Finnish papermaker UPM said that it is seeing a gradual shift in purchasing towards eco-friendly papers, bolstering the importance of chain-of-custody certification programs for manufacturers.
“We now have major publishers and cataloguers purchasing large volumes of certified paper compared with previous years,” said Philippe Riebel, vice president, environmental affairs at UPM. “Many are also electing to print either the PEFC label (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), the FSC label (Forest Stewardship Council), or the EU Eco-label on their products.”
Riebel noted that paper buyers today have a better understanding of the certification process. “We have seen a shift in the recognition and understanding of sustainable forest management and certification. Several of our customers have adopted an all-inclusive policy that gives them access to a larger pool of certified products,” he said.
In fact, Time Inc. is currently purchasing 100% certified paper from UPM.
Guy Gleysteen, senior vice president production at Time, said, “The fiber is tracked from the forest to the marketplace using a third-party verified chain-of-custody system. That means that we know the origin of all the fiber used by UPM in the paper we purchase and can be sure it has been sustainably and legally sourced.”