Press Release
4th October 2012
Formica Group awarded Forest Stewardship Council® Chain of Custody certificates across manufacturing sites in Asia, which completes world-wide certification
Formica Group is delighted to announce that its three Asian manufacturing sites in Taiwan, China and Thailand have achieved the internationally-recognised Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) Chain of Custody (COC) certification from leading certification body, SGS. With this latest certification, customers from across the globe can now be assured that the materials used in the production of FSC labelled Formica® High Pressure Laminate (HPL) are from responsibly managed sources, whether manufactured by Formica Group in Asia, Europe or North America.
"Here at Formica Group we concentrated on a forward thinking approach looking to understand the future sustainability impacts on the business. The company carried out a five year road map in each of its three regions; Asia, Europe and North America. One of the main objectives was to achieve FSC compliance in all of our facilities," comments Gavin Todd, Group Development Manager for Sustainability. "Now we are proud to announce that with the factories in Asia achieving certification, we are another step further along our plan."
Alistair Monument, Regional Director at FSC Asia Pacific adds; “The Forest Stewardship Council’s Chain of Custody certification is an important system which, for businesses in Asia who supply customers both locally and worldwide, demonstrates the use of responsibly-sourced materials in their products. Consumer demand for FSC labelled products helps drive sustainable forest management, and Formica Group’s achievement of FSC COC certification across its operations in China, Thailand and Taiwan as well as in Europe and North America is an important milestone.”
FSC Chain of Custody tracks FSC-certified material through the production process including all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution. “Chain of Custody certification connects consumers to healthy forests by tracking products from forest to shelf," says Sasha Ramirez-Hughes, Marketing & Communications Manager at FSC International.
Chain of Custody certification of forest products is essential for businesses seeking to access environmentally and socially aware markets, or to demonstrate compliance with public and private procurement policies that specify environmentally responsible materials. These include the EU Ecolabel scheme for furniture, or the US Green Building Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
Sasha Ramirez-Hughes continues; "Consumers and businesses globally are recognising how important this is and we welcome the participation of organisations such as Formica Group in these certified schemes and in turn supporting the aims of the Forest Stewardship Council.”
Sustainability is more than just a goal with Formica Group; it is a fundamental business requisite across its operations all over the world. As a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products, Formica Group strives to meet customers' evolving needs for sustainable products as well as keep its commitment to reduce its environmental impact. Having adopted sustainable business practices throughout global operations, conformed to the standards set out by the green building community, Formica Group has raised the bar for the surfacing materials industry internationally.
Initially, the company undertook a comprehensive study in the form of a product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to benchmark existing processes, help set goals for the future and provide a full carbon footprint for its manufacturing facilities.
Formica Group completed this LCA on key products and their environmental impact on energy, water, waste and greenhouse gases in all its ten plants worldwide. The assessment was conducted by an independent, third-party carbon and sustainability consultant in accordance with the international standard ISO 14040 series.
-ends-
NOTES TO EDITORS
FSC COC Certification by BM TRADA has been awarded for the purchase, processing, sales and distribution of laminates and wood-based bonded items including outsourcing. Formica Group is FSC® certified and complies with the requirements of FSC. Network of participating European Formica Group sites are shown on certificate number TT-COC-003588.
About Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody
The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.
Chain of Custody certification is the unbroken path which timber and paper products take from the forest to the consumer, including all stages of processing, manufacturing, transportation and distribution.
Chain of Custody certification provides third party, independent verification that the certified timber or paper products originate from well-managed forests, and, verifies that these products are not mixed with products from uncertified forests at any point in the supply chain, except under strict controls.
BM TRADA offers Chain of Custody certification to the FSC scheme. BM TRADA Certification has clients throughout the world and has joint venture or representative offices throughout the world.
About Formica Group
Formica Group globally leads the industry in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products for commercial and residential applications.
Formica® laminate is the ‘original’, with 99 years of innovation and manufacturing experience. This international group of companies has developed an unrivalled expertise, which ensures quality, reliability and products that are fit for purpose. Working closely with architects, designers and specifiers, the company is ideally placed to offer innovative new products and decors which respond to market needs and complement current design trends.
Products include Formica® High Pressure Laminate (HPL) in a wide selection of colours, designs and textures. Other surfacing materials include Formica® Compact with its solid laminate core, ColorCore® solid colour laminate and a specialist Formica® Bespoke digital and screen print service. AR Plus – durable high gloss laminate, highly resistant to scuffs and abrasions, DecoMetal – combines the colour and character of real metal surfaces with the lightweight, flexible and practical nature of laminate and Chemtop®2 with enhanced chemical resistance. For particularly demanding exterior environments Vivix®, with enhanced UV and weather resistance. Formica Group also offers residential laminates for furniture, worktops and kitchen manufacture.
Formica® Laminate and DecoMetal®products are GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality certified; the premier mark for low-emitting products. All of Formica Group’s manufacturing sites and distribution centres received accreditation by the internationally-recognised Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody (COC) from leading accreditation body, BM TRADA. Formica HPL, Compact Laminate and Bonded Worktops, carry the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label.
Formica Group is a global group of companies consisting of Formica Canada, Inc., Formica Corporation, Formica de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Formica IKI Oy, Formica Limited, Formica S.A., Formica S.A.S., Formica Taiwan Corporation, Formica (Thailand) Co., Ltd., and Formica (Asia) Ltd., among others.
Please Note: Formica, the Formica anvil device, DecoMetal, ColorCore, Chemtop, VIVIX and AR Plus are registered trademarks of The Diller Corporation.
© 2012 The Diller Corporation
A Fletcher Building Company
PRESS CONTACTS:
EUROPE NORTH AMERICA ASIA
Jennifer Neale Bill Roush Birdie Chao
Formica Limited Formica Corporation Formica (Asia) Ltd.
+44 191 259 3109 + 1 513 786 3162 +86 21 2211 366 ext 8310
jennifer.neale@formica.com bill.roush@formica.com birdie.chao@formica.com
