It's easier than you might think to shift your company away from products that destroy our ancient forests. Follow nine easy steps and become part of the environmental solution rather than the problem.

The Markets Initiatives is committed to working with your company to help you develop and carry out the policies and practices that will shift your business away from ancient forest products.

1. Develop an Environmentally Sound Wood and Paper Purchasing Policy

Establish an "Ecological Purchasing Policy" to ensure that future purchases of wood-based products are environmentally sustainable.

A written, internal policy clarifies for all employees the parameters they should follow in making and carrying out decisions. It should be issued from top management and disseminated to all managers and staff. Implementing an old-growth-free policy extends well beyond the purchasing department, with just about every corporate department having some influence, authority and/or responsibility for carrying it out.

The policy should be accompanied by policy implementation guidelines (some companies build them directly into the policy), which make clear how the policy is to be carried out and who has responsibility for each component in the policy.

Professional purchasers will also appreciate more detailed, specific guidelines to follow for future purchases. These are outlined as separate purchasing implementation guidelines.

At minimum, a sustainable purchasing policy should state in no uncertain terms that it is the policy of your company to purchase ecologically sound products that at are ancient forest fibre-free.

Other purchasing guidelines that you are encouraged to pursue are the use of:

• Tree-free fibres
• Recycled fibres — post-consumer recycled fibre
• Reclaimed/reused fibres
• Remanufactured fibres/materials
• Chlorine-free products
• Tree fibre originating from second/third growth forests that are independently certified according to strict ecological criteria and/or
• Source reduction products.

Please note that the Markets Initiatives supports indigenous and long-settled forest dependent community forest operators who manage their ancient forest operations in an ecologically responsible manner, and who are independently certified according to stringent environmental criteria (currently the Markets Initiative recognizes the Forest Stewardship Council and Silva Forest Foundation as meeting these requirements). We would therefore encourage you to expand your policy to include forest products derived from such sources.

You have every right to expect that alternative products be reasonably priced, meet reasonable performance standards and are available in a timely manner.

Model Purchasing Policy (includes a Glossary of Terms)

2. Take an Inventory: Determine which products in your business contain wood fibres, and who is using them

Wood fibre shows up in an astonishing number of products — from ice cream, clothing and photocopy paper to photographic film. The first step in any sustainable purchasing policy is to learn which products actually contain wood fibres

Compare the list of wood-based products to your business purchases. Ask yourself:

• Which wood-based products do you buy?
• how much of these articles do you buy?
• which department and which person(s) is doing the buying?

In completing this product inventory, you are gathering the key information from which to move toward an environmentally improved worksite. The products that you buy most of will become the target of your first level of attention. By attaching specific numbers to the amounts that you are purchasing you can put a detailed schedule in place by which you will be shifting your purchases to more sustainable products. See tools below for help with baseline inventories.

List of Wood Derived Products

Product Inventory Table
A useful way to organize your purchasing information. This baseline provides information about which products you buy most, and in what quantities. This information will guide you as to which products to focus on first.

Department-by-Department Guide
Help educate your various business departments regarding some of the pertinent issues in their individual area and some of the ways that they can effectively shift their practices toward more sustainable approaches.

3. Work with your Suppliers: Identify which of your products contain ancient forest fibres

You now know what wood-derived products your company uses, and who is responsible for the purchasing. The task now is to identify which of these wood-based products originates from our ancient and endangered forests, and also to learn how to replace them.

Your product supplier(s) will be key to this inquiry. It is the supplier(s) who will help you trace the history of the products that you are using, and help you to replace the old growth derived products with more environmentally sustainable choices.

As the goal of the supplier is to meet your customer needs, in most cases your supplier will work with you to make the shift, and supply you with the old growth free products that you desire in line with your price and quality needs.

Steps:

1. Talk with your supplier. Convey your commitment to the environment and what your new purchasing policy and practices entails. This will help them understand what you ultimately expect and need from them and their products, and why.
   
   
2. Send your supplier a letter informing them of your company's old growth free policy and your company’s commitment to the future increased use of post- consumer recycled, tree-free and certified wood fibres.
   
   The letter will ask the supplier to identify exactly the exact nature of the products that you are using. Send the Product Verification Form with this letter as it clearly lays out what information you require. You are seeking to confirm:
   • what fibres are in your products?
   • if tree fibre is confirmed to exist, whether it is old growth tree fibre?
   • if old growth forest fibre is identified, from what area and which company does it originate?
     
     
3. Set up a meeting with your supplier to clarify your product needs, and the time frame in which you are requiring product delivery.
   
   
4. Obtain a signed audit statement from your supplier in which the exact nature of the products’ fibres are disclosed (sample attached below).

Model Letter to your Supplier
The letter in which you request a product audit is provided.

Product Verification Form (Chain of Custody)
This form assists suppliers in the gathering of information.

4. Phase out Wood and Paper Purchases from the World’s Ancient Forests

Design a plan of action, with specific dates, in order to phase out ancient forest products currently being used by your company.

Include a contractual clause that puts future suppliers on clear notice that your company will not purchase any old growth derived products in the future.

Start with something achievable. Your plan should begin by the phasing out of products that you purchase in significant quantity. It is these products which will give you the greatest leverage for discussion with your suppliers.

Work with your suppliers to find alternatives that fulfill your needs to go ancient forest free. If your suppliers are unwilling to work with your commitment then you will need to find alternative suppliers that will. Markets Initiatives is dedicated to helping you do so.

5. Purchase Alternatives to Ancient Forest Products: Increase the availability of environmental alternatives

In an age of economically subsidized ancient forests products, the demand for ancient forest products has conventionally exceeded the demand for environmentally sound alternatives. As is the case with so many environmental issues, the true costs of logging our ancient forests are not yet reflected in the marketplace.

While suitable replacements to ancient forest wood fibres already exist, in some cases, the accessing of these products (and in particular Canadian sources of these products) can be somewhat challenging.

This situation is improving daily.Industry leaders committed to environmentally sound alternatives are helping to remedy this unsustainable situation.

By committing to the phasing out of old growth products, and the substitution of environmentally sound alternatives, you are providing the necessary demand to establish a marketplace of environmental choices.

Remember, alternative products already exist. The task is only to confirm the market need for them. By lending your purchasing power, you are actively creating the solution.

Alternatives to Ancient Forests for Paper and Construction Materials

6. Reduce your Overall Consumption

Over-consumption is really the key factor that is driving the depletion of the world's limited resources. With very little effort, reductions of product use is most probably the easiest ecological step to achieve.

Reducing our overall consumption not only benefits the environment, but also the bottom line of your company. Using less photocopy paper, less wood, less paper towels means you save money.

Most of the companies currently engaged in the Markets Initiative are aiming to reduce their overall fibre consumption by 30-40% over the 3 year ancient forest free phase in period.

There are many ways to reduce your overall consumption. Some are as easy as setting your photocopy machines to double-sided by default, others a little more creative. Either way, the streamlining and efficiency that conservation achieves pays its way in the end.

Some companies have re-invested the savings achieved by conservation in environmentally sound sources of paper and construction materials.

A Practical Guide To Reducing Paper Use

7. Broaden the Ecological Net to Include ALL of your Subsidiaries

We are collectively depleting the world’s ancient forests at a truly alarming rate. It is necessary to act as quickly and efficiently as possible to counteract this ongoing damage.

The Markets Initiatives urges all of our partnering companies that have operations or subsidiaries outside of Canada to encourage that ancient forest free wood and paper use policies be developed and implemented across the board within 18 months of the Canadian commitment.

Similarly, we encourage companies to put every possible effort into raising the environmental awareness and commitment of your business associates. Incorporate your ecological commitment into all of your contracts, whether it be with graphic designers or janitorial/cleaning staff.

Put your commitment in writing and tell them why you care…Saving the ancient forests is everyone’s business!

8. Educate for Success

Experience has shown us how essential it is that all levels of your organization be involved in this transition.

It is essential to convey to staff, suppliers and business affiliates what your commitment entails, what is an ancient forest product, and what are suitable alternatives. Education is truly the key to a high level of employee commitment.

Keeping employees apprised of both the goals and successes as they are achieved over the three year phase-in period will keep motivation high and foster a sense of teamwork and company pride that comes with a unified effort.

• set up "green teams" within your offices
• run afternoon education sessions on the issues and initiatives being focused on for the quarter
• invite Markets Initiative staff to do a presentation on the ecological and social foundations of your ancient forest free policy commitment.
• Educate your customers about your commitment to the environment through marketing initiatives on your products and web-site. Be proud, and enjoy the marketing edge that it delivers.

Home Page