Sappi details why environmental certifications matter in an increasingly eco-conscious world

21 May 2020 --- Packaging companies jump through several bureaucratic hoops to obtain certifications that provide credibility and legitimacy to environmental sustainability efforts. But are certifications everything they are made out to be and how strategic for business survival are they in our increasingly eco-conscious world? PackagingInsights discusses the issue with Sarah Price, Sustainability Manager Europe at Sappi, who describes what role verifications can and cannot play in determining the environmental sustainability credentials of packaging.

Each of Sappi Europe’s ten mills has a multi-site, Chain of Custody (CoC) certificate from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). The former is a global, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of responsible forest management worldwide. The multi-site model makes certification easier and cheaper for large enterprises that can benefit from a centralized administration and internal control function for the purpose of FSC certification.

PackagingInsights spoke with Price during Sappi's virtual exhibition about its environmental sustainability credentials.The CoC from PEFC – an NGO promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification – provides companies with a variety of services that help the environment, such as access to new markets and compliance with legislation as well as practical tools, materials and services from PEFC, both nationally and internationally.

Except for its Rockwell mill based in Scotland, all Sappi mills also carry an International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 9001 and 14001 certificate, guaranteeing Sappi’s quality and environmental management system standards, respectively. The European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme is a management instrument used to evaluate, report and improve environmental performance, which is granted to five Sappi Europe mills in Germany, Austria and Finland.

Price explains that each certification is backed up by a standard-setting process that helps to codify the requirements for best practice. These certifications also have an auditing component where an independent third-party auditor comes on site and annually verifies that the company is actually meeting the stipulated requirements. The third-party verification combined with the implemented practice makes for what Price asserts as “an extremely important tool.”

Refereeing the forest harvesting game
Price further explains how certifications can help mitigate some of the controversies in the forest sector. “It’s an essential tool, especially in the wood and forest sector. The forest certification system is so critical, depending on geographic location or stakeholders, for example. The certification system gets those stakeholders around the table to agree and build a consensus on what the best practices are, which is not something one company could do,” she notes.

There are many stakeholders who don’t see how harvesting trees could ever be environmentally sustainable, Price concedes.The debate is particularly sensitive when it comes to the definition of sustainable practices in the forest. “There are many stakeholders who just don’t see how harvesting trees could ever be sustainable, which is a position some people have. There will always be those who criticize the certification system. It’s not as if they are without controversy or conflict but there are also good systems in place to investigate if there are concerns.”

To ensure the certifications are continued to be held in high regard, Price affirms that Sappi supports the regular monitoring routines that are part of the certification-maintaining process.

“We need to have practitioners in place and a sustainability team at the regional level and reaching out to its suppliers. We ask them for more information and data collection, recording and collecting our data on a daily, weekly or monthly basis depending on what indicator we are managing. We review our progress and present that across the business and continue to request it.”

Learn, change, interpret: Certifications are not everything
Although Price views certification as significant, it is not Sappi’s sole vehicle in driving social and environmental responsibility across Sappi’s business. “It’s not enough to say, ‘we’re certified – no questions asked.’ This doesn’t mean that once we get the certification we can sit back and relax or that we don’t have to think for ourselves. It gives us that validity whether we are meeting requirements or not,” she highlights.

“Certifications are very valuable, but they don’t stand alone. They’re part of the company policy, its management system, its whole infrastructure to support the idea of continual improvement,” she concludes.

PackagingInsights previously spoke with Sarah Price about how Sappi continues to prioritize environmental sustainability during the global COVID-19 pandemic at the company’s recent virtual exhibition.

By Anni Schleicher

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