Posted on November, 08 2012

Gland, Switzerland - WWF, the world´s largest conservation organisation, is today announcing the winners of the 2012 WWF Environmental Paper Awards in the categories “Transparency” and “Best Environmental Performance Paper Brands”. WWF praises the transparency of 7 paper producers and the “excellent” environmental performance of 46 paper brands published on WWF´s Check Your Paper database of eco-rated papers.

The WWF Environmental Paper Awards 2012 for “Transparency” go to Arjowiggins Graphic, Lenzing Papier, Metsä Board, Mondi, SCA, Steinbeis Papier and UPM for providing public information on the environmental footprint of the majority of their papers in one or more product categories on WWF´s Check Your Paper website.

The WWF Environmental Paper Awards 2012 for “Best Environmental Performance Paper Brands” go to 46 third-party audited papers that scored at least 90% of achievable scores in WWF´s eco-rating and/or the maximum 5 stars in all performance categories: forest, water and climate. The award-winning 46 brands cover coated, uncoated, newsprint and tissue papers and come from 10 producers/merchants: Arjowiggins Graphic, Lenzing Papier, Mondi, SCA, Steinbeis Papier, UPM, Antalis McNaughton, Kimberly Clark, Leipa and Van Houtum. Details on the Awards can be accessed on http://panda.org/environmentalpaperaward2012

WWF created the WWF Environmental Paper Awards 2012 to give credit to manufacturers and suppliers that post their brands on Check Your Paper, using WWF´s eco-rating method for measuring the environmental footprint of papers. WWF´s Check Your Paper is a global benchmark tool for transparency and understanding the total value chain sustainability of paper. It enables paper producers and merchants to list their products online and buyers to search transparent information on the environmental footprint of pulp and papers.

WWF applauds all producers/merchants who submitted their papers to WWF´s Check Your Paper database for making positive steps towards improving the transparency of the value chains they are part of.
“Supply chain transparency is increasingly a vital tool for more and more buyers of raw materials and finished goods”, said Emmanuelle Neyroumande, Manager of WWF International´s global pulp and paper work. “WWF encourages responsible buyers worldwide to choose suppliers who provide transparent information on the environmental footprint of their paper production.”

For further information:
Helma Brandlmaier, Senior Advisor Paper Footprint and Market Change, WWF International
tel: +43676842728219 hbrandlmaier@wwfdcp.org

Notes to editors:

WWF´s global database of eco-rated paper products, Check Your Paper, is an important global benchmarking tool for transparency of pulp and paper products. It enables paper producers and merchants to list their products online and buyers to search transparent information on the environmental footprint of pulp and papers.

The tool rates the environmental quality of the paper-making process for a given product, including how well forests supplying fibre are managed, use of recycled fibre, fossil CO2 emissions, waste going to landfills and water pollution from mills. The results posted on the website need to get third party audited by accredited auditors. Search transparent brands on checkyourpaper.panda.org

Check Your Paper provides a single percentage score for a product that indicates the quality of its production in terms of reduced environmental impact. In addition, the star-rating breaks this down into impact mitigation performance specific to forests, climate change and aquatic ecosystems.

In order to earn the maximum five stars in WWF's Check Your Paper, the paper product shall have:

• positive impacts on forests, and contain high proportions of post-consumer recycled fibre and/or virgin fibre originating from credibly certified, well managed forests.
• reduced contributions to climate change through use of recycled fibre and/or responsible forest management and minimising CO2 emissions from fossil fuels in the manufacturing process, and, indirectly, emissions of CO2 and methane from degrading waste in landfills.
• close to zero water pollution through reduction of organic water pollution and reduced water pollution from bleaching, through promotion of unbleached or totally chlorine-free bleached products.

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.