Certified Packaging for the Food to Go Sector
Everyone is increasingly keen to make good environmental choices in their everyday purchases. This includes the packaging in which they take away the all-important morning coffee, snack or lunch.
We all expect our packaging to be responsibly sourced, easily recycled, and to have a minimal impact on the environment and the world’s forests. Recognising the importance of meeting customer expectations, more and more manufacturers are now producing packaging certified as sustainable through assurance programmes such as PEFC’s.
“Consumer perception is very important to the companies we supply. So it is paramount that we are able to demonstrate a commitment to sustainable sourcing. The PEFC label can serve as an excellent stamp of approval, giving customers’ confidence in a product’s environmental credentials.”
Clare Lloyd, Key Account Manager, Colpac
How PEFC can benefit you and your customers
By gaining PEFC certification and using PEFC-certified materials, you can use the PEFC label on your products. This can help boost recognition of your brand and enhance your company’s reputation, and that of your customers. Labels visibly communicate trust and add brand value.
PEFC certification also allows you to show leadership in your sector while also enhancing your competitive advantage over other manufacturers. Many manufacturers in the ‘food to go’ sector have already chosen to show their support for sustainable forestry through PEFC certification – make sure you do to!
PEFC Certification
PEFC is an independent, not-for-profit organisation promoting sustainable forest management through the certification of forests and the products that come from them. For those new to PEFC and its label, the PEFC programme involves two separate but linked processes:
Sustainable Forest Management certification assures that forests are managed in line with challenging environmental, social and economic requirements – balancing people, planet and profit.
Chain of Custody certification tracks forest-based products from certified, sustainable sources to the final product. It closely monitors each step of the supply chain through independent monitoring to ensure that certified material reaches the consumer.
The PEFC label
The PEFC label is exclusively available on PEFC-certified products. Using the PEFC label allows customers to clearly recognise and distinguish packaging made from responsibly-sourced materials.
Environmental labels such as PEFC’s enable you to communicate your commitment to responsible sourcing. According to the first PEFC/GfK Global Consumer Survey an overwhelming majority of consumers globally – more than 80% – want companies to use labels on products. 30% of consumers say they actively look for forest certification labels.
What are others already doing?
Many manufacturers supplying the ‘food to go’ sector have already obtained Chain of Custody certification and are already supplying PEFC-labelled packaging to their customers.
Benders Paper Cups – produce high-quality paper cups for a diverse client base. It is the UK’s only dedicated paper cup manufacturer. All of the paperboard fibre used to make its cups comes from PEFC-certified forests. Tree to cup videoBaristas Med Image
AB Group Packaging is a high-volume manufacturer of quality, renewable PEFC-certified paper bags and carrier bags for the food to go sector. It uses the PEFC certification labels on its paper bags and food wraps to demonstrate a corporate commitment to supplying customers with responsibly sourced products.
Colpac have 80 years of unrivalled expertise in the creation of innovative sandwich and food to go packaging. The fibre used to make Colpac’s paperboard packaging originates from certified forests and 100% of board waste is recycled.
Get in touch, get certified. For more information contact a member of the PEFC team
If you are new to PEFC, there is lots of information available for the Food to Go and Packaging sectors here:
Certified Packaging for the Food To Go Sector
PEFC in a Nutshell
Chain of Custody Certification – The Business Benefits of PEFC Certification
PEFC Sustainability for Packaging Professionals
