Forests play a key role in regulating the earth’s climate and removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. As a result, environmentally conscious companies and consumers want to understand where the wood used in products comes from.
If sustainability is important to your company,you should look for the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC) and Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) certification labels on Premier Packaging’s corrugated products. Both international nonprofit organizations establish strict standards for sustainable forest management and certify that suppliers are meeting those standards.
Corrugated and some kinds of paper are made from cellulose fiber from wood pulp. These labels mean that the fiber used in the products is certified to be sourced from sustainably managed forests.
Sustainable forest management includes:
- Protecting fragile ecosystems
- Restricting clear-cutting (removing all trees in a tract) and pesticide use
- Preventing illegal logging
- Respecting native cultures and economies, and
- Monitoring the “chain of custody”—ensuring that the product you’re looking at was made with wood that really came from a forest that was certified.
That last bullet is key in understanding FSC and SFI certifications. To carry the label, the certification process requires that the chain of custody be tracked from the forest forward on all documents where there is a change of possession/ownership.
Ever watch a football team trying to advance the ball down the field? It’s vital that they maintain custody of the ball to score. Our chain of custody works the same way, with us knowing where the fiber is at every stage of the process, so it can’t be tampered with. Instead of a touchdown, the prize is forests that will last for generations.
How FSC and SFI Certifications Differ
Started by environmentalists in 1993, FSC is a global standard with very specific criteria for responsible forestry management. To earn FSC certification, Premier had to demonstrate chain of custody, transparency, and traceability of our corrugated materials. The fiber used to construct our packaging is certified at the forest or paper mill stage.
We buy corrugated from FSC-certified suppliers and track it through all steps of our procurement and production processes to the final product and the customer. By buying FSC-certified corrugated products, you help guarantee that all the trees harvested for these products are replaced or are allowed to regenerate naturally. This minimizes waste and environmental impact.
SFI was formed in 1994 by the North American forest products industry (before separating from them) and verifies that the fiber is sourced legally in a sustainable fashion through third-party audits. SI is a North American standard for certification. As a result, SFI-certified products are widely available.
Whether FSC or SFI, these certifications help ensure the existence of healthy forests that mitigate climate change, reduce the impacts of catastrophic fire, and protect and maintain biodiversity. Do your part for our forests by choosing FSC- and SFI-certified corrugated products from Premier.
