Certification of raw materials
Some of our planet’s resources are at risk of exhaustion, and responsible consumption is crucial. Being part of a larger value chain, Elopak works to ensure responsible sourcing of raw materials through our supply chain, and a good way to do this is through certification schemes.
Approach
Certification systems are based on requirements for managing natural resources, and these are often defined through multi-stakeholder consultations and voting. Certified materials travel through the value chain and are documented at each ownership change. Each step in the value chain needs to be certified while trained, neutral auditors perform third-party audits. The finished product often holds a logo to prove the certified credentials toward the original natural resource.
Elopak’s main raw materials are paperboard and polymers. Some of our cartons also contain a thin layer of aluminum as an oxygen barrier. We have identified three central certification systems relevant to our products, as presented below.
Through our Raw Material Sourcing Policy, our Global Supplier Code of Conduct, and our Sustainability Program, we secure a consistent approach anchored in our Procurement Team and our Sustainability Team. The certifications are embedded in all relevant areas of the organization, including supply chain, production, design, marketing, and sales.
We work closely with our suppliers and other stakeholders such as NGOs, industry associations, and customers to ensure our approach and choice of certification schemes are relevant.
The Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC) is an independent, non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way.
*The Forest Stewardship Council™(FSC™). FSC™ C081801. Look for FSC certified products – the mark of responsible forestry. www.fsc.org
The Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a global non-profit standard-setting and certification organization. ASI brings together producers, users, and stakeholders in the aluminum value chain to collaboratively foster responsible production, sourcing, and stewardship of aluminum.
ISCC stands for “International Sustainability and Carbon Certification” and is a worldwide applicable and acknowledged certification system for any kind of bio-based feedstocks and renewables. ISCC PLUS is specific for food and feed products and technical/chemical applications (e.g., bioplastics) and applications in the bioenergy sector (e.g., solid biomass).
Visit www.iscc-system.org/
Reputable certifications such as FSC and ISCC are more and more a standard for our customers to demonstrate to the end-consumer that the packaging materials are coming from responsibly managed sources.
Noella de Cock, Key Account Manager
Performance
Targets
Ensure sustainable value chains behind all raw materials through product certification according to the most stringent and credible standards available by 2030.
KPIs | KPI reference |
a) % certified purchased materials b) % certified sold products FSC certified | Self-defined Self-defined |
Status 2021 | |
a) 50% b) 64% |
Excl. Joint Ventures
Since Elopak became FSC certified in 2010, the annual sales of FSC-certified cartons have steadily increased. Since 2015, 100% of Elopak’s purchased paperboard has come from verified and controlled sources, in line with the standards from FSC. In 2021, 64% was FSC-certified (74% of the sales volume in Europe). All our FSC-labeled cartons are certified throughout every stage of the value chain, from forest yield to paperboard production to final product manufacturing.
100% of the renewable polymers Elopak supplies are certified according to ISCC PLUS. The ISCC PLUS system can also be expanded to cover certified circular recycled polymers, a process Elopak started in 2021. Read more about our approach to this here.
In 2021, Elopak had our first ASI performance standard audit, after having been through a self-assessment process. The certificate was in place early 2022.
Moving forward
Elopak aims to maintain and further increase the use of certified paperboard. In line with our renewable and recycled content target, we also aim to increase the use of certified renewable or circular recycled polymers. Once we obtain our ASI certificate, we aim to phase in ASI-certified aluminum in our products.