SUSTAINABILITY: Defined
To be sustainable, a natural resource’s yield must be capable of being produced continually from generation to generation, without depleting the resource. A definition with broad-based insight applicable to any circumstance was crafted by the United Nations back in 1987:
To be sustainable means to "meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."
Only paper and paperboard made from trees harvested from certified sustainable forests meet the above standard.
These groves can be just as beautiful as an unmanaged stand of trees. The picture above was taken in a Sierra Nevada managed forest certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
To reduce the confusion which often surrounds the meaning of this term, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) has expanded the definition of sustainable as it applies specifically to our industry. Sustainable packaging:
Is beneficial, safe & healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle
Meets market criteria for both performance and cost
Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy
Optimizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials
Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices
Is made from materials healthy in all probable end of life scenarios
Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy
Is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial closed loop cycles
To find out how you can determine if the products you buy come in certified sustainable paperboard packaging, please click here.
Here you can learn how paperboard packaging companies meet the goals of the socially responsible Triple Bottom Line of a sustainable organization.