With much of the world’s forests
still considered unsustainable, responsible sourcing of fiber and forest
certification has become a hot button imperative for many in packaging.
However, forest certification is
only one environmental attribute to demonstrate responsible procurement, and
the packaging industry is faced with numerous partnerships and procurement
possibilities. Increased partnerships can effect change around the globe -- from
forests to communities to the store shelf.
That is the keynote message Kathy
Abusow, president and ceo of the Sustainable
Forestry Initiative, Inc. (SFI), will present to attendees at the 2010 Sustainable Packaging Forum, to be
held Sept. 14-16 at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix.
“Manufacturers understand the extent
to which they use forest-based products and the environmental impact that can
have,” said Abusow in an interview with Packaging
Strategies. “Tools like the Sustainable
Packaging Coalition (SPC) guidelines use a life-cycle based approach to
measure a variety of environmental impacts related to packaging and include a
forest certification indicator. In addition to the SPC guidelines, tools
like the Wal-Mart Scorecard, for
example, also value and promote responsible forestry by recognizing multiple
forest certification standards, including SFI. So while forest
certification plays a big role in responsible procurement, there is a lot more
involved.”
A major aspect of partnerships in
sustainable packaging is the relationship with consumers. It is vital to show why it is important to
ask for certified products, and help them understand which programs to support.
Abusow values the work of TerraChoice
Environmental Marketing, which cuts through greenwashing claims. In its
latest Seven Sins of Greenwashing report, TerraChoice lists SFI and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as
legitimate, credible eco-labels that meet three key criteria -- third-party
certification, publicly available standards, and transparent standard
development processes.
SFI is an independent, charitable
organization dedicated to promoting sustainable and responsible forest
management. SFI forest certification is based on principles that promote
sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality,
biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and Forests with Exceptional
Conservation Value. The standard is used widely across North
America, and has strong acceptance in the global marketplace.
The SFI program’s on-product labels
flow through either chain
of custody certification, which tracks certified or recycled fiber ,
or through the fiber
sourcing program, a procurement auditing process that demonstrates that raw
material in the supply chain comes from legal and responsible sources, whether the forests are certified or not. The
mechanics of forest certification, chain of custody, fiber sourcing, and labeling
will be explored in a Sustainable Packaging Forum panel discussion with FSC’s
Ian Hanna and SFI’s Jason Metnick on Tues., September 15.
To date, less than 10% of the
world’s forests are certified, which is why it’s important to recognize fiber
from all credible forest certification standards, said Abusow. She is, however,
optimistic that more forests will be sustainable in the future as more people
realize the role that forests play in a healthy lifestyle, such as providing
clean air, water, oxygen, wildlife habitat, and providing jobs in these
difficult economic times.
Additionally, she said that as
suppliers and manufacturers work together to establish sound procurement
policies, good things will happen for their businesses and the forests.
“The packaging industry understands
the role it can play in using products from well-managed forests and they are
embracing that initiative,” said Abusow. “I applaud them for that.”
To register for the conference, visit www.sustainablepackagingforum.com
