(UPM, Helsinki, 7 April 2009 at 13:00) - UPM has significantly increased the availability of independently certified and eco-labelled paper to its customers worldwide. Many customers can now get 100 % of their paper supply certified to an independent forest management standard and/or labelled with the EU Eco-label. The EU Eco-label is awarded for top environmental performance over the life-cycle of paper production.
In 2008, the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Japan dominated UPM sales of third-party certified and EU Eco-label paper.
"We now have major publishers and cataloguers purchasing large volumes of certified paper compared with previous years. Many are also electing to print either the PEFC label (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), the FSC label (Forest Stewardship Council), or the EU Eco-label on their products," says Philippe Riebel, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, UPM.
"We have seen a shift in the recognition and understanding of sustainable forest management and certification. Several of our customers have adopted an all-inclusive policy that gives them access to a larger pool of certified products," states Riebel. "UPM's approach to obtaining PEFC and FSC chain-of-custody certification as well as the EU Eco-label has given our customers more options for obtaining either type of paper."
UPM's chain-of-custody model meets the requirements of PEFC and FSC and confirms the sustainable and legal origin of all wood fibre used by the company. The model reports the total percentage of certified fibre in UPM paper products and the percentage according to different certification schemes. The volume credit approach used by UPM also allows the company to allocate certified paper to customers who choose to order it.
Time Inc., a major global customer, is currently purchasing 100 % certified paper from UPM. "The fibre is tracked from the forest to the marketplace using a third-party verified chain-of-custody system. That means that we know the origin of all the fibre used by UPM in the paper we purchase and can be sure it has been sustainably and legally sourced," say Guy Gleysteen, Senior Vice President Production, Time Inc. "This purchasing agreement with UPM supports Time Inc.'s goal of having a total of 80 % certified fibre in all of its magazine paper by the end of 2009. UPM has been a key supplier for Time Inc. over the years due to their high level of environmental performance and the availability of certified paper."
UPM recognises and utilises all credible forest certification schemes, including the two major international ones - PEFC and FSC. As a global industry leader, UPM actively promotes an increase in the use of certified wood worldwide and all of UPM's own forests are certified.
For more information please contact:
Philippe Riebel, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, UPM, tel. +1 630 386 2651 (after 15:00 Helsinki time, GMT +3:00)
UPM is one of the world's leading forest industry groups. UPM consists of three Business Groups: Energy and Pulp, Paper, and Engineered materials. Our competitiveness is based on cost leadership, change readiness and leading innovation. The Group employs around 25,000 people and it has production facilities in 14 countries. In 2008, UPM made sales of EUR 9.5 billion. UPM's shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki stock exchange.
Time Inc., a Time Warner company, is one of the largest content companies in the world. With approximately 130 magazines, it is the largest magazine publisher in the U.S. and U.K. Each month, one out of every two American adults reads a Time Inc. magazine, and one out of every 10, who are online, visits a company web site (more than 19 million unique visitors). Time Inc.’s popular brands and successful franchises extend to online, television, cable VOD, satellite radio, mobile devices, events and branded products.
