CHLORINE AND THE PAPER INDUSTRY

This educational case study describes a simulated dialogue session regarding the environmental impact of chlorine bleaching in the pulp and paper industry during the 1990s, focusing on the conflict between industry costs and environmental health concerns over dioxin.

• During the 1990s, the pulp and paper industry faced pressure regarding pollution, recycling, and deforestation, with the production of dioxin—a highly toxic substance created during chlorine bleaching—being a primary concern.
• Environmental and community groups advocated for the total removal of chlorine from industrial processes due to health risks, while paper companies resisted the high cost of new equipment for 'totally chlorine-W' paper, arguing that scientific analysis was inconclusive.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced a regulatory process called the 'cluster rule' to create regulations based on science and information, though its final form remained unknown to companies in late 1994.

APA

Beckenstein, A. R., Webb, B., Long, F. J., & Marcus, B. L. (1994). CHLORINE AND THE PAPER INDUSTRY. World Resources Institute. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/abstracts/case_1-56973-133-0_abstract_version_english.pdf

Chicago

Beckenstein, Alan R., Brad Webb, Frederick J. Long, and Barbra L. Marcus. CHLORINE AND THE PAPER INDUSTRY. World Resources Institute, 1994. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/abstracts/case_1-56973-133-0_abstract_version_english.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Beckenstein |first1=Alan R. |last2=Webb |first2=Brad |last3=Long |first3=Frederick J. |last4=Marcus |first4=Barbra L. |title=CHLORINE AND THE PAPER INDUSTRY |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=1994 |url=https://pdf.wri.org/bell/abstracts/case_1-56973-133-0_abstract_version_english.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{beckenstein1994chlorine, author = {Beckenstein, Alan R. and Webb, Brad and Long, Frederick J. and Marcus, Barbra L.}, title = {{CHLORINE AND THE PAPER INDUSTRY}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {1994}, url = {https://pdf.wri.org/bell/abstracts/case_1-56973-133-0_abstract_version_english.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }