Forestry & Renewable Materials
At Evergreen Packaging, all of our paper and paperboard is made from trees, a renewable resource.
Fiber Procurement
At Evergreen Packaging, we promote responsible forestry, and our third-party certifications verify responsible forestry practices. Our fiber procurement programs are certified to meet the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Fiber Sourcing standards. All of our North American facilities have chain-of-custody certifications from independent parties such as Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C016043), the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™), and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®).
Our paper products are made from 100% U.S.-sourced wood that can be traced to the district of origin. We procure our wood from responsible sources by:
- Working closely with suppliers to make sure certification standards are met.
- Supporting logger education and encourage employing trained loggers.
- Conducting risk assessments in the areas where we source wood and determine low risk of violating standards.
- Monitoring growth vs. removal in areas from which we source wood.
Sustainable Forest Management
We have been in business for over 100 years and rely on a sustainable supply of fiber from the forest to make our paper products. Evergreen Packaging is committed to Zero Deforestation through our fiber procurement practices.
The goals of our Fiber Procurement Policy promote principles of sustainable forest management including:
- practicing sustainable forestry
- employing responsible practices
- regenerating the forest and maintaining productive capacity
- protecting and maintaining long-term forest and soil productivity
- protecting water resources
- protecting special sites and biological diversity
- complying with legal requirements
- continually improving forest practices.
Forestry Certifications
At Evergreen Packaging, we're committed to increasing the use of certified wood and promoting forest certification in our wood procurement areas. We are committed to integrating the sustainable growth and harvesting of trees with protection of wildlife, plants, soils, and water. We demonstrate this dedication to responsible forestry not only on a day-to-day basis, but also by maintaining forestry certifications via third-party audits.
SFI Fiber Sourcing mandates proactive promotion of logger education and training, best management practices, identification and protection of important habitat elements for wildlife, and prompt reforestation of harvested sites.
View our SFI Fiber Sourcing and Certified Sourcing Certificates:
SFI Fiber Sourcing Certificate
SFI Certified Sourcing Certificate
Chain of Custody requires that the source of the wood supply be tracked from the forest to the product. Each tract of land must have a land management plan audited by a third party.
View our Chain of Custody Certificates:
FSC Certificate
PEFC Certificate
SFI Certificate
Evergreen Forest Certification (EFC) Program
We developed the EFC program to work with small landowners to increase certified forests. We worked with forestry consultants and landowners to establish a group certification program that meets the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C112428). This program promotes the use of responsible forest management practices and is a long-term business model for our wood procurement operations. The program helps landowners develop and implement a forest management plan and we can even act as a liaison with other agencies and organizations that provide assistance to landowners. Additional benefits of the program include: 1) Multiple landowners can be certified under a single managed group certificate. 2) Landowners now have an effective way to have their forests certified to internationally recognized standards. 3) We cover the cost of the group membership certificates and annual audits under FSC®.
We also helped form the Appalachian Woodlands Alliance (AWA), a partnership between the Rainforest Alliance and other forest products industry leaders including Evergreen. The project is designed to work with small private woodland owners to help companies responsibly source forest products in the Southeastern US. Evergreen Packaging supported development of the Smallholder Access Program (SAP), a two-year FSC® pilot program designed to increase access to forest certification for woodland owners under 250 acres.
Our participation in the AWA reflects Evergreen's long-term commitment to promoting responsible forest management and supply chain assurance. This successful partnership also enables us to participate in a pilot project designed to improve forest health and to help meet rising customer demand for certified products.
Helpful Links
2020 AF&PA Leadership Award
2020 FSC Leadership Award
Appalachian Woodlands Alliance including Evergreen Wins 2020 FSC Leadership Award in the Uncommon Partnership category. We’re proud to be a partner of the AWA Smallholder Access Program (SAP).
Find out more about the program.
Find out more about the award.