WASHINGTON – The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) has marked another milestone as Comet School Supplies of Palestine, Texas, earned the 1,000th SFI chain-of-custody certificate.
“SFI chain-of-custody certification began five years ago – we have 1,000 certificates at close to 2,500 certified locations and are adding more every day,” SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow said today. “Comet School Supplies joins companies of all sizes from countries around the world who value SFI certification as a sign of their commitment to responsible forest management.”
“SFI chain-of-custody tells our customers they are buying school supplies made with fiber from forests that are managed responsibly to meet today’s needs, and those of future generations,” said Ray Britton, President of Comet School Supplies.
More than 180 million acres/74 million hectares are certified to the SFI forest standard across North America, making it the largest single forest standard in the world. SFI chain-of-custody certification tracks wood fiber through the different stages of production, and tells buyers the percentage of fiber from certified forests, certified sourcing and/or post-consumer recycled content.
Recent enhancements to SFI on-product labels have strengthened the link between the claim on the labels and definitions in the SFI 2010-2014 Standard, making it easier for consumers to make informed decisions. SFI Inc. also introduced a unique label identification number in 2011 to facilitate the tracking of label users.
The SFI chain-of-custody label is used by a wide range of organizations in 23 countries – from small printers and lumberyards to international entities. Buyers can find SFI-certified products through an on-line SFI Certification Database that provides searchable information on all certificates for SFI forest management, chain-of-custody and certified sourcing standards.
ABOUT SFI
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) advances sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. We are an independent, nonprofit organization that leverages four interconnected pillars of work: standards, conservation, community, and education. SFI works with the forest sector, conservation groups, academics, researchers, brand owners, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and governments. Collaborating with our network, we leverage SFI-certified forests and products as powerful tools to help solve sustainability challenges such as climate action, conservation of biodiversity, education of future generations, and sustainable economic development.
MEDIA CONTACT
Christine Leduc
VP, Communications and Government Relations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
613-706-1114
media@forests.org
