Visit the Pregis website for the full news release

Pregis Media Contact: Josephine Fish, (847) 597-9356, jfish@pregis.com

Deerfield, Ill., October 7, 2009—Pregis Corp.’s Hexacomb® products have met the fiber-sourcing certification standards set by the independent Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®).  Pregis Hexacomb has exceeded the “two-thirds” fiber sourcing standard requirements by sourcing 95% of its paper from SFI companies that are certified under the organization’s procurements standards.  The other 5% are from non controversial sources.….Read more

Check out this great article on CNBC.com about forest certification, by Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund!

Certified Forest Products: A Great Choice for the Environment

Published: Thursday, 22 Oct 2009 | 12:03 PM ET

Thiru Murugan

There is not much debate that the environmental issue at the forefront of our minds these days is climate change.

There is also no doubt that by taking care of our forests we can address a lot of environmental challenges – including some related to climate change.

Just think for a moment what forests provide.

They are natural filters – removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing carbon as plants, leaf litter and soil.

They provide habitat and support biodiversity, they regulate water flows and protect water quality. They offer enjoyment and recreation. They also support local economies, and deliver a stable, and renewable, supply of the wood and paper products.

That’s right.

The many benefits of natural forests are often found in managed forests that supply the products we use every day. And the economic value is an added incentive for owners to manage their forests with care, and to maintain them as forest rather than selling them for profit – which often results in the forests being turned into malls or subdivisions.

Larry Selzer
President & CEO
The Conservation Fund

At The Conservation Fund, we have long recognized this.

We know that forests offering value economically and socially are more likely to continue offering value environmentally.

That’s why we work with many partners to help communities develop sustainable solutions that integrate economic return with environmental quality.

That’s also why we certify our forest lands to a credible third-party certification program, and make sure we always ask for wood and paper products with on-product labels that show the fiber is from responsible, legal sources.

Third-party forest certification began as a response to market concerns about questionable forest activities, primarily in developing countries, and has become an important tool to promote sustainable forest management and responsible procurement around the world.

Only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified and half of these certified lands are found in North America.

That’s likely because we have a choice of credible programs – such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council. These programs have been endorsed by respected organizations and governments around the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and France.

An on-product label that says a product is certified to a program such as SFI or FSC delivers assurance you are making a choice that represents conservation of biological diversity, protection of special sites, sustainable harvests, respect for local communities, and much more.

In the United States and Canada, we are extremely fortunate. At a time when global deforestation and degradation account for 17 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, our forest land area is actually stable, if not increasing. At a time when illegal forest activities are contributing to deforestation and habitat destruction, we have laws in place to keep our forest lands healthy and resilient, making them less susceptible to wildfire, insects and disease.

And on top of that, we have the option of buying independently certified wood and paper products that we know come from responsible and legal sources.

_____________________
Larry Selzer is president and CEO of The Conservation Fund (www.conservationfund.org), an environmental non-profit that works with many partners to demonstrate sustainable conservation solutions by integrating economic and environmental goals.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Danny Karch, National Director,Market Access (Canada), SFI (450) 659-8733

Maun Demchenko, Director, Media and Public Relations, Team North (519) 841-0965

Download the PDF

WASHINGTON, October 21, 2009– North House, an advanced solar-powered home sponsored by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) program, placed fourth in the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon – a biennial competition where 20 university teams from around the world competed to design, build and operate houses powered by the sun.

The 800-square-foot North House featured lumber, plywood and decking donated by three SFI program participants – AbitibiBowater, International Forest Products Ltd. and West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. Promotional materials were printed by SFI-certified Aboriginal Printing Corp. of Toronto, Canada’s largest Aboriginal printer. SFI Inc. is an independent registered non-profit organization responsible for one of the largest third-party forest certification programs in the world.

Germany was named Decathlon winner Oct. 16, followed by Illinois and California. Full standings and competition details are posted at www.solardecathlon.org. In total, the 20 university-led teams competed in 10 contests evaluating everything from appearance to market viability to efficiency and comfort. North House, representing Ontario and British Columbia, used materials and passive solar construction that absorb heat during the day and release it at night so it produced more energy than it consumed through the competition.

“Just as the Decathlon promotes whole building design and performance, SFI involvement meant the North House project used wood and paper products that address social, environmental and economic considerations,” said Kathy Abusow, president and CEO of SFI Inc. “Wood is a great choice for sustainable building projects, as long as it is from reliable, legal sources.”

“We would like to thank the SFI program and our other fantastic sponsors for their support over the course of this journey,” said Maun Demchenko, director of media and public relations for Team North, made up of researchers, academics, students, government and industry professionals from across Canada who designed and built North House. “The SFI sponsorship added to North House’s credibility by providing wood and paper from responsible sources.”

North House will be shipped to Vancouver for display at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in February, before returning to Ontario where it will be set up as a public demonstration home in the Waterloo region.

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About Team North

Team North’s mission is to design and deliver North House, a compelling, marketable solar-powered home for mobile, sustainable lifestyles; while building Canada’s next generation of leaders in sustainable engineering, business and design. It envisions the combination of green building, solar and interactive technologies as a powerful vehicle for reducing energy demand, building a conservation ethic and improving quality of life. North House was developed by an expert team of leading researchers, academics, students, government and industry professionals. The core team comprises students and faculty members from the University of Waterloo, Ryerson University in Toronto and Simon Fraser University in Vancouver working alongside Canada’s best and brightest industry leaders.

For more information about Team North, visit www.team-north.com.
For more information about the U.S Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, visit www.solardecathlon.org

About SFI Inc.

SFI Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit charitable organization, and is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the Sustainable Forestry Initiative program (www.sfiprogram.org), that is internationally recognized and among the largest in the world. It is one of the fastest-growing forest certification programs with over 70 million hectares (175 million acres) of SFI-certified forests across North America. The SFI Standard also includes unique fibre sourcing requirements that promote responsible forest management on all suppliers’ lands and a chain-of-custody certification, which is used to tell buyers how much certified fibre is in a specific product. The SFI forest standard is endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes, a global umbrella organization that has strict requirements for endorsement. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally.

For more information about the SFI program, visit www.sfiprogram.org.