Page 15 - BOSS Today Issue 43

SPECIAL FEATURE BOSS Today #43

rate of as much as 72.3% – around for sustainably-sourced pulp and, point out to customers that sourcing
60 million tonnes – representing rather than seeing it as a hurdle, he the cheapest product may have
an increase of 0.8% over 2016. sees it as a step to climb higher. unintended consequences, because it
However, this is now approaching Robins, whose green roots date can be a jungle out there. For example:
maximum potential in Europe, as about back to his setting up his own green n Six years ago, the Institute of Wood
22% of paper consumption cannot be office supplies company back in Technology and Wood Biology
collected or recycled. Furthermore, 1989, is now a Fellow and Strategic found that 78% of 59 samples
there is some evidence to suggest Council Member of the Institute of of Indonesian paper products
that – in and of itself – recycling is Environmental Management and contained wood that could only
now not widely regarded as the prime Assessment. He sees opportunities for have been harvested illegally.
environmental factor for cut office dealers from their customers specifying n The World Resources Institute have
paper. According to the 333 paper sustainability criteria: “It’s the start highlighted Indonesia and Brazil
merchants, OEMs, OP dealers and of a conversation that isn’t just about as deforestation hotspots and
printers interviewed in EMGE’s Cutsize price and it’s an opportunity that will Robins argues that the Brazilian
Benchmarking Survey 2018, it is ‘FSC only be seized with the appropriate government’s policy of putting the
Certification’ that is considered to be preparation and product knowledge.” economy before the environment
the most important environmental This involves the dealer researching must increase the risk of contributing
factor when choosing a brand of cut a prospective customer’s procurement to environmental harm through
size paper, followed closely by ‘PEFC and sustainability policies – and sourcing Brazilian forest products.
Certification’. ‘Green Packaging’ (ie having the relevant product knowledge
non-plastic packaging) was considered of both their own and competitors’ All of this gives dealers the
important by 50% of respondents, offerings – to ensure the optimum opportunity to present the benefits
while ‘Recycled Content’ and ‘Lower alignment of product and customer. of sourcing paper and other products
Grammages’ were considered to be locally, and the good news is that
less important environmental factors. It’s A Jungle Out There Robins believes that Europe is a
Acquiring this knowledge allows dealers credible and well-regulated source
“It’s About Sustainability, Stupid!” to question customers about how for sustainable paper and that forest
The factor that is increasingly being buying a recycled sheet from a mill that cover is actually increasing.
regarded as important is sustainability, is coal-powered – or how transport Indeed, Percival agrees that European
which (according to the 1987 Brundtland emissions from a product that has been forests are in general properly managed
definition) means “meeting our own shipped thousands and thousands of and as such have a positive impact
needs without compromising the miles – can possibly fit in with their on the environment: “Forests play an
ability of future generations to meet company’s sustainability objectives. important role in mitigating climate
their own needs”. Toby Robins, CEO of This expertise also helps the dealer change by absorbing carbon from the
Office Club, welcomes the ‘raising of to avoid some of the risks and pitfalls atmosphere, and Europe’s forests store
the bar’ represented by the demand of global paper sourcing and helpfully almost 80 billion tonnes of carbon in

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