAM helps support the economic viability of the forest products industry while incenting continued forest growth. “Our working forests are actively managed to generate revenue from multiple sources, including sustainably produced timber. Therefore, the working forest will remain a forest instead of being converted to other land uses” explains Bloomquist. 

Increasing the growth of forests and their carbon capturing attributes is an essential lever in the fight against climate change. The carbon stored in the cellulose fibers of a tree remains intact as RYAM converts the tree into products, and ultimately that carbon will stay “locked up” for the length of that product’s existence.

In boosting sustainability internally, RYAM has set an ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030, against a 2020 baseline. “The company also redesigned our capital approval process so that our employees are thinking not just about the financial impact, but also the considering the environmental impact when evaluating a new project” explains Ben Chambers, Head of Sustainability at RYAM.

RYAM’s BioFuture is bright. Bloomquist elaborates, “RYAM is continuously investing in grow our current high purity sustainable products and lower our raw material usage and operational impact to the planet, accelerate research and development to identify, create and commercialize new naturally based bio-products.”