Page 12 - Georgia Forestry - Issue1 - Winter 2021

Of course, when you look at the web- sites of forestry industry corporations like Georgia-Pacific, International Paper and WestRock, the sustainability tabs are entire chapters. They’re practically books.
“There is a significant trend toward sustainability in our industry,” said WestRock CEO Steve Voorhees on an American Forestry Conference panel in July. “I see that gaining additional momentum, particularly as a result of recent events. Our supply chains will become more and more circular, and our industry is in a remarkable position to be able to take advantage of that.”
After years of scientific and market research, investment and staffing, corpo- rations have outgrown simple statements about planting trees and reducing emis- sions. Today’s sustainability policies are all about specificity, nuance and intersectionality. And this is meeting consumers where they are.
“A big aha moment for us was seeing that, finally, consumers are really under- standing that solving our social issues and environmental challenges are com- pletely intertwined,” said Etienne White, vice president at the Sustainable Brands offshoot Brands for Good.
White noted that the true definition of sustainability doesn’t just pertain to climate and environment, but also to social issues.
“Seventy-six percent of consumers believe solving environmental issues will require solving social issues and vice versa,” she said.
That’s why, when Brands for Good identified nine behaviors consumers can change to live more sustainably, it included directives like eating more
plants and buying more durable prod- ucts, as well as supporting women and girls and buying fair trade.
“In terms of a forest focus,” White said, “I think consumers are pretty edu- cated on the need to be purchasing from trustworthy sources when it comes to wood and paper products. But many of our nine behaviors also touch on forests in ways you might not necessarily think. We have a section on buying products that protect habitat stewardship. And the part about buying durable products? Well, wood furniture is a durable product made from a renewable resource. Another behavior is ‘Go Circular.’ That can be choosing a product made from recycled material that you then recycle.”
Companies Innovate to
Accommodate Consumer Preferences
Such holistic thinking has led to some very specific creativity on the part of companies.
A report about recent innova- tions released by WestRock, for instance, includes recyclable paperboard gift cards that can replace PVC ones, a paperboard “CanCollar” that replaces the dreaded plastic six-pack rings, and a pandemic- friendly takeout food box that can be sealed against tampering during delivery.
Regarding yet another new invention — a peach carrier that looks like a charm- ing wood crate but is actually recyclable
paperboard — the report emphasizes its origin with a headline: “Consumers Demand Natural, Sustainable Solution.”
The carton, the report goes on to say, was requested by Titan Farms when the company learned that its plastic packaging was “deterring millennial shoppers. They were voting with their wallets for non- single-use plastic alternative packaging.”
Such productive symbiosis between companies and their consumers is becoming more commonplace. Compa- nies are customizing their innovations for clients who are setting the bar ever higher. And clients are reaching for new heights because of the sophisticated solutions manufacturers are offering.
All of this is forming a movement that not even COVID-19 can stem. In fact, the global pandemic and its ubiquitous effects have only strengthened consumers’ sustainability values, said Brandi Colander, WestRock’s chief sustainability officer. The company conducted a lightning-fast study called the WestRock COVID Pulse “to understand how a rapidly changing landscape may affect
One of WestRock’s recent innovations is the development of recyclable paperboard gift cards.
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COURTESY OF WESTROCK