SIG Combibloc is now certified in accordance with the criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for a complete chain of custody verification (CoC) at all its European production sites.
On the basis of the FSC CoC certificate, SIG Combibloc is now one of the first manufacturers to offer aseptic carton packs that are permitted to bear the label “FSC Mix.” This label on the packaging confirms that all the wood fibers used are traceable without interruption along the entire value-added chain – from the labeled carton pack to the forest of origin – in accordance with the CoC standards of the FSC. The label also confirms that appropriate quantities of the wood used for manufacturing the carton pack were bought from FSC-certified forests managed to the highest standards. FSC Mix denotes the product group from well-managed forests and other controlled sources.
Michael Hecker, head of Group Environment, Health and Safety at SIG Combibloc, said: “For us, the FSC CoC certification of our production plants in Europe is a milestone on the road to certifying 100% of our plants world-wide in accordance with the FSC standards, in order to ensure for all carton packs complete traceability to responsibly managed or controlled sources.”
Aseptic carton packs from SIG Combibloc consist up to 75% of wood fiber, which is obtained from wood, a renewable raw material. Selecting these natural resources responsibly and according to the highest ecological standards is, says Hecker, amongst the company’s highest priorities. This means SIG Combibloc demands that all its suppliers of unprocessed carton board operate production facilities that are certified according to the FSC CoC standard, in order to cover the value-added chain from forest to carton. This ensures that, for the manufacture of the unprocessed carton board, controversial wood sources can be avoided, traceability of the wood fibers back to the forest of origin is guaranteed and only wood from controlled sources or ecologically well-managed forests is used.
“The FSC certification of our own production plants documents the high environmental standards according to which SIG Combibloc works,” Hecker said. “FSC is very much our preferred proof of traceability and responsible forestry because the standards laid down are accepted and supported by international environmental protection organizations. For us, sustainability means for the future, too, pursuing ambitious environmental goals that lay the foundations for the long-term success of the company.”
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, independent, non-profit organization that works to promote responsible forest management. The organization was founded in 1993 following the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It draws its membership from environmental organizations and development associations, trade unions and representatives from forestry and the wood industry. Its objective is to promote world-wide the responsible use of forests. For this purpose, the FSC issues certificates for wood and wood products originating from socially and ecologically responsible forestry. The organization has drawn up a rigorous checklist consisting of ten mandatory principles and 56 criteria for good forestry. Compliance with these principles and criteria by the certified companies is checked on an ongoing basis by independent certification organizations, and the outcomes reported back to the FSC. Rainforest Alliance was commissioned with the FSC certification of SIG Combibloc’s European production plants. Rainforest Alliance is the world’s leading FSC-accredited certification body for forests and wood products.
