Today in dead tree branding … Xerox, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Delta Dental and Bigelow Tea have joined 27 other major companies in distancing themselves from controversial eco-label Sustainable Forestry Initiative. SFI has garnered criticism from environmental groups for what they deem to be a “greenwashing” campaign, saying that forest products that carry the label are often harvested using unsustainable practices such as clearcutting and herbicide use.
“It is good news that the brands are dropping SFI,” says Dan Ehresman of the Northcoast Environmental Center. “There has definitely been a long-standing dialogue around SFI versus [Forest Stewardship Council] certification. SFI seems to have more … practices that are not truly sustainable.”
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has been pushed in recent years as the gold standard for sustainable forestry practices, but in 2013 some environmental advocates protested its certification of Green Diamond (formerly the Simpson Timber Company), saying that the company’s practices did not measure up to FSC standards. Green Diamond is also SFI-certified. A previous article about this controversy garnered a letter to the editor from SFI Senior Vice President of Customer Affairs Jason Metnick, who stated “The science-based SFI standard is developed through an open, transparent process that includes public comment periods and workshops through which everyone is welcome to participate.”
From ForestEthics:
Four Major U.S. Brands Drop SFI, Expand Commitment to Responsible Paper: Xerox, Starwood Hotels Will Promote Only FSC-Certification and Label
[Bellingham, WA] Environmental watchdog ForestEthics announced today that four major US brands, Xerox, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Delta Dental, and Bigelow Tea, have expanded their commitment to support and promote responsible forestry by distancing their brands from the controversial Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) paper and wood certification and labeling.
The four companies join a list of 27 major US brands that will avoid promoting SFI because, according to ForestEthics, the logging industry-run program misleads consumers and allows massive clearcuts, other destructive logging, and human rights abuse.
“SFI is a serious liability to any brand that cares about its environmental reputation,” says Jim Ace, ForestEthics, senior campaigner. “The logging and paper industry should realize that misleading consumers is a liability for them, too.”
The companies have each updated their policies on sustainability and sourcing:
“Xerox is no longer directly involved in paper sales or distribution in North America and will work with our suppliers to avoid using or promoting the Sustainable Forestry Initiative certification program.”
“Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is committed to sustainability and works with suppliers who commit to sourcing environmentally responsible paper and fiber that meet only the highest forest protection standards. As part of its Sustainable Meeting Practices, Starwood encourages recycling and is committed to reducing its paper consumption and promoting the use of post-consumer waste (PCW) recycled paper and fiber. For materials containing virgin fiber, Starwood prefers using and promoting content certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) and avoids using, promoting or referencing Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).”“Our group of companies — Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and our affiliated companies — are committed to being an environmentally responsible business, which includes our ability to reduce paper consumption wherever possible and sourcing environmentally responsible paper.” Delta Dental has removed the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) label from its consumer-facing mailings.
“Bigelow Tea constantly strives to deepen our commitment to environmental responsibility. As a part of that effort, we engage and educate our vendors about sustainability best practices. Bigelow Tea recognizes that Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) has the most rigorous forest management standard and is widely considered the gold standard of forest certification. As part of Bigelow Tea’s strong commitment to environmental sustainability, Bigelow Tea will promote the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and will educate our vendors about Bigelow Tea’s purchasing preference for Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper and fiber.”
“FSC is the only forest certification that aligns with these companies’ commitment to protect endangered forests, wildlife, and human rights,” say Ace. “Xerox, Starwood Hotels, Delta Dental, and Bigelow Tea know that consumers expect no greenwashing of damaging logging practices and respect for human rights.”
“We applaud Xerox, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Delta Dental, and Bigelow Tea, and the dozens of other companies for protecting healthy forests, wildlife, and communities,” says Ace. “This is exactly the kind of corporate leadership on responsible forestry and sustainability that the multi-billion dollar market for green products will reward.”
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This article appears in ‘System Failure’.
Unsustainable monoculture timber plantations is a more appropriate title. You’d think the logging companies would receive at least as much scrutiny as marijuana farms, which are a tiny speck on the map in comparison. No more giant canopies of ancient, odd aged native life. I’m outside, barefoot in a tshirt again in mid October in our lovely old growth redwood rainforest.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative continues to grow on all fronts. Over the past 20 years, SFI has evolved into an internationally-endorsed forest certification program used by a diverse group including conservation organizations, community groups, the public sector, universities, indigenous peoples, and many more. SFI Inc.’s 18-member multi-stakeholder Board of Directors comprises three chambers, representing environmental, economic and social interests. Board members include representatives of environmental, conservation, professional and academic groups, family forest owners, public officials, labour and the forest products industry. With more than a quarter-billion acres/100 million hectares certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard, and many more positively influenced by SFI Fiber Sourcing, SFI has the necessary scale to directly influence the future of our forests.
We know that the overwhelming majority of organizations that ForestEthics names in their press releases continue to recognize the value of the SFI program and purchase paper certified to the SFI standard. When consumers buy products with the SFI label, they not only purchase a product that meets rigorous SFI certification requirements, such as measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, indigenous values, funding conservation research, and protecting Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, they are also helping grow future forests through the various programs SFI is involved with outside of the SFI Standards. This includes programs to sustain communities, fund conservation research, educate youth and work to continually improve and quantify conservation impact. Despite what a few activists claim, more and more companies are getting on board. Almost 20% of Fortune 100 companies are already using the SFI on-product label, and last year, more than 6,500 SFI label use requests were approved.
Smear campaigns do a disservice to all forest certification standards by undermining efforts to strengthen the connections between sustainable forests, thriving communities, and responsible purchasing. While we may have different approaches, we share the same goal – to protect forests, and we would welcome a candid discussion as to how we can work together to accomplish that goal. In a world where only ten percent of the forests are certified, we must work together to promote responsible forestry, because we all rely on healthy forests in our daily lives. We don’t want to silence our critics, but rather work in a meaningful way that makes SFI stronger and, in turn, ensures the long-term health and future of our forests, and the people that depend on them.
– Jason Metnick, Senior Vice President, Customer Affairs
Loggers across the United States continue to be puzzled by the use of their sector of the industry in editorials such as this when the author should be referring to the forest products manufacturing (mills) sector of the country. The vast majority of logging operations in the United States are small, family-owned businesses that have skilled, trained professionals that are out there practicing sustainable harvesting practices. Logger training and education is a component of the SFI program, and something that is almost seen as an oversight in the FSC program.
We will, like Jason, be glad when the focus of all certification programs becomes an on the ground measure of sustainable forestry practices, and not a political tool to sway public opinion and forest management policies.
Dan Dructor
Executive VP
American Loggers Council
One would expect nothing less than industry-friendly responses from Jason Metnick and Dan Dructor, as well as their own “like-dislike” click slam, but it’s very important (and obvious) to keep in mind the aspects of the logging industry they’ll never criticize that forefront the reasons for failing support. An industry’s own green stamping for publicity purposes is transparently shady on all fronts, especially concerning negative environmental impacts. This is a clear cut case of it (pun intended), and it’s good to read that people within the corporate world are wise to it.