A Breakdown Of Ecolabels What you need to know about green certification systems for tissue and towel products. By: Richard Marriott R Richard Marriott is the North America sustain-ability leader for Kimberly-Clark Professional. For more information about the ways Kimberly-Clark can help you go green and oper-ate more sustainably, visit www.KCProfessional.com. Reducing environmental impact is essential to a sustainable future. As you consider product choices that meet your facilities’ environmental needs, it’s impor-tant to take into account not just what a product is made with but how it is made as well. Creating products with 100 percent recycled fiber is one approach to environmental sustain-ability, but it does not take into account 100 percent of the picture. Manufacturers who take a holistic approach — examining a product’s entire lifecycle from source to disposal — offer a balanced approach to the environment that is aimed at continually reducing the use of natural resources. That means designing products so users con-sume less, either through improved performance, more reliable dispensing methods or both. It also includes using sustainably sourced fiber, less packaging and manufacturing technologies that reduce the amount of raw material used. Superior product performance allows people to use less and waste less. Green Certifications for more info Visit www.cmmonline.com and type in search keyword: Sustainability . For more information on related products, visit www.cmmonline.com , select SUPPLIER SEARCH from the main navigation bar, and enter keyword: Paper Products . There are a wide variety of products that can help you minimize your impact on the environment while reducing costs. What follows is an overview of key green certification systems used for tissue and towel products. ■ Chain of Custody The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the respon-sible management of the world’s forests. It was created in 1993 in response to concerns over global deforestation. FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification tracks FSC-certified material through the production process — from the forest to the consumer, including all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution. Only FSC CoC-certified operations are allowed to label products with the FSC trademarks, which provide the link between responsible production and consumption and enables consumers to make socially and environmentally responsible purchasing decisions. FSC certification is a voluntary, market-based tool that supports responsible forest manage-ment worldwide. FSC-certified forest products are verified from the forest of origin through the supply chain. The FSC label ensures that the forest products used are from responsibly harvested and verified sources. FSC is also supported by such major envi-ronmental groups as Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy and National Wildlife Federation. For more information, visit www.FSC.org. ■ EcoLogo EcoLogo by UL Environment is North America’s largest, most respected environmental standard and certification mark. EcoLogo provides customers — public, cor-porate and consumer — with assurance that the products and services bearing the logo meet stringent standards of environmental leadership. The EcoLogo mark provides third-party, inde-pendent assurance that products meet stringent 36 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • October 2012
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