1. Could you describe in a few words your role and the activities of PEFC?

I became the executive director of PEFC France in November 2017. PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is an international organization that brings together 49 countries from all around the world. Our purpose? Promoting sustainable forest management through an ambitious certification programme, thanks to independent third parties:

a- We enact sustainable management rules that forest owners commit to respect in order to have their forests certified. Today more than 1/3 of the forests in metropolitan France are PEFC certified.

b- All companies later involved in the supply chain – from raw materials, e. g. trees from the forests, to finished products such as paper and books in the printing industry, carpentry and joinery in the building sector, packaging, etc. – individually have their traceability certified. There are currently more than 3000 certified firms.

2. This year, PEFC joined the French Packaging Association (CNE) as a member of its 9th college (with other companies and associations): could you explain what encourages PEFC to support the CNE and its actions?

We are thrilled to join the college of CNE associations. As keeper of the forest balance and of the reconciliation of environmental, societal and economic roles of the forest, we are committed to bring together the entirety of this sector around an increased use of certified wood-paper-cardboard products in the packaging production. Nowadays, citizens are shifting towards a more sustainable consumption and the packaging industry is a key asset concerning the development of more responsible packaging and the evolution of our consumption pattern.

3. PEFC took part in the workshop concerning the eco-design of packaged products. What are the positive points you learned from this experience of collective intelligence? Would you suggest any improvement to optimize those workshops?

Getting closer to the CNE makes perfect sense in order to take part in the reflections of a group of key players on the necessary evolution of production and end-of-life packaging standards and to further integrate the entire chain of players, from packaging design to marketers.

4. What are the biggest concerns of PEFC’s members concerning packaging? Can the CNE rightfully research some of those concerns?

PEFC’s member are really committed to answering the expectations of consumers. Through certified companies in the forest-wood-paper industry, PEFC France covers a wide range of products related to “packaging” (cooperage, crating, primary packaging, secondary packaging, etc.). Therefore, we believe that contributing to the CNE’s position papers is important and that they should be even more widely promoted.

5. The CNE is attentive to its members. How could it help you even further? 

The CNE is, by essence, part of a multi-lateral approach. According to the latest COFEPAC economic report (2017), paper and carboard packaging represent more than one third (39%) of all packaging produced, and wood packaging represents 18% of it.

We are confident that our collaboration with the CNE will allow us to further raise awareness among the economic actors of the sector who play a major role in forest conservation.