Forest Certification Supports Sustainably Managed Forest Practices
Deforestation and forest degradation not only physically impact the environment and surrounding communities but are also the second leading cause of carbon pollution, contributing 20% of the total greenhouse gas emissions released into our atmosphere.
Opportunity: Safe Forestry Practices
Many of our product solutions, including our paint and masking tapes, as well as some of our mailing, moving and shipping items rely on paper raw materials. Our practices have always been aligned with industry standards for safe forestry practices, but we wanted to take an extra step to protect our environment, while also providing confidence in our environmental commitment when our customers and end-users buy our brands.
“As we have continued to align our sustainability practices with industry best practices, demonstrating our commitment to sustainably sourced paper products through certification seemed like the appropriate next step. For us, the values of certified sustainable forestry extend beyond forest management and preservation,” says Mark H., Director of Environment, Safety and Product Compliance at Shurtape Technologies, LLC. “As is the case with forestry certification requirements, we are also focused on protecting wildlife, habitats and waterways and ensuring those in our supply chain responsibly harvest paper materials and respect worker and indigenous peoples’ rights and wellbeing.”
Result: Forest Certification/Chain of Custody Certification
Obtaining chain of custody certification helps ensure materials are responsibly managed against a series of standards related to forest monitoring, tracing and labeling of timber, wood, pulp products, paper products and non-timber forest products. Certifications also consider the social and economic wellbeing of workers and local communities and continue to change to remain in line with the state of the natural resources and the communities involved.
Since 2018, Shurtape has taken proactive steps to certify its paper products, including paint and masking tapes, as well as mailing, moving and shipping solutions, via:
- Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)
- Programme for Endorsement of Forests (PEFC)
- Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (*SFI®)
“In 2021, 27% of our total shipped square yards of our paint and masking tapes was sourced from certified forests – and we’re continuing to improve this number” explains Mark H. “Additionally, many of our paper packaging and mailing products have also received this important certification.”
Look for the forest certification marks on our product packaging to select items that meet these standards. Learn more about all the steps we’re taking to improve our organization as a responsible business.
Sources:
- https://us.fsc.org/en-us/what-we-do/why-forests-matter
- https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/forests_practice/forest_sector_transformation_updated/forest_certification/
- https://forests.org/
*SFI marks are registered marks owned by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.