WS Packaging Plant Receives FSC Certification
- Published: July 23, 2008
GREEN BAY, WI | WS Packaging Group has earned Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody Certification for its folding carton and commercial sheet-fed printing operation at its Oak Creek, WI, facility.
The chain-of-custody certification means WS Packaging is able to validate the complete supply chain of sustainable raw materials from the forest to the mill, from the paper merchant to the printer, from the printer to the brand owner.
“Major retailers like Wal-Mart are increasingly joining the green movement and asking, or even mandating, suppliers evaluate the sustainability of their packaging,” says Mark Czubkowski, plant manager of the Oak Creek facility. “They want to know material value, recycled content, and costs associated with the product-to-package ratio. The FSC certification confirms our compliance and ability to provide our customers with complete documentation for their chain-of-custody requirements.”
The FSC certification (#SW-COC-003097) is good for five years. An annual audit will be conducted to ensure ongoing compliance for accurately identifying certified products on inbound and outbound shipments, segregating certified from non-certified inventories, and documenting procedures and employee training.
“Today more than ever, consumers want to support responsible, environmentally sound companies,” Czubkowski says. “When brand owners can guarantee the forest products used in the packaging of their products have been responsibly harvested on the basis of a formal sustainability initiative, they provide their customers with a choice that responds to their concerns and priorities.”
WS Packaging has a formal environmental policy and is continually looking for better ways to conserve energy and protect natural resources. In addition to implementing lean manufacturing processes to reduce waste internally, the company also offers WebFlex, an online ordering, proofing and graphics-management system. WebFlex provides continuous access to information online, which helps reduce paper consumption for both the company and its customers.
