SFI Paper and Packaging Certification
Today’s marketplace accepts the benefits of environmentally responsible paper and packaging materials. A host of advantages – from good corporate social responsibility to simple economics – have led to an explosion in the demand for greener products.
Many companies and governments have procurement policies showing preference for paper products from forests certified to a credible program such as the SFI program.
The 2009 EcoMarkets Report, an annual survey of procurement specialists across North America conducted by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, found that the SFI on-product label remains one of the top 10 eco-labels in the United States and Canada.
The best procurement policies are clear and achievable. They focus on preferences yielding the greatest environmental benefits, without being so restrictive that it is difficult to find products.
More land is certified to the SFI Standard in North America than any other standard, which means the SFI program offers a stable supply of quality forest products from legal, responsible sources. It is recognized and accepted in markets around the world, and has been endorsed by the internationally recognized Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC).
SFI chain-of-custody certification has two recovered fiber labels, which show a product contains paper and paper byproducts diverted from solid waste. A percent recovered fiber label means a specific percentage of the raw material used in the product or production line is made from recovered wood fiber. A 100 percent recovered fiber label means all of the raw material used in the product carrying the label comes from recovered wood fiber.
North America’s paper fiber cycle depends on fresh fibre from well-managed forests and a strong recovery network that values and collects discarded paper products for reuse. Metafore’s Paper Fiber Cycle Project found that without fresh fiber, North American consumers would run out of paper in less than a year.