As part of the commitment initiated in 2007, Elopak, SIG Combibloc and Tetra Pak, all members of the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE), also secured 100% Chain of Custody certification for all their production sites and all the mills that supply liquid packaging board to ACE members.
The voluntary commitment, which was supported by the WWF European Policy Office from the start, gives practical effect to EU and international forest policy objectives promoting sustainable forestry practices, such as the EU’s action plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT).
Niels Petter Wright, CEO of Elopak, said: “This is what we set as an ambitious and long-term goal back in 2007. It is a tribute to our respective company teams, as well as to our suppliers, that we have been able to complete this ahead of schedule. We are committed to maintain these high standards”, he added.
Renewable materials that are responsibly sourced can bring a double contribution to the circular economy by combining regrowth of resources with recycling. They also decrease Europe’s dependency on finite resources and contribute to mitigating climate change. “Responsibly sourced renewable materials, like our liquid packaging board, have a key role to play in supporting a low carbon circular economy”, underlined Rolf Stangl, CEO of SIG Combibloc.
“A circular economy needs a constant inflow of primary materials to grow. A true circular economy should therefore start with responsible sourcing of primary materials; something we have worked hard to achieve during the past decade. While the industry will continue to play a key role, the EU must do more to encourage responsible sourcing practices and the use of renewable materials”, commented Dennis Jönsson, Tetra Pak’s CEO.
Meeting ACE representatives in Brussels, Jyrki Katainen, Commission’s Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, commented: “We must show that there is a business case and economic gains behind the circular way of thinking. Therefore, I am pleased to see that companies come up with their own initiatives proving that this is the case.”
Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, provided further encouragement: “Your contribution is very valuable and irreplaceable. This also goes for all efforts to tackle the challenges involved in keeping these valuable materials in the cycle for as long as possible.”
