Celebrating 10 years of FSC? Group Certification Program
Georgia-Pacific Packaging & Cellulose
Georgia-Pacific is one of the world's leading makers of pulp, paper & packaging. Our products are part of everyday life.
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of GP’s Forest Stewardship Council? (FSC?) Group Certification Program for private landowners in the United States. This GP Cellulose GmBH project started as a pilot in 2013 to determine if small private landowners were willing to certify their domestic forestland to the FSC forest certification standard. The fiber from these certified lands would be used for GP customers wanting to ensure their products are sustainably sourced; they'd also benefit from FSC branding opportunities. ?
Family forest landowners across the Southeast United States have traditionally done an exceptional job of managing their lands without certification. While some were hesitant to sign up for a certification program to validate what they were already doing, many were happy to join thanks to their experience working with GP through previous landowner assistance programs.? ?
The program has grown over time to meet the increasing need for certified fiber. It began with two foresters – one at Brunswick and one at Leaf River – who not only established the program and its guidelines, but they also registered the landowners. Due to advances in technology, we’re now able to manage this program with just one forester. To date, we have attracted landowners in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi to participate in the certification program totaling approximately 100,000 acres.??
Customer demand for certified fiber has increased tremendously throughout this 10-year period. We’ve been able to meet that demand through a combination of three primary certification programs:??
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These certifications, along with our robust Stewardship program, have allowed us to meet the certified fiber demands of our customers while ensuring a sustainable and valued forestry resource on the landscape. The progress we make over the next decade will be critical as we seek to supply our customers with sustainably produced products from a rapidly changing forestry landscape. The foundations we’ve laid will help us remain a valued manufacturer and a preferred partner for our customers.?????
Learn more about our commitment to sustainability and forest stewardship at gpcellulose.com.