APP statement on Rainforest Alliance’s evaluation of The Forest Trust/Ata Marie wood supply study

Enjoying a cup of coffee or tea on the go can help make our busy lifestyles a little more tolerable. It affords busy parents a moment of nirvana as they rush to deliver kids to school and get to work on time, and provides everyone the option to enjoy their beverage of choice even if they don’t have time to finish it in store. The facts support a compelling case that the makers of paper cups – the paper and wood products industry – have a long commitment to sustainable business practices that protect the environment, spur innovation and advance recycling. The first thing that sets paper cups apart from other cups: They are made from sustainably managed, renewable materials whose cultivation benefits the environment. Paper products, like cups and paper-based packaging, are made with wood fiber from sustainably-managed forests, which is a 100 percent renewable resource. The wood fiber used to make paper products like cups comes from forests that are managed using sustainable management practices. In fact, adhering to such practices is a condition of AF&PA membership. The U.S. currently grows more wood than it harvests, and there are an estimated 20 percent more trees in the U.S. now than in 1970. Click Read More below for additional information.

PEFC-certified cardboard has replaced plastic packaging around the cider can packs by UK cider maker Thatchers, significantly reducing the company’s use of plastic. Thatchers has introduced PEFC-certified board for its four and ten-can packs of ciders. Using certified cardboard for packaging is one more important step in Thatchers’ commitment to the environment. The company first started its ground-breaking initiative five years ago, introducing new duo-wing cardboard packs for its best-selling ciders. Around 100 tonnes of plastic have been saved during this time. Through this innovation, Thatchers has also been able to wipe out its use of the much-maligned plastic rings. In the last twelve months, Thatchers has saved around 20 million plastic rings from being discarded, eliminating their potential harm to the environment.

After its invention in the 20th century, plastic was seen as a miracle material. Today, we know about the various health and environmental risks it brings. Korean company Dongnam Realize found a sustainable alternative in CXP, a new kind of thermosoftening wood made from PEFC-certified wood. Thanks to its plastic-like properties, CXP can replace the plastic products we use in our daily lives. We spoke to Seunghoon Lim, Chief Technology Officer at Dongnam Realize, who told us more about the material and its potential to make the future more sustainable.