FSC-Certified Office Papers Made Available in USA

Domtar EarthChoice Office Paper is now available to US consumers through Office Depot's e-commerce web site and to business customers that purchase through Office Depot's Business Solutions Division.

The new availability is evidence of the increasing availability of copy paper from responsibly managed forestlands certified to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.

Office Depot also plans to sell the paper in retail stores throughout the USA starting in late July.

The Rainforest Alliance has been working since 2003 with Domtar - the largest maker and marketer of office and printing paper in North America - to encourage responsible paper production and fibre sourcing.

The Rainforest Alliance is helping the company reach its FSC certification goals; building supply chains; and educating employees, suppliers, distributors and businesses about the benefits of FSC-certified products.

The FSC is the global standard setter for responsible forest management.

"We have been seeing the availability of FSC-certified paper in the marketplace snowball in recent months, making it easier than ever for businesses and consumers to make responsible choices", said Tensie Whelan, executive director of the Rainforest Alliance.

"The Rainforest Alliance commends all that Domtar has been doing to raise the bar for the paper industry and the company's continuing commitment to FSC certification".

Domtar EarthChoice, which has been available through wholesale merchant distributors, originates from forestlands in the USA and Canada that are FSC-certified for meeting a host of criteria covering biodiversity protection and support of local communities to ensure harvesting is done in a way that will conserve forestlands and economies for generations to come.

"There is growing interest among businesses and consumers to make more responsible choices, from reducing energy consumption to sourcing products that were produced in a sustainable way", said Steve Barker, senior vice president of marketing at Domtar.

"Choosing EarthChoice Office Paper, which is high quality and competitively priced, is one way businesses can reduce their environmental footprint".

Domtar has developed a procurement policy in collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance that encourages its fibre suppliers to work toward FSC certification.

The company has been expanding its FSC-certified paper offerings, from 13 certified product lines in 2005 to 23 lines currently.

Domtar also plans to pursue Chain-of-Custody certification for the newly acquired mills from Weyerhaeuser - working to bring even more FSC-certified products to market.

The US is the biggest market for paper products globally, producing 90 million tons of paper and consuming 100 million tons of paper each year, according to the FSC.

About a quarter of the timber harvested in the USA is used to produce paper.

There is not enough recycled fibre to meet demands of companies that make large paper or fibre purchases, with available recycled fibre meeting 35 percent of current paper consumption demand, according to the FSC.

In recent months, several leading companies have stepped up their commitments to source responsibly produced paper.

Earlier this year, the Rainforest Alliance worked with Scholastic on using FSC-certified paper in the initial US printing of the final Harry Potter book.

At 22 million pounds, it was the largest single purchase of FSC-certified paper to date.

Also in the past several months, Nordstrom; Williams-Sonoma; and Limited Brands (the parent company of Victoria's Secret) have all begun using FSC-certified paper in their catalogues and other printed materials.

The area of FSC-certified forestlands has nearly doubled in the past three years to a total of more than 218 million acres to date.

This rapid growth has propelled a burgeoning supply of certified wood products including paper, lumber, furniture and decking.

Several hundred pulp providers, mills, merchants and printers globally have also obtained FSC certification.

The Rainforest Alliance is actively working with businesses of all sizes in making more responsible choices, by using market forces to conserve biodiversity, protect our natural resources and support workers and local communities.

The forestry programme helps businesses incorporate responsible policies in sourcing wood products, provides assistance to community and small enterprises for development of markets and is also the world's leading FSC certifier of forestlands.

To locate FSC-certified paper, furniture, and building materials, the Rainforest Alliance offers free online resources called SmartGuides that list product and contact information for certified suppliers, distributors and manufacturers.

Businesses and consumers can find global office paper suppliers such as Suzano Papel y Cellulose, Cascades and others listed in the SmartGuide to Paper and Print Sources.

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