FrieslandCampina Makes Transition to Sustainably Produced Cardboard Beverage Packaging

‘We are proud that we were able to make agreements with our suppliers to produce the cardboard for all our beverage packaging sustainably and with accreditation’, says Patrick Reekmans, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina Benelux.

3 Dec 2010 --- FrieslandCampina is making the transition to sustainably produced cardboard with the Forest Stewardship Council accreditation for all its cardboard beverage packaging in the Benelux. Appelsientje is the first FrieslandCampina brand that will appear in sustainably produced cardboard in shop shelves before the end of this year. The full transition will be completed by the end of 2011. By making this transition FrieslandCampina aims to give further substance to its sustainability policy.

The Forest Stewardship Council accreditation (FSC) gives the assurance that the wood used as raw material for the cardboard is from responsibly managed forests. The FrieslandCampina brands that will appear in sustainably produced cardboard packaging with the FSC accreditation are: Campina, Chocomel, Fristi, Optimel, Vifit, Goedemorgen!, Mona, Friesche Vlag coffee creamer and long-life milk, Zuiver Zuivel, CoolBest, DubbelFrisss and Taksi. ‘We are proud that we were able to make agreements with our suppliers to produce the cardboard for all our beverage packaging sustainably and with accreditation’, says Patrick Reekmans, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina Benelux.

Responsible forest management
The Forest Stewardship Council is the global organisation committed to the responsible management of forests to ensure economic, ecological and social interests are in balance. The Tetra Pak cardboard for the Appelsientje packaging originates primarily from carefully managed forests in Scandinavia. Thanks to the FSC, the biodiversity in the forest is left intact while sufficient wood can be harvested. Consumers recognise the sustainably produced packaging in shop shelves by the FSC logo.

Close to nature
Before the end of this year, all Appelsientje packaging will be affixed with the FSC accreditation so clients can see that they are making a sustainable choice with Appelsientje. ‘It ties in with Appelsientje’s image that the juices are now packed in FSC accredited cardboard’, according to Reekmans. Almost 90 per cent of the Appelsientje packaging is made from cardboard.

Growing awareness
Tetra Pak is one of FrieslandCampina’s most important packaging suppliers. ‘We are delighted that a leading organisation such as FrieslandCampina is the first in the Netherlands to make a large scale transition to FSC cardboard. It is proof that there is a growing realisation of the importance of sustainable, renewable raw materials. The visibility of the FSC accreditation on FrieslandCampina’s brands will certainly contribute to awareness among consumers’, says Magda Buelens, Environment Director Tetra Pak Benelux.