It's easier than you might think.

It's easier than you might think to shift your company away from products that destroy our ancient forests. Follow eight steps and become part of the environmental solution. Hundreds of major Canadian publishers and other businesses are already successfully doing this.

Canopy is committed to working with your company to help you develop and carry out the policies and practices that will shift your business away from ancient forest products.

The Steps to go Ancient Forest Friendly:

In more detail:

1. Develop an Ancient Forest Friendly Stewardship Policy

Establish an "Ancient Forest Friendly Stewardship Policy" to ensure that future purchases of wood-based products are environmentally sustainable.

A written, internal policy clarifies, for all employees, the parameters they should follow in making and carrying out decisions. It should be issued from top management and disseminated to all managers and staff. Implementing an Ancient Forest Friendly policy extends well beyond the purchasing department, with just about every corporate department having some influence, authority and/or responsibility for carrying it out.

The policy should be accompanied by policy implementation guidelines (some companies build them directly into the policy), which make clear how the policy is to be carried out and who has responsibility for each component in the policy. Professional purchasers will also appreciate more detailed, specific guidelines to follow for future purchases. These are usually developed and outlined as separate purchasing implementation guidelines.

At minimum, a sustainable purchasing policy should state that it is the policy of your company to purchase ecologically sound products that are ancient forest fibre-free that meet the environmental paper targets. You have every right to expect that alternative products be reasonably priced, meet reasonable performance standards and are available in a timely manner.

Hundreds of Canadian publishers and other businesses have developed Ancient Forest Friendly policies. Add your voice to the critical mass: ask us for a policy template.

2. Take an Inventory: Determine which products in your business contain wood fibres, and who is using them

Wood fibre shows up in an astonishing number of products - from ice cream, clothing and photocopy paper to photographic film. An inventory of your paper purchases will help you to determine priorities for transition to ancient forest friendly sources and will reveal secondary focus areas such as packaging, pallets and office products. Compare the list of wood-based products to your business purchases. Ask yourself:

1. Which wood-based products do you buy?
2. How much of these articles do you buy?
3. Which department and which person(s) are doing the buying?

By attaching specific numbers to the amounts that you are purchasing you can put a detailed schedule in place by which you will be shifting your purchases to more sustainable products.

3. Work with your Suppliers: Identify which of your products contain ancient forest fibres

The task now is to identify which of these wood-based products originates from our ancient and endangered forests, and also to learn how to replace them.

Your product supplier(s) will be key to this inquiry. It is the supplier(s) who will help you trace the history of the products that you are using, and help you to replace the old growth derived products with more environmentally sustainable choices.

As the goal of the supplier is to meet your customer needs, in most cases your supplier will work with you to make the shift, and supply you with the Ancient Forest Friendly products that you desire in line with your price and quality needs.

Steps:

A. Talk with your supplier. Convey your commitment to the environment and what your new purchasing policy and practices entails. This will help them understand what you ultimately expect and need from them and their products, and why.

B. Send your supplier a letter informing them of your company's Ancient Forest Friendly policy and your company's commitment to the future increased use of post- consumer recycled, tree-free and certified wood fibres.

The letter will ask the supplier to identify exactly the composition of the products that you are using. Send the Product Verification Form with this letter as it clearly lays out what information you require. You are seeking to confirm:

1. • What fibres are in your products?
   • If tree fibre is confirmed to exist, does it come from ancient or endangered forests?
   • If ancient forest fibre is identified, from what area and which company does it originate?

C. Set up a meeting with your supplier to clarify your product needs, and the time frame in which you are requiring product delivery.

D. Obtain a signed audit statement from your supplier in which the exact nature of the products' fibres are disclosed

4. Phase out Paper Purchases from the World's Ancient Forests

Design a plan of action, with specific dates, in order to phase out ancient forest products currently being used by your company.

Include a contractual clause that puts future suppliers on clear notice that your company will not purchase any products derived from ancient or endangered forests in the future.

Start with something achievable. Your plan should begin by the phasing out of products that you purchase in significant quantity and where Ancient Forest Friendly alternatives already exist. It is these products that will give you the greatest leverage for discussion with your suppliers.

Work with your suppliers to find alternatives that fulfill your needs to go ancient forest free. If your suppliers are unwilling to work with your commitment then you will need to find alternative suppliers that will. Markets Initiatives is dedicated to helping you and your suppliers through the implementation process.

5. Purchase Ancient Forest Friendly and Environmentally Improved Papers

By committing to phase out papers containing ancient forest fibre, and substitute them with environmentally sound alternatives, you are providing the necessary demand to establish a marketplace for environmental choices. By lending your purchasing power, you are actively creating the solution.

See the Ecopaper Database for a list of available papers.

6. Increase Paper Efficiency

Being more efficient with paper not only benefits the environment, but also the bottom line of your company.

Some companies have re-invested the savings achieved through efficiency measures to increase environmentally sound sources of paper (and construction materials).

Most of the companies currently engaged in Markets Initiative are aiming to reduce their overall fibre consumption by 30-40% over a 3-year period. Some are achieving this by re-thinking sales venues and lay-out and/or are reducing internal office/administrative paper and paper marketing materials.

A Practical Guide to Increasing Paper Efficiencies

7. Broaden the Ecological Net to Include ALL of your Subsidiaries

Markets Initiatives urges all of our partnering companies to encourage their operations or subsidiaries outside of Canada to develop Ancient Forest Friendly wood and paper use policies, to be and implemented across the board within 18 months of the Canadian commitment.

Similarly, we encourage companies to put every possible effort into raising the environmental awareness and commitment of your business associates.

Put your commitment in writing and tell them why you care. Saving the world's ancient forests is everyone's business!

8. Educate for Success

Experience has shown us how essential it is that all levels of your organization be involved in this transition.

It is imperative to convey to staff, suppliers and business affiliates what your commitment entails, what is an ancient forest product, and what are suitable alternatives. Education is truly the key to a high level of employee commitment.

Keeping employees apprised of both the goals and successes as they are achieved over the phase-in period will keep motivation high and foster a sense of teamwork and company pride that comes with a unified effort.

• Set up "green teams" within your offices
• Run afternoon education sessions on the issues and initiatives being focused on for the quarter
• Invite Markets Initiative staff to do a presentation on the ecological and social foundations of your ancient forest free policy commitment.
• Send out a quarterly green team newsletter to update staff on progress and recent initiatives

 

Educate your customers about your commitment to the environment through marketing initiatives, on your products and on your web site. Be proud, and enjoy the marketing edge that it delivers.