Millennials are poised to change all aspects of business for many years to come – including the packaging of the beverages they drink and foods they eat. In findings from the EcoFocus Worldwide 2019 US Trends Survey, Millennials put a significantly higher priority on sustainability than have the generations before them and will reward brands and businesses that understand how to align packaging with their eco-focus needs. Learn more about the 5 keys to understanding how millennials will impact sustainable packaging forever: •A healthier planet means a healthier me •Healthier foods & beverages are even healthier in sustainable packaging •Food & beverages need to come in packaging that supports sustainable practices •Brand owners will build trust by acting more responsibly towards the environment •It is worth paying more for eco-friendly products

Sustainable manufacturing and responsible sourcing are at the centre of Malaysian firm One-Tech, that recently became the first manufacturer in Malaysia producing PEFC-certified homeware under its DAPO brand. Founded in 1993, One-Tech has been strongly advocating ‘green manufacturing’ and sustainable design since 2013, in a desire to be a more responsible producer. It has future ambitions to make Malaysia the South-East Asian hub for sustainable timber products. One-Tech obtained chain of custody certification of Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), our national member for Malaysia, in April 2018.

UPM commits to the United Nations Global Compact’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C, joining leading companies in a promise to pursue science-based measures to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. UPM will strive to mitigate climate change and drive value creation through innovating novel products, committing to a 65% CO2 emission reduction and by practicing sustainable forestry. The 1.5°C ambition is a response to increasing concern about the severe consequences of a failure to stop global warming. UPM is among the first global forest industry companies making this commitment. “UPM has a unique opportunity to make a positive impact and contribute to mitigating climate change by tangible actions. We innovate climate-positive products and turn them into growing businesses. At the same time, we limit risks from climate mitigation policies and physical impacts of changing climate. This is important for the long-term value of the company,” says Jussi Pesonen, President and CEO of UPM.

“Paper and wood products manufacturers applaud the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for providing clarity around the implementation of Clean Water Act regulations across the United States. All stakeholders – including forest products manufacturers and state and local governments – deserve regulatory certainty as they work to ensure our nation’s waters are protected. As one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the nation with a successful record of implementing sustainable manufacturing principles and investing in improving water quality, we support EPA’s action to promote the environment, economic growth and job creation.”

This year’s sowing season has started at SCA’s seedling operation, NorrPlant. A total of 100 million seeds will be planted this year, and SCA’s seedlings account for approximately a quarter of all seedlings grown in Sweden. In an almost never-ending stream, each pot in the seedling boxes receives a single seed on the automated sowing line at SCA’s Bogrundet nursery – which is the largest tree nursery in the world. The sowing will continue until the end of June and SCA will sow an average of one million seeds a day at its two nurseries.

Metsä Group acquires nature sites that are used to compensate for the conservation areas required of forest owners by the FSC® forest certification. The new service offered to owner-members ensures that the conservation required of forest estates belonging to the FSC forest certification group is aimed at the most valuable nature sites. Metsä Group’s partner in the acquisition of nature sites is the Dasos Habitat fund managed by Dasos Capital Oy. Key investors in the fund are Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company, LocalTapiola and the Finnish Cultural Foundation. A requirement for the FSC forest certification is that at least 5% of the forest land of the associated forest estate is permanently excluded from forest use.

Three standards that further strengthen PEFC’s Sustainability Benchmarks and assist in safeguarding forests globally have been approved by the PEFC General Assembly. The revised standards, which govern chain of custody certification, trademark use, and conformity assessment, will enter into force on 14 February 2020. Chain of custody establishes the link from the forest to the market, tracking forest-based material from sustainable sources to the final product. The Chain of Custody standard lays out the requirements that a company must meet to achieve PEFC chain of custody certification. This includes requirements to avoid “controversial sources” - material not to be used in certified products. The updated definition of controversial sources now incorporates additional sustainability requirements, enabling companies along the entire timber value chain, including those far removed from the forest, to help promote responsible forestry beyond the purchase of certified wood.

Pro Carton have just released the results of their study into how much carbon is emitted during the production of cardboard packaging. We look at the figures and assess just how environmentally friendly this material is. While cardboard packaging is undoubtedly one of the most sustainable materials in the world, when it comes to hard, scientific data on its actual carbon footprint, there’s very little information. Recycling rates, renewable energy use, forestry schemes, replanting programmes, water use – figures are available for most of the individual parts of the production and recycling process, but there’s never been an actual number for the amount of carbon emissions generated during the manufacture of cartonboard packaging – until now. Click read more below for additional info.

Metsä Board was recognised for its actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop a low-carbon economy. It is one of a small number of high-performing companies out of the thousands that were scored. In 2019, over 8,400 companies submitted information to be independently assessed against CDP’s supplier engagement rating methodology. “Metsä Board is a leader in sustainability and a position on the CDP Climate ‘A List’ is a welcome recognition to our continuous efforts. Last year we published our target to have 100% fossil free mills by 2030 and the ‘A List’ position confirms that we are working towards this ambitious goal,” says Mika Joukio, CEO of Metsä Board.

Two Sides North America has released three new fact sheets addressing key environmental topics related to paper and print. Download them by clicking the links below. Paper Recovery and Recycling (https://twosidesna.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2019/11/Paper-Recovery-and-Recycling.pdf) Paper Production and Sustainable Forestry (https://twosidesna.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2019/11/Sustainable-Forestry.pdf) Environmental Facts About the Canadian Paper Industry (https://twosidesna.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2020/01/Environmental-Facts-About-the-Canadian-Paper-Industry_2019.pdf)

Responsible Wood is incredibly grateful for the efforts of those battling bushfires and remain primarily concerned for the wellbeing of people and communities affected by the bushfires. Responsible Wood, our PEFC member in Australia, has released a statement following the devastating fires in the country: Our thoughts are with those affected by the bushfire crisis along with the firefighters, emergency services and the many thousands of volunteers working to protect and support communities across Australia.

The new bio-boiler plant has been put into operation at UPM Joensuu Plywood Mill. It replaces the combined heat and power plant which was built in 1962. The modern bio-boiler plant not only improves the mill's energy efficiency but also environmental performance, occupational safety and fire safety. The boiler uses biofuel, i.e. by-products of plywood production, such as bark and wood chips. Thus, no additional trees are cut down to generate thermal energy. The combustion technology based on the grate technology is more efficient than the technology of the old power plant, which means lower fuel consumption per heat output and thus lower emissions.

Crown Holdings, Inc. has committed to a new environmental sustainability goal to reduce water usage in its global operations by 20% from 2019 levels by the end of 2025. These efforts will decrease the Company's water usage by over 500 million gallons annually. The goal continues the progression of water usage reduction activities that have been underway in Crown's global facilities since 2016. "We recognize the global urgency around water conservation and the responsibility we have as a business to help protect this invaluable resource," said Jerry Gifford, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Crown. "With the accomplishment of our first external sustainability goals well within our reach by the end of 2020, we are raising the bar for our future performance targets. Establishing an ambitious water usage reduction goal is an example of that in action and represents only one piece of a larger water stewardship strategy that will be announced later this year."

At Domtar, we continue to lead in environmental sustainability, with our work rooted in responsibility, efficiency and engagement. We were the first forest products company to become FSC-certified, and now we’re working to understand what’s next in sustainable forestry. As we move forward in our sustainability journey, we’re exploring blockchain technology as a way to increase transparency in our supply chain. “It’s natural that we are looking ahead to what may come next,” says Paige Goff, Domtar’s vice president of sustainability. “We’re researching ways to incorporate blockchain technology into our sustainability efforts so that we can demonstrate even greater transparency to our stakeholders. We think this technology can work hand in hand with our existing certification efforts and with environmental organizations to make our sustainability reporting process more robust and less complex.”

The first biorefinery in the world to produce wood-based advanced biofuels started commercial production in Lappeenranta, Finland five years ago. The UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery uses wood-based residual raw material, crude tall oil, to produce unique renewable fuels that genuinely decrease emissions and mitigate climate change. Today, UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery produces approximately 160 million litres of advanced biofuels and biomaterials each year. These are used to replace fossil-based raw materials in transport fuels and various plastics and adhesives used, for example, in packaging and construction materials. “Our clients can reduce their carbon footprint by replacing fossil-based raw materials with low-emission goods produced by the biorefinery using renewable raw material,” says Panu Routasalo, Vice President of UPM Biofuels.

PEFC invites stakeholders globally to nominate candidates for the permanent PEFC Chain of Custody Working Group. To nominate a candidate to participate in the working group, please fill out the nomination form. The nomination deadline is 31 January 2020. This working group is responsible for the development of the PEFC chain of custody, including the maintenance of the following standards, which have been recently revised: *PEFC ST 2001, PEFC Trademarks *PEFC ST 2002, PEFC Chain of Custody *PEFC ST 2003, Certification Body Requirements – Chain of Custody. The PEFC Chain of Custody Working Group will work on the further implementation and interpretation of these standards and the development of new tools. It will also ensure the PEFC chain of custody is up-to-date regarding stakeholder needs, technology developments and certification demands.

Gap Inc. recently took two new steps to advance our sustainability journey to reduce carbon emissions: signing the G7 Fashion Pact and landing our new Science Based Target to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Ahead of the G7 Summit held in France last summer, Gap Inc. joined with 32 leading apparel and textile companies to sign the Fashion Pact, a set of aggressive and concrete commitments that directly address three priority areas with significant environmental impacts: across Oceans, Climate and Biodiversity. This coalition will work together to scale new solutions and redirect investment toward the reduction of carbon, increase in biodiversity and resilient development by 2050. For us, this builds on prior commitments we have made, including as a signatory of the United Nations Fashion Charter on Climate Change, which recognizes the role our industry must play in protecting the environment and includes multiple pledges of action.

PAFC Congo Basin has announced the start of the regional public consultation for their forest management certification system. Stakeholders from around the region are encouraged to provide their feedback on the first draft of the sustainable forest management standard and the chain of custody standard. The public consultation is open from 13 December 2019 until 14 February 2020, to forest management stakeholders interested in participating in the process. The 60 day regional-level public consultation is an integral part of the development process of any national or regional standard looking to be endorsed by PEFC. This is one of the final steps in the standard setting process before the final draft of the standard is approved, published, and submitted to PEFC for endorsement.