Formica Group is delighted to announce that its three Asian manufacturing sites in Taiwan, China and Thailand have achieved the internationally-recognised Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) Chain of Custody (COC) certification from leading certification body, SGS. With this latest certification, customers from across the globe can now be assured that the materials used in the production of FSC labelled Formica® High Pressure Laminate (HPL) are from responsibly managed sources, whether manufactured by Formica Group in Asia, Europe or North America.
"Here at Formica Group we concentrated on a forward thinking approach looking to understand the future sustainability impacts on the business. The company carried out a five year road map in each of its three regions; Asia, Europe and North America. One of the main objectives was to achieve FSC compliance in all of our facilities," comments Gavin Todd, Group Development Manager for Sustainability. "Now we are proud to announce that with the factories in Asia achieving certification, we are another step further along our plan."
Alistair Monument, Regional Director at FSC Asia Pacific adds; “The Forest Stewardship Council’s Chain of Custody certification is an important system which, for businesses in Asia who supply customers both locally and worldwide, demonstrates the use of responsibly-sourced materials in their products. Consumer demand for FSC labelled products helps drive sustainable forest management, and Formica Group’s achievement of FSC COC certification across its operations in China, Thailand and Taiwan as well as in Europe and North America is an important milestone.”
FSC Chain of Custody tracks FSC-certified material through the production process including all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution. “Chain of Custody certification connects consumers to healthy forests by tracking products from forest to shelf," says Sasha Ramirez-Hughes, Marketing & Communications Manager at FSC International.
Chain of Custody certification of forest products is essential for businesses seeking to access environmentally and socially aware markets, or to demonstrate compliance with public and private procurement policies that specify environmentally responsible materials. These include the EU Ecolabel scheme for furniture, or the US Green Building Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
Sasha Ramirez-Hughes continues; "Consumers and businesses globally are recognising how important this is and we welcome the participation of organisations such as Formica Group in these certified schemes and in turn supporting the aims of the Forest Stewardship Council.”
Sustainability is more than just a goal with Formica Group; it is a fundamental business requisite across its operations all over the world. As a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products, Formica Group strives to meet customers' evolving needs for sustainable products as well as keep its commitment to reduce its environmental impact. Having adopted sustainable business practices throughout global operations, conformed to the standards set out by the green building community, Formica Group has raised the bar for the surfacing materials industry internationally.
Initially, the company undertook a comprehensive study in the form of a product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to benchmark existing processes, help set goals for the future and provide a full carbon footprint for its manufacturing facilities.
Formica Group completed this LCA on key products and their environmental impact on energy, water, waste and greenhouse gases in all its ten plants worldwide. The assessment was conducted by an independent, third-party carbon and sustainability consultant in accordance with the international standard ISO 14040 series.
