ISSUE: WHERE DOES YOUR PAPER COME FROM?

Consider All Credible Certifications

Certification in the forestry and paper industry is a growing trend, and credible certification comes from several organizations in North America, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). These third-party experts set standards and work with an accredited organization to verify a paper company’s performance, much as a financial audit verifies a company’s financial performance. Their chain-of-custody (CoC) certification indicates that every phase, from planting and harvesting to transportation and production to sale, has been carried out in a sustainable fashion.

 

Third-Party Certification Logos

Look Beyond Certification

Although certification is important, it is but one way to measure the behavior of paper companies and their commitment to environmental issues. After all, protection of the forests is necessary for the continued production of pulp and wood products.

Here are some facts that shed light on the paper industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the effects on our U.S. forests:

  • Today the U.S. has 750 million acres of forestland.
  • There are 12 million more acres of forest in the U.S. than 20 years ago.
  • Forest inventory (the number of trees still standing after mortality and harvesting) increased by 49 percent between 1953 and 2006.
  • Every day more than 4 million trees are planted in the U.S., 1.7 million by the paper and forest products industry.

    • NEXT Consider the Alternative
    Factoid

    down to earth insight

    You know that trees make paper, but paper also makes trees. The demand for paper drives growth of the forests. That’s the beauty of a renewable resource. It’s important to buy from a company with a demonstrated commitment to environmental stewardship.

    See more Down to Earth Insights.