Tetra Pak Reports Rise in FSC Label on Carton Packages

30 Sep 2013 --- Tetra Pak has reported a significant rise in the number of countries selling products in Tetra Pak packages bearing the FSC label, up about 40 percent since last year.

Marking FSC Friday, the company announced that customers in 53 countries now adopt the responsible forest management label, compared with 38 a year ago. During that time, more than 27 billion Tetra Pak packages bearing the prestigious mark have appeared on retail shelves worldwide.

“The FSC label helps raise awareness of the importance of responsible forest management among consumers worldwide, enabling them to make informed purchasing choices,” said Nils Björkman, Executive Vice President Commercial Operations. “People depend on forests to support many different aspects of their lives – from supplying essential raw materials for a host of everyday items, to their fundamental role in balancing nature’s complex ecosystems,” he said.

FSC certification is aimed at achieving environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable forest management while bringing added-value to customers and retailers, who are increasingly seeking the FSC label.

As one of the world’s largest purchasers of paperboard, ensuring a responsible and sustainable supply of timber products is critical to Tetra Pak’s business. Last year, an average 70 percent of the material used to produce the 173 billion carton packages sold by Tetra Pak worldwide came from renewable sources.

Since the introduction of the world’s first FSC-labelled liquid food cartons in the UK in 2007, Tetra Pak has worked with suppliers, customers, consumers and NGOs to raise awareness of the importance of ensuring responsible forest management and the value of using renewable materials, like wood. “When properly managed the supply of renewable resources is virtually unlimited,” said Björkman.

Today, FSC-labelled Tetra Pak packages are available across the globe, but volumes are limited by the availability of FSC-certified wood, with only 15% of the world’s productive forests currently certified. Tetra Pak continues to work with FSC and other stakeholders to support increased FSC certification of forests.

Raising awareness among consumers about the importance of using responsibly managed renewable materials plays a key role in driving FSC certification and responsible forest management. For example, consumer awareness of the label in the UK and Ireland has doubled from 19% in 2007 to 38% in 2013* as the number of FSC-labelled Tetra Pak packages and promotional campaigns has increased. Today 65% of Tetra Pak packages in the UK carry the FSC label.

To help raise awareness of the importance of responsible forestry management, last May Tetra Pak launched a global programme focused on sustainable, renewable materials, with the slogan The Pack that Grows Back. The programme aims to reach consumers at multiple touch points around the world, using social media promotions, on-pack advertisements and in-store campaigns, supported by dedicated websites packed full of information regarding this important topic.

FSC Friday is an event promoted by the Forest Stewardship Council that is designed to celebrate the world's forests and highlight the importance of responsible forest management. It occurs on the last Friday in September. Every year, schools, businesses, individuals, forest owners/managers and other organisations around the world get involved in spreading the word about FSC and responsible forestry.