How FSC^® Certified Makes a Difference to the World

• Zero deforestation – This means that trees are responsibly harvested with no net loss of forest over time and any forests with irreplaceable values, such as being ancient or endangered, are maintained.
• Fair wage and work environments – Making sure all workers are paid a fair wage, have the proper training for their job and sufficient safety protocols.
• Biodiversity preservation – Protecting the plant and animal species that live in and around forests.
• Community rights, including the rights of Indigenous Peoples – Consulting the communities living around and sometimes in the forests. Their rights to the forests, both cultural and legal, are respected with thorough communication.

Forests are a key component of our ecosystems; they clean the air we breathe and slow climate change by absorbing and storing carbon from the atmosphere. When properly managed, our forests offer a renewable supply of materials.

We are committing to supporting sustainable forestry through only using FSC^® certified materials in our manufacturing process.

FSC^®’s vision is to have a world where healthy, resilient forests sustain life. They rely on global partners, like us, to help by driving appreciation of forests and raising awareness about the value of FSC^® certification.

1.6 billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods and 80% of the world’s animal species call them home¹. We all have a shared duty to protect these ecosystems.

One of the easiest ways to do this is switch from using plastic-based products to FSC^® certified paper-based products.

The benefits of paper and cardboard far outweigh that of plastic. In 2021, 70.6% of the paper and cardboard packaging put into the UK market was recycled, compared to only 44.2% of plastic packaging². So, if a business were to switch from plastic to paper or cardboard packaging, the chances of it being recycled are significantly higher in the UK.

As well as this, when paper and cardboard are made from responsible and controlled sources such as FSC^® they hold the potential to be both renewable and biodegradable³. Because they are made from natural materials, when placed in landfill they will gradually breakdown. Plastic products can remain in landfills for centuries or not decompose at all⁴.

Using FSC^® certified materials can also contribute to CO2 reduction, through careful forest management. Forests capture CO2 from the atmosphere and this plays a vital role in reducing greenhouse gases. By managing forests so they are cut down before they start to decompose, and release CO2 back into the atmosphere, the forest-based materials retain the carbon they capture⁵.

If you would like to learn more about all the great work FSC^® does and how you can support their cause, please check out their website here.

References –

¹ https://fsc.org/en/fsc-forest-week

² https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-waste-data/uk-statistics-on-waste

³ https://anz.fsc.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/PACKAGING%20BOOK%202020%20FOR%20WEB_SPREADS.pdf

⁴ https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8515/

⁵ https://fsc.org/en/why-forests-matter-for-the-climate