For manufacturers such as Colorpak, this means sourcing papers and boards from forest managers who comply with regulated forestry practices. FSC certified papers and board have only been available in Australia since early 2006.

Alex Commins, managing director of Colorpak says his company was continually seeking ways of enhancing its environmental performance.

He says, “We saw participation in the FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody schemes as a way to encourage our customers via our certifications to source materials from sustainable sources.”

Also Steven Davies, national quality assurance and environment manager for Colorpak says that Chain of Custody certification is just one of a number of environmental initiatives taken by the company.

These include:

• Investing in waterless printing technologies that conserve one of our most precious resources – water

• Introducing a comprehensive waste management and recycling program

• Harvesting rainwater for use in on site toilets

• Encouraging a culture of environmental awareness amongst all employees

• Investigating opportunities for product substitution that reduces waste, increases productivity and makes the entire printing process more sustainable.

Davies continues, “A good example of product substitution is our move away where possible from solvent-based inks to vegetable-based alternatives. Our objective is to meet the international ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard and we are close to achieving this.”

The FSC and PEFC are international not-for-profit organisations dedicated to the responsible management of the world’s forests. They set standards for responsible forest management and accredit independent third-party organisations to certify forest practices.

Colorpak is a listed Australian company that supplies specialist folding cartons to the pharmaceuticals, confectionery, beverages and fast moving consumer goods industries.

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