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FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is an internationally recognised certification system that accredits companies who adhere to its policies on responsible forestry and traceability of wood fibres. Here, leading commentators review how to make FSC more meaningful to consumers.

Richard Hands, Environment Manager, Tetra Pak UK

"Despite the economic downturn, being ‘green’ still ranks high on consumer’s agendas. But as consumer understanding of the environment grows, so does the public’s demand for a more holistic view of product impact.

"At Tetra Pak, our work with FSC has helped authenticate our ongoing work on renewability and shown that cartons are made from a renewable resource – wood. In 2007 we launched the world’s first FSC certified carton and our ultimate goal is to have all the paper in our packaging certified to this high standard.

We are keen supporters of FSC and are working with customers to raise awareness of certification, particularly through labelling and promotions such as FSC Friday. This commitment to renewability sits alongside our significant efforts to expand the carton recycling network across the country."

Rosie Teasdale, UK Marketing Officer at the Forest Stewardship Council

"In recent UK surveys, 59% of respondents claimed they would probably or definitely choose FSC certified products in the future, once the concept of FSC was explained.

This confirms FSC UK’s belief that the British consumer wants to buy wood and paper products safe in the knowledge that they are not damaging the world’s forests.

The challenge lies in conveying the message that the FSC logo gives them this assurance.

"Recognition of the FSC logo is increasing year on year as manufacturers and retailers carry out on-product labelling and off-product promotions. FSC will be introducing new graphic guidelines in 2010; we hope these will help to make the FSC label more meaningful to the consumer, as well as make it easier for companies to promote the FSC status of their products in a simple but informative manner."

Fiona Wheatley, Brand Integrity and Sustainability Research Manager at Sainsbury’s

"Recent surveys indicate that awareness of the FSC logo is increasing year on year. Much of the credit for this goes to retailers like us who have switched to FSC-certified materials in acknowledgement of the uniquely high standards associated with the FSC logo.

"The FSC standard has evolved over time and is widely trusted thanks to support from wildlife conservation organisations like WWF. Plus, the introduction of ‘Mixed Sources’ certification engaged a whole new sector. Widespread certification of packaging materials may be next if the FSC can create the right customer message.

Sainsbury’s would welcome this development as a natural extension of existing programmes to protect forests and stop deforestation."

FSC certification is a very welcome system for clearly identifying timber that is environmentally and responsibly sourced. And it’s been extremely encouraging to see how manufacturers and retailers have embraced the process. As a result, FSC has gone from strength to strength and is now widely seen as the only credible forest certification system currently available on the market.

But there is still some distance to go. While UK consumers are increasingly making purchasing decisions for environmental and ethical reasons, there are still misconceptions and a lack of knowledge about FSC. Information is the key to addressing this. Manufacturers like Tetra Pak should be praised for helping to boost the profile of FSC amongst their customers but more needs to be done to ensure that the rationale behind FSC, and the full benefits of responsibly sourced materials, are communicated to consumers. This will involve manufacturers, retailers and WRAP working together to further promote the initiative.