Bestack, the nonprofit research consortium that unites the Italian manufacturers of corrugated packaging for fresh produce, in collaboration with WWF Italy has been developing initiatives to guide the industry towards more sustainable processes.
The latest collaboration focuses on a study that investigates sector commitment to the use of paper made from wood pulp from forests managed according to criteria of environmental sustainability. To this end the data transmited by the member companies to Bestack in 2011-2013, in relation to the trend of buying paper produced from FSC or PEFC certified wood pulp was analysed.
The research shows a positive trend: 2011 to 2013 the percentage of non-certified paper in Italian corrugated packaging production dropped by half (from 24% to 12%). FSC certification is the most used (70% in 2011 increasing to 81% in 2013). For Bestack member companies the WWF has defined a series of targets to ensure environmental sustainability of supply chains and greater product traceability, with the goal of attaining a 100% supply of certified raw material by 2018.
