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Rediscovering the Value of Forest Certification: Interview with McDonald's

In advance of the GreenBlue Innovation Summit on Forest Certification on June 12, GreenBlue interviewed a few of the event sponsors to hear their perspectives on why a Summit was needed. While informal, the interviews are intended to provide insights from different supply chain positions on expected outcomes from the event, as well as how this kind of event can help advance the forest products industry.
For our second interview in the series, we sat down with Townsend Bailey, Strategic Sourcing Manager of the Worldwide Supply Chain at McDonald’s Corporation.

Townsend Bailey headshot
Townsend Bailey

Green Blue: Can you tell us a little about McDonald’s and how you fit into the forest products industry? Where do you fall in the value chain?
Townsend Bailey: With over 34,000 locations around the world, our restaurants use a lot of fiber-based packaging to serve our food. We want to make sure that all of it comes from responsible sources and well managed forests. Fiber sourcing is a top sustainability priority for McDonald’s, and we recently announced our target for 100% of our fiber-based packaging to be from recycled or certified sources by 2020.
McDonald’s is a sponsor of the GreenBlue Innovation Summit on Forest Certification, thank you for helping us make this event a reality. The summit will bring together stakeholders from across the forest products value chain to define the value of forest certification. Why is this important to McDonald’s, and why do you think all of the other supply chain participants should attend?
For McDonald’s, sustainability is about making sure that we are prepared to continue serving our customers well into the future. It’s about growing our business by making a positive impact on society. Specifically, certification is important to McDonald’s because people care where their food comes from and how it is sourced.
But the challenges of sustainability are bigger than any one company or sector of the value chain. Answering these challenges will require innovative thinking and collaboration, and McDonald’s wants to be part of the solution.
As an individual, you have been an active participant in the working group on this topic. What are you hoping the takeaway is from this event? What can other Supply Chain Sustainability Managers expect? What does success look like for the GreenBlue Innovation Summit on Forest Certification?
I expect good discussions with partners across the value chain, and would like to see ideas generated around ways technology could be better leveraged to ease the administrative burden and costs of certification without sacrificing the credibility and impact of the systems. I also hope the event will foster more collaboration between the leading certification systems in North America.
For people that have not been involved in the project up to this point, but will be attending the event or are interested in the work being done, is there anything that you would like to tell them about why forest certification is such a pressing topic in the forest products industry?
Certification systems provide a strong framework for guiding and measuring responsible forest management practices. For brand owners like McDonald’s, who sit far from the forest where their products originate, certification is an important way to verify that their products are produced in ways that are consistent with their values.
Some people will be traveling a long ways to come to this event, do you have any favorite books, apps, or articles you’re reading that you would recommend?
I am about halfway through Christine Bader’s new book, The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil. So far it’s been a great read. It introduces the human side of corporations while also capturing the real challenges of change and progress. I look forward to finishing it on the flight to Charlotte.
Townsend, thank you and McDonald’s again for helping us put on the upcoming summit. We are looking forward to strong participation and lively discussions.
To be a part of this important discussion, find us on Twitter @greenblueorg.

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Rediscovering the Value of Forest Certification: Interview with Unisource Worldwide

In advance of the GreenBlue Innovation Summit on Forest Certification on June 12, GreenBlue interviewed a few of the event sponsors to hear their perspectives on why a Summit was needed. While informal, the interviews are intended to provide insights from different supply chain positions on expected outcomes from the event, as well as how this kind of event can help advance the forest products industry.

For the first interview in our series, we sat down with Andrew Gustyn, Director of Sustainability – North America of Unisource Worldwide.

Andrew Gustyn
Andrew Gustyn

Green Blue: Can you tell us a bit about Unisource and how you fit into the forest products industry? Where do you fall in the value chain?
Andrew Gustyn: Unisource is in the business of selling paper, packaging and facility solutions (jan-san products). We represent a large cross section of the paper, packaging and towel and tissue manufacturers from both North America and around the globe. Tree fibers are an input into all of those products.  This means we are a key link in the chain that allows those items to move from the manufacturers to commercial printers, businesses and corporate end users.
Unisource is a sponsor of the GreenBlue Innovation Summit on Forest Certification, thank you for helping us make this event a reality. The summit will bring together stakeholders from across the forest products supply chain to define the value of forest certification to better drive adoption and acceptance of forest certification. Why is this important to Unisource, and why do you think all of the other supply chain participants should attend?
Unisource made an early investment in infrastructure to provide transparency to our customers through the supply chain, via our Chain of Custody certifications. We feel that we have reached a point where an open and frank discussion is necessary with stakeholders both up and down the supply chain in order to understand the challenges and benefits of forestry certification. Given that a very small percentage of the world’s harvested forests fall under any recognized certification scheme, there is a great opportunity for forestry certification growth. I think we have reached a point where many of the stakeholders seem to be having issues in getting a clear picture of the cost/benefit of these programs. As an industry, if we feel that forestry certification is going to grow we need to address some of these issues in an open dialogue.
As an individual, you have been an active participant in the working group on this topic. What are you hoping the takeaway is from this event? What can other Sustainability Directors expect? What does success look like for the GreenBlue Innovation Summit on Forest Certification?
Our hope is that this is just a first step for continued dialogue with all stakeholders. We would like to get a better understanding of our customers’, suppliers’ and certification bodies’ stories. Rather than it being an exercise in negotiation, we would like to see this become an opportunity for collaboration.
For people that have not been involved in the project up to this point, but will be attending the event or are interested in the work being done, is there anything that you would like to tell them about why forest certification is such a pressing topic in the forest products industry?
I made mention of this before, but with just a very small percentage of the world’s forests falling under any of the recognized certification schemes, there is an opportunity for significant growth. Although paper use and production may have declined in North America and Europe, that is not the case in the developing world. As some of these economies grow to maturity, the world’s forests will continue to be put under pressure. Recycling is only part of the solution; responsible forestry can help.
Some people will be traveling a long way to come to this event, do you have any favorite books, apps, or articles you’re reading that you would recommend?
Wow, now that’s a really difficult question. There are so many good resources out there. I know that this may sound a bit like I am sitting on the fence, but what I would suggest to people is to broaden the scope of where you get your information. Read, listen and research as many different sources as possible. The ENGO’s, the industry groups, the independent third party groups like GreenBlue, the merchants, the mills, the foresters, the end users, the certification bodies all have a story to tell. Each has a perspective, if this is important, take the time to learn those perspectives and then formulate an opinion.
Andrew, I want to thank you and Unisource again for helping us put on the upcoming summit. We are looking forward to strong participation and lively discussions, is there anything else that you would like to mention about the summit or project?
We are really looking forward to participating in this event and we are hoping that this is just the beginning of a much longer journey. Stay tuned.
Thanks, and we are looking forward to seeing you in Charlotte.

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GreenBlue

SPC Advance: Our New Fall Members Conference

At GreenBlue, we know conferences. We’ve presented at dozens of them. Attended countless. We’ve produced over twenty of our own. All this experience has led to one major conclusion: the conference experience is far from perfected. There’s room for improvement. That’s why we’re excited about SPC Advance.
SPC Advance Minneapolis Graphic
SPC Advance is our answer to the mundane conference experience. Ever been to a conference where your attention span is spent after the keynote speaker? Seen folks pretending to pay attention while checking email on their tablet? Or the folks that actually catch a nap during the presentations?
It’s not rocket science – the average attention span of an adult is 30 minutes. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” SPC Advance has been specifically designed to keep attendees involved. We’ve found ways to pack an amazing amount of interaction into three days. SPC Advance kicks off with boots-on-the-ground tours of waste recovery operations and facilities of leading sustainable businesses, so that you don’t have to sit and be told what’s going on – you get to experience it.
After that? Workshops. Generously sized networking lunches and breaks. The average length of presentations? 20 minutes. And to bring it all home, SPC Advance follows two days of tours, workshops, presentations, and activities with meaningful working sessions, allowing attendees to react and interact with each other to find tactical ways to put ideas and learnings into action.
SPC Advance also presents an element that seems to be unjustly frowned upon by some events: fun. We think it’s okay to have fun at a packaging conference. That’s why we’ve added organized group exercise opportunities, from yoga to a jog through Minneapolis’s scenic parks. Got a bit of self confidence? Join Anne Bedarf for a hula hoop dancing workshop during the welcome reception. Need liquid courage? Attend the pub crawl and experience the local libations from some of the Twin Cities’ renowned microbreweries.
We know that conferences shouldn’t be about sitting in a chair and being talked at. They should be about making meaningful connections, re-energizing your passion for sustainability, and leaving with memorable ideas that translate to actionable outcomes.
So check out the schedule, and come join us at the Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis for SPC Advance, September 9-11 2014. We promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Recover More Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Sustainable Materials Management: Externalized Packaging Material Stewardship

“How can packaging become sustainable when end of life treatment is externalized to municipalities?” This was a tweet I sent out during a session on solid waste handling at the recent Sustainable Packaging Coalition spring conference in Seattle, Washington. Industry, local governments, environmental organizations, educators and citizens invest a great deal of effort and money to improve recycling rates and access to recycling services across the United States. My own organization, GreenBlue, is dedicated to sustainable materials management (SMM), which focuses on using materials wisely, eliminating toxicity, and recovering more value from the material waste stream. Yet, the solutions to comprehensive sustainable material management remain elusive, here and globally.

MRF Tipping Floor

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GreenBlue

Top Five Fun Facts: April

Eric DesRoberts continues his monthly series of facts and tidbits he’s uncovered during his research to better understand products and packaging. You can also check out his past Fun Facts here.

1. A typical American is sedentary for 21 hours a day. An estimated 86% of Americans sit all day at work. Research shows that if people sat 3 hours less a day, it would add 2 years to the average life expectancy.

2. One gram of protein from bovine meat requires about 112 litres (~30 gal) of water. This figure increases to about 139 litres (37 gal) of water per gram of protein from nuts, and down to about 19 litres (5 gal) of water per gram of protein from pulses (grain legumes). Pair these foods with the options below and start to see your water footprint soar.

3. Microorganisms surround us. In the relatively desolate atmosphere at 1,000 feet, every cubic meter of air contains about a thousand microbes. Closer to the ground, that number increases to about 100,000, and on every square centimeter of human skin, its about 10 million. A teaspoon of dirt contains 50 billion microbes..

4. World Health Organization’s (WHO) new findings show that poor air quality is responsible for 7 million deaths a year – one in eight total deaths worldwide. The Western Pacific and South East Asian regions bear most of the burden.


 5. The Center for Science in the Public Interest found that foodborne illnesses have decreased by over 40% from 2002. Among the outbreaks that were traceable, restaurants accounted for nearly twice as many as outbreaks as private homes. Outbreaks with the largest average numbers of illness were found to occur in group settings such as prisons, catered events, and schools.
*Earth Day Bonus: August 20 was Earth Overshoot Day in 2013. It marked the approximate date our resource consumption for 2013 exceeded the planet’s ability to replenish it. It happened on about August 22 in 2012, September 22 in 2003, and on October 21 in 1993 (about a month earlier every decade). If we continue at this rate, Earth Day 2052 could also be Earth Overshoot Day.

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GreenBlue

Treating Every Day as Earth Day

With the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Rivanna River just down the road from the office, Charlottesville provides GreenBlue with a great natural setting for a sustainability organization. GreenBlue staff work daily to help make businesses and products more sustainable, and we are well equipped with the knowledge, expertise, and research to make this happen. But each year on April 22, we like to remind ourselves of the reason we do what we do, and spend Earth Day celebrating our planet and the protection of its natural environment.

green
While we are thrilled to see the annual excitement today, we think it’s important to treat every day like “Earth Day.”
April 21, 2014: A typical day in the life of a GreenBlue staffer:

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Member Spotlight

SPC Member Spotlight: Sappi Fine Paper’s The Gambo Project

“Member Spotlight” is the newest addition to our GreenBlue blog where we will regularly highlight the sustainability achievements and initiatives of a Sustainable Packaging Coalition member company.

Sappi Fine Paper is a leading member in the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Forest Product Working Group. As a North American producer of coated fine and release papers, as well as dissolving wood pulp and market kraft pulp, Sappi sells its various paper products to customers all over the world, while simultaneously maintaining a steady environmentally-friendly reputation within the forest products industry.
Sappi has made many recent sustainability advancements and capital investments at its Somerset Mill, where they manufacture coated free sheet graphic paper, grease-proof packaging paper and bleached kraft pulp; recent initiatives include improvements to the mill’s lime kiln and working closely with Summit Natural Gas to bring a natural gas pipeline to Skowhegan, Maine, that will service the mill and 17 local communities. However, the public will most easily relate to their work surrounding the Gambo hydroelectric facility; a project that has been underway since 2009 in Westbrook, Maine.
gambo

Brad Goulet, Sappi Hydro Manager/Utilities Engineer, and Richard Curtis of the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust (PRLT) worked together to create appropriate public access to the Presumpscot River. While Sappi was required by their license for the Gambo hydroelectric facility to create access, the opportunity to work in conjunction with the Land Trust enabled Sappi to enhance existing trails at the Historic Oriental Powder Mill Complex and Cumberland Oxford Canal.

The Gambo Project resulted in a beautiful nature trail connecting to the PRLT trails, convenient fishing access, and a location for kayakers and canoers to portage between the upstream Gambo Pond and the downstream river reach. Along the Presumpscot River, Sappi now has many public access initiatives underway that will allow the local Maine community to better enjoy their surrounding environment.

river
Presumpscot River

“Working with the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust to accomplish these results, was a true collaborative effort,” said Brad Goulet. “Fostering a relationship between Sappi and such an important land conservation organization ensured that the land will be used for appropriate recreational purposes for years to come.”

Check out Sappi’s Presumpscot River blog before visiting the area, as Sappi regularly provides educational updates on the area including lake levels, river flows, and consequential water safety rules. Learn more about Sappi’s broad range of environmental efforts by reading their 2013 Sustainability Report or by downloading their infographic on Water Use in the Paper Industry.

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GreenBlue Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Moving Beyond the Easy Wins – Integrating Sustainability Into Our Core Business Strategies

As a follow up to our recent SPC Spring Conference, I’d like to share some thoughts on the big picture trends I see happening in the sustainability industry today.

The focus on sustainability within companies is shifting. Sustainability has matured and is being embedded in new ways. In the past, sustainable packaging was often considered the gateway to sustainability; the first focus of many sustainability initiatives. While sustainable packaging still plays a role in a company’s larger corporate responsibility initiatives, there is a difference in the “job” of sustainable packaging versus the larger “job” of sustainability in organizations.

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Sustainable Packaging Coalition

SPC Spring Conference Recap

GreenBlue staff recently returned from our 2014 SPC Spring Conference. Having Seattle as our host city set the stage for one of our most successful conferences to-date. With its  progressive sustainability initiatives , Seattle provided the perfect venue to allow us to develop an agenda full of tours and sessions that explored some of the most innovative sustainability projects in the country. Over 300 sustainability professionals representing all aspects of the packaging supply chain attended the Conference. The breakdown of participating organizations included brand owners, retailers, material manufacturers, converters, government organizations, nonprofits, educational institutions, and consultants.

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Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Seattle: A City with an Encouraging Plan for Climate Change

Growing up on the coast of southern Maine, Seattle was about the furthest point in the contiguous US that I could travel. This is probably one of the reasons I never made it out there. While the SPC Conference (#SPC2014) will not necessarily be a vacation, it is an opportunity to be in an amazing new place while pursuing my interests and learning from packaging and sustainability professionals.
Looking into the city (mostly food and must see tourist attractions) in anticipation of my post-conference stay, I got carried away with clicks and found myself looking at Seattle’s Sustainability Initiatives.

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