Mohawk News : Mohawk Earns FSC Certification for Two 100% Recycled Products

COHOES, NY – In a first for the industry, Mohawk Paper Mills, Inc. has received Forest Stewardship Council [FSC] certification for two of its best-selling recycled paper lines: Mohawk Color Copy 100% Recycled and new Options100% Recycled. Mohawk is the only mill to carry FSC certification on a 100% postconsumer recycled paper grade.

Originally applied to virgin-fiber papers, FSC certification is intended to help print buyers ensure that the paper they buy does not come from high-conservation old-growth forests. With this announcement, FSC has embarked on a pilot program to recognize products made with high percentages of postconsumer reclaimed materials.

“We are honored to have our products carry the FSC logo and pleased that FSC has agreed with us that100% postconsumer waste is the ultimate expression of environmental responsibility,” commented George Milner, Mohawk’s Senior Vice President of Environmental Affairs. “As the commitment to corporate environmental and social responsibility has grown, more designers and print buyers are demanding products that reduce consumption of natural resources. The FSC certification has become increasingly important to large paper consumers who advocate sound environmental policies and support the purchase of sustainable products.”

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organization that has developed criteria for certification to support the belief that “forest resources and associated lands should be managed to meet the social economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations.” Its mission is to give consumers the ability to confidently choose products that do not contribute to the degradation of forestlands, “but rather help to secure forest resources for the future.” FSC accomplishes this goal by accrediting certification organizations, which authenticate claims for specific products that meet FSC standards. Mohawk’s certification is issued under the Rainforest Alliance’s Smartwood Program (www.smartwood.org), certificate # SW-COC-668.

A commitment to environmental ethics

Mohawk’s FSC certification reflects a continuing commitment to ethical environmental practices and product development. According to Milner, “We have long advocated the importance of product certification in the area of green marketing. Organizations like FSC and Green Seal help consumers make sense of the sometimes confusing and contradictory claims in the marketplace.”

Mohawk backs up its environmental products with a strong history of environmental stewardship, which includes a commitment to energy conservation and alternative energy. A member of the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, Mohawk recently became the first paper mill in North America to manufacture paper with non-polluting wind power. According to Tom O’Connor, Jr., president and C.E.O., “FSC certification is further evidence of the direct and positive impact we are making in providing forward-looking products to our customers while minimizing impact on the environment.”

Mohawk Paper Mills, Inc. is a leader in the manufacture of premium printing papers. From its flagship grade, Mohawk Superfine^™, through proprietary Inxwell^® products, Navajo^®and Options^®, Mohawk has engineered its papers to provide optimal performance for sheetfed, web and digital printing.