Kruger Products L.P, recently announced that it received Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) Chain of Custody (CoC) certification from the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program for its consumer and away‐from‐home tissue products, making it the first Canadian tissue company to achieve this standard. The company intends to apply this certification to some 150 skus in its consumer and away‐from‐home tissue products portfolios – the largest FSC CoCcertified tissue products line‐up in North America. Certified products will include well‐known tissue, towel and napkin brands, such as Cashmere, SpongeTowels, Purex, Scotties, White Swan, Embassy and Esteem. This certification ensures accountability through every step in the supply chain, from forest to product to shelf. "FSC certification is well‐recognized around the world and considered the most rigorous social and environmental standards in the forestry industry," said Mario Gosselin, COO, Kruger Products. "The thoroughness of the Rainforest Alliance’s auditing process is a demonstration of our commitment to and leadership in sustainably sourced premium tissue paper products."
The Rainforest Alliance, an international, non‐profit conservation organization, is the world’s leading certifier of forestlands to FSC standards and conducted Kruger Products’ rigorous FSC CoC certification evaluations at
its various operations across Canada.
"We are delighted with Kruger Products’ commitment to responsible forestry, which addresses the fact that consumers around the world are embracing sustainability," said Tensie Whelan, President of the Rainforest
Alliance. "By enabling consumers to be part of the sustainability solution, Kruger Products’ commitment will further drive the industry forward, demonstrating the significant impact businesses can have on the management of working landscapes."
The certification will apply to nearly 40% of Kruger Products’ consumer and away‐from‐home production. The products will feature the FSC label on packaging beginning as soon as this summer. The logo is an easy identifier for Canadians to make environmentally responsible purchasing decisions without compromising on quality. Forests play an important role in maintaining wildlife diversity and regulating the earth’s climate and water flow. Canadians are uniquely charged with protecting our forests, which represent 10% of the world’s forest and 30% (397.3 million hectares)i of Canada’s land mass, for our future generations.
"This accomplishment marks an important milestone along our sustainability journey," said Steven Sage, Corporate Director of Sustainability and Innovation, Kruger Products. "With this certification we have achieved the first of our nine targets set through our Sustainability 2015 initiative and it will drive us to continue along this journey."
"This announcement is rather timely as the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on the management, conservation and development of the world’s forests," said Maia Becker, Vice President, FSC Canada. "Kruger Products’ certification shows their commitment to our forests and our communities."
This highly respected FSC logo ensures that the fibre used to make these tissue products comes from FSCcertified forests, recycled fibre and/or controlled wood. FSC CoC procedures provide a transparent link between the forest from which the fibre originates and the product into which it is manufactured. At every stage of Kruger Products manufacturing or distribution, the fibre going into a product is tracked and identified in an unbroken chain of commitment from forest to consumer. The FSC label carries the assurance that our products come from forest‐friendly sources and is an easy identifier for making environmental purchasing decisions.
