FSC launched ‘FSC Recycling’ : If over 70% of your waste raw material is recycled, then one can claim FSC recycling

FSC launched ‘FSC Recycling’ :  If over 70% of your waste raw material is recycled, then one can claim FSC recycling

-FSC Recycling Acknowledge the efforts made in the recycling process in different disciplines
-Indian paper industry sources raw materials exclusively from non-forest trees – FSC
-The paper industry does not use raw materials from natural forests; instead, it comes from trees outside the forest
-India's total tree cover and forest area is 72 million hectares, so almost double the size of India's forest is already certified

The Pulp and Paper Times:
Forest Stewardship Council has developed standards for forest management and deal with how these practices can be applied in the forestry and plantation sectors. FSC is active across 90 countries, and have certified approximately 160 million hectares of plantations and natural forests. In India, approximately 1.8 lakh hectares of plantations are certified.

Speaking at an event, Mr. Anuj Sharma, Dy. Country Director – FSC India said, "One needs to understand the importance of forests. We understand the tangible benefits, but there is a need to understand the intangible benefits of the forest as well, like the soil that it conserves, the water that it provides, and the oxygen we breathe. Across the globe, 30% of the geographical area is forest and tree cover, and around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their subsistence."

Introducing the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), he said, "FSC is a not-for-profit organization working to promote responsible forest management across the globe. FSC has developed standards for forest management and chain of custody certification, which deal with how the best management practices can be applied in the forestry and plantation sectors and then by the industries that are using it as a raw material. Currently, FSC is active across 90 countries, and approximately 160 million hectares of plantations and natural forests are certified. India's total tree cover and forest area is 72 million hectares, so almost double the size of India's forest is already certified and is applying these practices. Almost 60,000 forest-based industries, including paper and pulp, are following that the raw material should come from a sustainable source."

Talking about FSC's policy actions and reforms to provide sustainability, a larger platform, and a larger narrative, he added, "In India, there's a unique situation. The paper industry does not use raw materials from natural forests; instead, it comes from trees outside the forest, for which paper industries have worked for the last 30 years. To augment that resource, the industry collaborated with millions of farmers to grow an agroforestry model to grow eucalyptus, poplar, and other species of trees that are required for pulp. Once these smallholder farmers grow these trees, they are harvested and processed further. The FSC's policy action, which applies to a national forest, will not apply to a small holder farm. Management practices don't let the whole forest be cut at once; at least 10% of the area has to be conserved. The sustainability principle says that you should produce more and harvest less, and this has been done by the paper industry. Approximately 5 million farmers are growing trees, which are then harvested sustainably. It is called the Regional Forest Stewardship Standard and is applicable to only four Southeast Asian countries --- Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. In these countries, the paper industry provides handholding to the farmers, who then apply all the sustainability principles."

Talking about the benefits, he added, "Globally, the carbon-centric approach has lost its steam, and people understand that an ecosystem-based approach is more important. So, we do not only talk about the carbon sequestration benefits a plant provides but also about ecosystem services. Along with the environmental benefits, there are certain social benefits as well. In India, there is an understanding that the workers are not given their due benefits, and their rights are not taken care of. FSC brought in a new norm that all our chain of custody certification should have compliance with the ILO (International Labor Organization) score and labor requirements."

He said, "In India, approximately 1.8 lakh hectares of plantations are certified. And these companies are following sustainability principles to the best. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. The Indian paper-based industry is approximately 90,000 crores, and we are only catering to 1-2%. We are working towards reaching the remaining 99%. Recently, the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was introduced, and it says that any product that comes to European shores should not result in deforestation or degradation of forests, land, or other areas. It can be proved by ensuring that there is a traceability solution that goes to the raw material level. And India is rightly poised in this direction because our raw materials do not come from the national forests."

He added, "The textile industry is also adapting these principles, and a lot of athleisure companies are making clothes from the pulp. There's a need to enhance the raw material sources as well. The farmers earn their livelihood through agroforestry and get a livelihood, and the paper industry gets its raw material from virgin fibers. In India, almost 75% of the raw material requirement is through recycled fibers. So, recently, we launched FSC Recycling to acknowledge the efforts made in the recycling process in different disciplines. For example, if over 70% of your waste raw material is recycled, then one can claim FSC recycling. And many consumers prefer recycled products over virgin fiber. We need to highlight that recycling and upcycling are good, and they save money in terms of production and procurement costs. But it also provides consumers, who are conscious about the environment, an opportunity to buy products that do not harm forests or the local communities."
 

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