Innovia switches NatureFlex production to purely FSC and PEFC sources

NatureFlex has always been produced using wood pulp sourced from managed plantations, but the move to now only use FSC and PEFC certified sources follows Innovia Films gaining Chain of Custody (CoC) certification in 2014. CoC certification is the process by which certified material can be traced from the forest to the end-user. It provides proof that the product being sold is linked to legally managed and certified forests. Stringent standards track all timber products and wood fiber coming out of the forest to ensure that they originated in responsibly-managed forests. The documentation offers assurances that each stage of the supply chain has been monitored closely and audited according to independent third-party verification. This unbroken link offers transparent proof that materials have been responsibly sourced, providing peace of mind to customers of forestry products throughout the supply chain.

Dr Lucy Cowton, product sustainability manager at Innovia Films, said: ‘It is the next step in the journey to reassure customers that our wood pulp is from responsible, legal and traceable sources.’

Ian Robinson, Innovia Films procurement director, said: ‘Customers worldwide are increasingly interested in the origin of the raw materials in the products they buy.  In the case of our cellulose films business, wood pulp is the principal raw material employed and this certification proves it originates from responsibly-managed forests.’

A number of brands have started using NatureFlex for a variety of products, including Italian specialty coffee company Caffè Molinari for its new organic coffee brand Bio, EcoTeas for the wrappers of its individual tea bags, Carrington Tea for its Organics range and New Frontier Foods for the packaging for its Ocean’s Halo Seaweed Chips.

Innovia Films recently added NatureFlex NK Matt, developed primarily as a lamination grade and to offer a premium natural paper appearance, and Propafilm RCU, a BOPP film which offers the market a complimentary alternative to NatureFlex film that provides up to five years protection. Propafilm RBCU, a solid white version, followed soon after.