Tembec Supports Guidelines for Sustainable Paper Products

Tembec, Montreal, Que., Canada, this week reported that it supports the Guidelines for Sustainable Paper Products released April 24 by GreenBlue that "provide the common language and framework the paper products industry needs to take practical and profitable steps toward sustainability." The Guidelines for Sustainable Paper Products is a joint effort of GreenBlue, a non-profit organization, and its Forest Products Working Group, made up of 10 companies including Tembec.

Other members of the Forest Products Working Group include Avery Dennison, Avon Products, Bank of America, Catalyst Paper, Domtar, HAVI Global Solutions, RR Donnelley, Sappi Fine Paper North America, and Staples.

The Guidelines provide common definitions of sustainable paper products, and outline what sustainability means for the paper products industry, for its customers, and for the community at large. They envision a paper products industry in which every product is designed to be safe and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle, is sourced responsibly, is manufactured, transported, and recycled using clean technology and renewable energy, and, after use, is effectively recovered and recycled to provide a valuable resource for the next generation of products.

"Tembec worked with GreenBlue and other industry partners on the Guidelines for Sustainable Paper Products because we believe adopting a common language and shared values about sustainability will help our industry embrace sustainable development," said Chris Black, Tembec EVP and president, Paper and Paper Pulp Group. "This continues Tembec's long history of working with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure responsible stewardship of resources and sustainable operations."

The Guidelines provide the information companies need to evaluate the sustainability of their operations, identify opportunities for profitable improvement, and integrate life cycle thinking and sustainable criteria into business strategies, Tembec explains. The Guidelines will evolve over time.

More information about the guidelines is available online.

TAPPI
http://www.tappi.org/