Demand for paper and board from accredited forestry management schemes is likely to put pressure on supplies, will require new administration and storage systems and will increase costs, say suppliers.
The two principle international accreditation systems are from non-governmental organisation the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) and the industry-driven Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), an umbrella for national schemes.
Tetra Pak UK created an FSC "chain of custody", certifying manufacturers that take in accredited materials, in 2003. But its environment manager, Richard Hands, says a series of challenges has meant cartons bearing the FSC logo are yet to emerge from its Wrexham plant. He adds: "There will be additional costs. How we absorb them or pass them on to our customers is a matter that must be resolved." He adds: "I'm not sure that the FSC can satisfy demand in the UK."
Staffan Sjöberg, public relations manager at Swedish paper and board supplier Iggesund, agrees: "There could be supply issues, and these schemes limit the choice of suppliers."
The requirement for forest owners to set aside 5% of their land for conservation must impact on costs, he adds. Iggesund puts the price premium for FSC board at closer to 3%, depending on quality, and levies a blanket surcharge of 15 euros per tonne. "FSC demands increase the cost of forestry and this will end up with the consumer," Sjöberg says.
Iggesund's Swedish operation established a PEFC chain of custody in 2007. But Iggesund Paperboard in the UK has offered the FSC equivalent since 2005. Most recently, UK converter Benson Box obtained FSC and PEFC accreditation for two of its three sites.