News Environment & Sustainability Packaging
Sustainable packaging supplier DS Smith joins FSC International

DS Smith, a global manufacturer of sustainable packaging, has joined Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) International, which promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Since the acquisition and integration of Interstate Resources and the more recent acquisition of Europac, DS Smith now owns over 14,000 hectares of forest assets across North America, Portugal and Spain.

“Chain of custody certification schemes have value where they credibly substantiate a sustainable product story to a consumer, usually through data and supply chain traceability and transparency,” says Sam Jones, sustainability strategy manager at DS Smith. “There is still work to be done and certification schemes like the FSC need to continually evolve to make use of the best methodology and technologies for collecting, analyzing and sharing supply chain data. DS Smith will work with FSC to improve the sharing of e-supply chain data securely without compromising commercially sensitive information.”

Forest management and chain of custody certifications are a minimum requirement for the paper and cardboard industry, and DS Smith has this in place across its global footprint to reinforce that it only has responsibly managed and sustainably harvested virgin material in its products.

“We recognize that we cannot solve complex environmental issues on our own,” says Jeremy Harrison, chief marketing officer at FSC International. “Collaboration with stakeholders – including with businesses like DS Smith – is crucial in continuing to develop the effectiveness of certification. Collaboration drives the innovation required to improve our system and continue to create value for the end consumer, communities and the environment.”

More than 200 million hectares of forest worldwide are FSC-certified.