Scholastic upped its usage of Forest Stewardship Council paper to 53.3% of all paper purchases in 2011, a figure that exceeded its goal of having 35% of paper be FSC certified by 2012. The amount of post-consumer waste paper fell slightly in the year, however, something Scholastic attributed to the decrease in the amount of recycled fiber used by manufacturers of recycled paper.
According to Scholastic, in 2011 it purchased 79,485.5 tons of paper of which 42,357 tons, or 53.3%, was FSC-certified, up from 3.6% in 2007, the year Scholastic established as its baseline to measure its progress in the environment. In addition, 13,249 tons, or 16.67%, of the fiber used to produce the paper was recovered waste paper, up from 13.5% in 2007, and of that amount, 10,117 tons, or 76.36%, was produced from PCW fiber, down slightly from 80.7% in 2007.
"Scholastic is demonstrating real leadership to ensure we have healthy forests for future generations," said Corey Brinkema, president of the Forest Stewardship Council U.S.
Scholastic said it will continue to look for ways to find alternative sources of recycled fiber. “We hope that more manufacturers will recognize the importance of offering paper with high recycled and post-consumer content, making it easier for companies to conduct a more sustainable business,” said Maureen O’Connell, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of Scholastic.
