Tetra Pak Inc., a manufacturer of food processing and packaging systems, and Hewlett-Packard have joined World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Global Forest & Trade Network in North America (GFTN-NA) to support the trade of responsibly sourced forest products.
The Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) is WWF's initiative to eliminate illegal logging and to save the world's valuable and threatened forests.
By joining GFTN in North America, Tetra Pak strengthens its global commitment to responsible fiber sourcing, which is in line with the company's existing GFTN commitments in Sweden and the UK. Tetra Pak initially joined the GFTN in 2006 with the GFTN-Sweden program, where it could coordinate with the company's centralized, international paperboard purchasing team based in Lund. In 2007, Tetra Pak-UK became a participant in GFTN-UK to reinforce Tetra Pak's international commitment to responsible purchasing in the UK.
In 2008, 33 percent of Tetra Pak's global paperboard supply was fiber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the independent and globally recognized standard for responsible forest management. The company has a goal of progressively increasing the FSC-certified content in its liquid packaging board. Tetra Pak produces recyclable cartons made with 60 percent renewable resources.
By becoming a member of the GFTN, Hewlett-Packard (HP) has committed to progressively increase the amount of responsibly harvested fiber used in its paper products. HP has set a target of 40 percent of its paper sales from Forest Stewardship Council-certified or post-consumer recycled sources by 2011.
HP sells more than 280,000 tons of paper annually, including HP Everyday Papers, small- and large-format papers, photo media and other branded media products to a global market with a concentration in North America and Europe.
As part of meeting these goals, HP will be working with suppliers and informing customers of its commitment. WWF will provide technical assistance toward reaching these goals.
Carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation are a main cause of climate change, said HP. Joining the GTFN is part of HP's environmental commitment to mitigating climate change by reducing its carbon footprint across its business operations, products and supply chain.
