Purpose Chain efficiency is currently a key issue for evaluating the sustainability of products and processes. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate how the overall efficiency process improvement carried out in the upstream manufacturing chain of LPB (Liquid Packaging Board) has affected the environmental profile over the last 10 years. Methods The method employs a life cycle methodology in a cradle-to-gate approach as the material can be used for obtaining beverage containers for different purposes. The scope of this study includes data from forest to rolls of finished cartons. Results and discussion Due to a current slightly larger boundary and more detailed data collection, the following improvements (at the minimum) over the last decade can be observed: a) energy consumption has been reduced by 38% reaching the value of 36,700 MJ/t LPB paperboard; b) water consumption has been reduced by 30% reaching a level of 45.85 m 3 /t LPB paperboard; c) wood consumption has been reduced by 40%, mainly as a result of the introduction of high yield CTMP (chemithermomechanical pulp) along with the increased overall efficiency of the production process and d) land use has been reduced by 69% due to increased forest productivity along with greater efficiency in the use of wood. Significant reductions have also been found related to environmental impacts such as global warming (49% less), photochemical ozone creation (14 times less), acidification (10 times less), eutrophication (8 times less) and human toxicity (6 times less). Conclusions The results have clearly shown how important it is to invest in new technologies and more efficient processes to achieve better sustainable levels. This historical perspective is also a benefit from Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology that allows these types of comparisons and also shows the importance of using new inventories for environmental decisions.

O crescente consumo de madeira co­mo fonte de matéria prima para as mais diversas finalidades no Brasil vem extinguindo progressiva­mente espécies nativas de grande valor. O Pro­grama de Melhoramento Genético do Instituto Florestal do Estado de São Paulo vem conservan­do "ex situ" muitas dessas espécies, entre elas o ipê-amarelo - Tabebuia vellosoi Tol. Foram insta­lados testes de progênies das procedências Moji Guaçu (SP) e Bebedouro (SP) para constatar a existência de variabilidade entre populações e in­divíduos e estimar coeficientes de variação genéti­ca e herdabilidade das características altura de plantas e DAP. O ensaio, instalado em Luiz An­tonio (SP) sob o delineamento estatístico "com­pact family block", não apresentou diferenças esta­tisticamente significativas entre as ,duas popula­ções. Os resultados mostraram maior variação dentro de progênies do que entre as diferentes progênies, maior variabilidade genética na popu­lação Moji Guaçu em relação à de Bebedouro e, altos coefientes de herdabilidade (sentido restri­to) para a característica altura de plantas, maior do que para a característica DAP, de um a nove anos de idade do experimento.