Consumables

Huhtamaki Closes the Loop for Resource Conservation

Monday 02. June 2014 - SCS Global Services Certifies Huhtamaki Molded Fiber Europe's Reuse of Its Own Post-Consumer Products Under Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Standard

Huhtamaki Molded Fiber Europe (Huhtamaki), a multinational manufacturer of packaging material such as egg cartons, fruit trays and cup carriers, has expanded its Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody (CoC) certification to include its entire European operations, driven by its policy of sourcing 100% recycled fiber from pre-and post-consumer sources, including its own used products. SCS Global Services (SCS), a global third-party certification body, assessed Huhtamaki Molded Fiber Europe’s ten sites, covering operations in The Netherlands, France, Northern Ireland and The Czech Republic, to confirm conformance to the FSC Reclaimed Standard for recycled sources.
“Huhtamaki’s recycling policy represents a sound and progressive business strategy that helps reduce pressure on forested environments,” said Robert J. Hrubes, SCS Executive Vice President. “Sourcing post-consumer recycled fiber means that Huhtamaki can utilize its own products, post use, as a feedstock: a truly closed-loop system.”
Huhtamaki began its commitment to using pre- and post-consumer recycled fiber in 2012 with a multi-site FSC Reclaimed certification covering its Netherlands operations. The decision to expand FSC certification to all European sites means that Huhtamaki is now manufacturing all its packaging products in part from waste collected from households across Europe. FSC-certified egg cartons and other Huhtamaki packaging materials, bearing the FSC Recycled or FSC Mix labels, can be found in leading European retail stores.
“We are working in close partnership with municipalities and waste collectors throughout Europe to reclaim our used packaging waste, helping to lighten the load on landfills while saving resources,” said Annalien Hanje, FSC Coordinator of Huhtamaki Molded Fiber Europe.
The FSC Reclaimed certification is just one part of Huhtamaki Molded Fiber Europe’s sustainability strategy. Almost all of the water that goes into the molded fiber manufacturing process gets reused: another closed loop in Huhtamaki’s operations. Huhtamaki has also implemented multiple ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 9001 procedures at its sites, resulting in greater efficiency and resource optimization.