“Forests Matter” – The Why and What of PEFC for Companies

The packaging leader has had a long-term commitment to making real and measurable progress against its five strategic sustainability priorities of forest, climate change, water, waste and people. Earlier this year, Smurfit Kappa announced that it had met, and in some cases exceeded, its previous sustainability goals in the areas of people, climate change and water with the last two goals achieved three years ahead of their 2020 deadline. While Smurfit Kappa’s paper-based packaging is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable, the paper production process itself is resource-intensive so a new set of goals has been outlined to build on the progress already made. These are: Maintaining >90% chain of custody certification of annual customer deliveries; Maintaining 100% chain of custody operating system certification; Assessing energy usage reduction opportunities in converting operations by 2020; Performing water risk assessments for paper mills not yet assessed by 2020; Decreasing water discharge intensity by 60% by 2025 compared to 2005; Decreasing paper mill fossil intensity by 40% by 2030 compared to 2005; Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill by 30% by 2025. Click read more below for additional detail.

Paper often gets a bad rap, but despite fears about paper’s impact on the environment, it’s actually a practical and sustainable choice for many parts of daily living. We’re learning more about the benefits of supplementing technology with print when it comes to education, estate planning and even celebrating life’s milestones. And thanks to our industry’s continuing focus on paper sustainability, our environmental footprint decreases every year. It’s time to clear the air on five of the most persistent paper sustainability myths. Myth 1: Cutting down trees to make paper destroys habitats. Myth 2: Paper production contributes to water pollution. Myth 3: Paper manufacturing is bad for the climate. Myth 4: Electronic communications are more sustainable than paper communications. Myth 5: People don’t recycle paper. Click Read More below for additional information.

Berry’s GRI Index was prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards Core option. GRI is the most widely used framework for sustainability reporting used by businesses, governments, and other organizations. Notable statistics in support of Impact 2025 from the Company’s GRI Index include: Recycled Content: Berry set a new record for annual usage of post-consumer plastic in FY19 of 70,000 metric tons (154 million pounds). Much of the increase was driven by our acquisition of RPC, which is included on a pro forma basis. Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG): Berry continued its long-term reduction in Scope 1+2 GHG emissions intensity, having reduced its intensity 3% year-over-year and 46% since the Company began measuring its carbon footprint in 2008. The Company is ahead of schedule for achieving its science-based target of a 25% reduction in Scope 1+2 GHG emissions intensity by 2025, having already achieved a 14% reduction vs. its 2016 baseline. Landfill Waste: Berry realized a 13% reduction in its landfill waste intensity from 2018 to 2019. This exceeds the Company’s goal of a 5% reduction year-over-year. Energy: For the year, Berry reduced its energy intensity by 3% year-over-year. This exceeds the Company’s goal of a 1% reduction year-over-year. Water: In the year 2019, the Company decreased absolute water intensity 12% from 2018 to 2019, far exceeding the 1% year-over-year reduction target.