For more visit: Guide to Green Paper

Market Demand for FSC-certified Paper

Do you know where your paper comes from? Are you using more resources than necessary? Do you care? Do your customers care?

• Learn more about eco-labeling and 'green' papers
• Develop a Forest Friendly Paper Procurement Policy 
• Find FSC-certified papers
• Find out why you should choose FSC

Global paper consumption increased by twenty times in the past century, and has more than tripled over the past 30 years.   Spurred on by growing consumer demand, the pulp and paper industry is offering more environmentally friendly (or "green") paper options than ever before. 

See who's using FSC-certified papers and who's talking about them! 

There are various ways in which paper production can be made more environmentally friendly, whether it be through certifed wood fibre, renewable energy consumption or chlorine free bleaching processes. One of the most rapidly growing ways that manufacturers and consumers are decreasing the environmental impact of paper production is through FSC certified fibre.  Paper made with FSC certified fibre and bearing the FSC logo is your guarantee that it has come from responsibly managed forests that maintain the highest environmental and social standards. 

FSC-certified forests protect wildlife habitat and endangered species, ensure clean water by respecting rivers and waterways, are not planted with genetically modified (GM) trees, or converted into plantations. To become certified companies must also involve local communities and Aboriginal Peoples in the development of forest management plans, and respect their rights and beliefs. FSC is the only forest certification standard supported by organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund of Canada, Sierra Club of Canada and Greenpeace.

Although recycled fibres are often considered the only alternative for responsible papers, they can only meet 35% of current paper consumption, and not all paper can be 100% recycled. In fact, not all recycled fibre is good.  Where does the recycled fibre come from, and if a paper is only partially recycled, where does the new wood fibre come from? With FSC-certified paper you are guaranteed that both the new and recycled fibre come from forest-friendly sources that meet the highest international standards.

Customers are demanding that companies use paper products that come from a sustainable and responsible source. Industry leaders are delivering by printing on FSC-certified papers, and changing their purchasing policies to specify FSC-certified products.  To write your own environmentally friendly paper purchasing policy click here.