(Canada) Recent discussions with the major players in the office supply sector – North America’s largest paper consuming industry - have resulted in significant environmental gains for Canada’s forests, ForestEthics announced today.
Staples is eliminating from its supply chain all fiber from endangered forests in Alberta’s Foothills and Abitibi’s Quebec’s Boreal Forest, while FedEx Kinkos eliminated fiber from a mill that was getting wood from British Columbia’s mountain caribou habitat. Staples also committed to have the majority of their paper FSC certified by 2010, and Corporate Express adopted a new environmental policy that includes a preference for FSC certified paper.
These and other environmental advances are outlined in a new report entitled Green Grades: A Report Card on the Paper Practices of the Office Supply Sector released today in Canada and the U.S. by ForestEthics and Dogwood Alliance. The report examines the forest-related paper practices of the five largest office supply companies: FedEx Kinko's, Staples, Office Depot, Corporate Express, and OfficeMax, which owns Grand and Toy.
“We gave each company a chance to improve their grades before we released our report and Staples, FedEx Kinko's and Corporate Express all responded," said Tzeporah Berman, strategic director of ForestEthics. "The progress we've made represents a significant shift toward environmental responsibility, but there's still work to be done. Some of the companies, most notably Office Max, are lagging behind, while all of the companies have room to improve."
Each of the five companies has been engaged in discussions with the two environmental groups, which resulted, among other advances, in several new environmental commitments for Canada’s forests.
"This report is a wake up call for the forest industry in Canada and decision makers from Ontario to British Columbia. Greater forest protection along with the expansion of logging certified by the Forest Stewardship Council are critical to ensure Canada’s forest industry stays relevant in the greening market," added Berman.
The report also highlights ongoing controversy over logging in threatened woodland caribou habitat in Quebec and Ontario and conflicts with First Nations such as Grassy Narrows.
To read the report and see how each company fared, visit www.forestethics.org/greeengrades.
Source: Forestethics.org
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Each of the five companies has been engaged in discussions with the two environmental groups, which resulted, among other advances, in several new environmental commitments for Canada’s forests.
"This report is a wake up call for the forest industry in Canada and decision makers from Ontario to British Columbia. Greater forest protection along with the expansion of logging certified by the Forest Stewardship Council are critical to ensure Canada’s forest industry stays relevant in the greening market," added Berman.
The report also highlights ongoing controversy over logging in threatened woodland caribou habitat in Quebec and Ontario and conflicts with First Nations such as Grassy Narrows.
To read the report and see how each company fared, visit www.forestethics.org/greeengrades.
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