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Labels for wood and paper
1
June
2020
You’re bound to have seen one on your box of tissues or your child’s new coloured pencils: a sustainability label or an official logo. PEFC, FSC, Der Blaue Engel, etc., all internationally recognised, but each has its own features. Read here what each label stands for exactly.
International standard
Sustainability labels on a product guarantee that it has been manufactured with respect for people and/or the environment. Such labels are internationally recognised and thus set a standard for products all around the world. It’s no different for wood or paper. ‘Sustainably produced’ means that the wood comes from a sustainably managed forest, for example. No illegal logging, safe working conditions, respect for the ecosystem, biodiversity and the natural habitats of animals and plants, etc. These are just some of the conditions which earn a sustainability label such as FSC and PEFC.
Three labels for sustainable wood and paper
There are 2 internationally recognised labels for sustainable forestry: PEFC and FSC. In addition, there are some for sustainable paper production. For example, we work with Der Blaue Engel. The organisations behind these labels carry out checks throughout the entire production process to see if their stringent conditions are met.
PEFC
- Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)
- label for sustainable forestry
- no illegal logging
- traceability across the entire production chain
- provenance is checked: wood comes from a sustainably managed forest or is made from recycled material
- encourages responsibility and sustainable wood recovery
- cooperation with forest owners, users, industry, environmental organisations, scientists, etc.
FSC
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- label for sustainable forestry
- no illegal logging
- traceability across the entire production chain
- provenance is checked: wood comes from a sustainably managed forest or is made from recycled material
- environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable forest management
- members consist of environmental and social groups, the wood and paper sector, forest groups, etc.
Der Blaue Engel
- German label for ecological products
- paper must consist of a certain percentage of post-consumer recycled paper: 75% for printing paper, 100% for toilet paper, etc.
- no harmful substances such as chlorine may be used in production
- managed by the German Ministry of the Environment, the German Environmental Administration, the German Institute for Health, Quality and Labelling, as well as a committee of various stakeholders
Source: Labelinfo.be
With this initiative, we contribute to the following Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
