2/3/2024 0 Comments Transloader renewable fiber![]() And their parent company and pulp supplier, Asia Pulp and Paper, has been disassociated from the Forest Stewardship Council for its actions, and therefore it can not bring that certification to earn credit in the Green Seal system either. For example, they do not produce products with high-recycled content. Why is this important to Solaris? Under the scoring system of the existing Green Seal standard, Solaris’ current product offering could never earn the designation and carry the label. They advocated strongly that Rapidly Renewable Fiber from trees be included in the criteria and earn credits towards carrying the Green Seal label on the product. Solaris is a growing player in the commercial and service industry tissue sector. ![]() But then Solaris Papers showed up to insert themselves and their own very specific interests in the process. The case of the eco-label Green Seal and a 2018 update to its well respected GS-1 Sanitary Paper Standard is an excellent case illustrating the intersection of tree sourced Rapidly Renewable Fiber with a more rigorous and meaningful, third-party, eco-label.Īt the start of this story, Green Seal recognized that a periodic review and update to its standards was in order, and that diversifying the sustainable fiber basket with increasingly viable alternative natural fibers and agricultural waste should be reviewed as a part of it. There is also no assurance that the land to grow the fiber was obtained with the free, prior and informed consent of the community. It does not take into consideration any factors related to the forestry and the production of the product aside from its industrial efficiency. Why does RRF fall short? First, it is far too blunt an instrument to be using for robustly assessing the environmental leadership of a raw material, a supplier or a product. An advertisement on a product that simply claims “Rapidly Renewable Fiber” fails to meet the standards of a credible eco-label, and is insufficient information on its own to assure the social and environmental integrity of a paper product. Individual companies have applied an RRF logo on products sourced from fiber from these intensively managed tree crops, which in certain conditions can be harvested in 6-8 years. What is RRF? “Rapidly Renewable” building materials and fiber are made from agricultural products that are typically harvested within a 10-year or shorter cycle, including fast growing plantation trees in the tropics. One effort to address this has been the US EPA’s ongoing process seeking to sort through the crowded marketplace, identify credible eco-labels, and provide guidance for federal government agencies. According to the Global Ecolabelling Network, “ the most credible labels are awarded by an impartial third party for specific products or services that have been independently determined to meet transparent environmental leadership criteria, based on life-cycle considerations.” It is commonly recognized that currently there is confusion in the marketplace caused by the rapid proliferation of eco-labels, which challenges the usefulness of all labels. Eco-labeling should rely on standards developedt by experts and applied in a transparent process. When are they credible? Eco-labels need to be trusted by customers to be successful, but not all of them are deserving. The International Standards Organization says that eco-labels have a common goal, which is, “…through communication of verifiable and accurate information that is not misleading on environmental aspects of products and services, to encourage the demand for and supply of those products and services that cause less stress on the environment, thereby stimulating the potential for market-driven continuous environmental improvement.” What is the purpose of eco-labels? A credible eco-label on a product can convey important information and provide purchasers with verification that they are choosing responsibly and even investing in leadership practices by the company they buy from. The label looks green and sounds good, but does it offer meaningful assurance of social and environmental responsibility? This article takes a closer look at what the logo means when it appears on paper products and whether it meets the standard of a credible eco-label. There’s a new “green” product label on the scene in the paper world which touts tissue and other products as produced by “Rapidly Renewable Fiber,” or RRF.
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