Picking Green Paper Stocks: How do I choose an a sustainable forestry supply chain certification?
How do I choose a green, sustainable paper stock for my next project?
Choosing sustainable paper is an important part of any green graphic design or sustainable packaging project. In this blog post, we’re going to detail a set of recommendations for a few things you can look for when choosing a sustainable paper stock or option. One of the ways you can pick a sustainable option is to prioritize a sustainable forestry certification that ensures that the forests are managed sustainable and that the lumber-industry workers were well treated–sustainability is about human harm as much as it is about environmental harm.
This blog post will focus on choosing the right forestry certification and breaking down the different types of Forest Stewardship Council certifications you are likely to find on paper stocks.
Forestry certification and sustainable practices are an important component to a world that prioritizes carbon capture and a greener future. Forests are important carbon sinks that we desperately need to protect, but they are also home to important and valuable ecosystems. But not all certifiers are made equal. When choosing a certifier it’s important to consider forest conservation and First Nations’ land rights.
It’s important that forestry policies preserve old-growth forests, which help purify drinking water, provide unique habitats for endangered animals, and hold high quantities of carbon. Sustainable forestry practices also set policy to how often trees are harvested.
It’s equally important that the forestry policies enforce Free Prior and Informed Consent and participation for First Nations and Indigenous communities. Indigenous communities must be included when discussing land management and resource use.
Globally, the Forest Stewardship Council is the only main certifier that takes biodiversity and Indigenous Rights into meaningful consideration. While not a perfect system, due to its global reach, we recommend looking for paper stocks that are FSC-Certified.
Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council or FSC is the main global certification standard across the world. Established in 1998, there was no governmental or private body or commitment to preserving ancient forests and sustainable forestry management. The FSC now is present over 81 countries and over 190 million hectares of forest falls under its jurisdiction. The FSC implements a chain of custody practice with its certification, meaning that the supply chain can be entirely traced through all means of production all the way to the consumer.
What are the different between different FSC-certifications?
FSC 100% label means that all of the materials in the product have been third-party audited. This is the most reliable certification. While it does not necessarily mean that 100% of the forests have been sustainably harvested to the highest of standards, it represents the highest industry standards currently available for forestry, and should be supported while being held to a critical standard to improve. 100% FSC forests can include ancient, primary forests in rare ecosystems and monoculture crops that are not sustainable.
FSC Recycled means that the material is made of 100% recycled material (either pre- or post-consumer waste). Recycled paper is always a good, safe choice.
FSC Mix is the most unreliable of the labels; it is a mix of FSC wood, recycled materials and “controlled wood”. The controlled wood label means someone signed to certifying the wood as controlled and not coming from a unsustainable source. There is little rigour to the process of certifying controlled wood and it is susceptible to high rates of illegal activities.
Hopefully this blog post was useful in breaking down the different forestry certifications you are likely to find on paper but also a range of wood-based products internationally, and provided some tips for picking the most sustainable options.
Curious about other sustainable paper stock options? Read about Alternative Fibre Paper Stocks for print and packaging here.
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