Unit II Scholarly Activity: Green Marketing Activity
Label # 1
Product Name: Staples FSC Certified Recycled Paper (FSC 100%)
Green Label Used: Forest Stewardship Council
What are the standards associated with the green label?
The Forest Stewardship Council certification is intended to recognize and independently
certify that products have been sourced in an environmentally sustainable, socially
responsible and economically productive manner. FSC certification allows for use of
virgin tree fibers and does not enforce the use of recycled paper, as long as virgin fibers
used as sourced from a ‘well-managed’ ecosystem. The FSC mandates that its certified
companies pass a ‘chain of custody’ verification process and submit a management
plan to certify that all stakeholders in the supply chain, such as loggers, manufacturers
and retailers, are operating in a sustainable manner and that paper is sourced from
FSC-certified forests, recycled sources or controlled wood. Three different FSC
certification labels indicate whether the paper is sourced fully from sustainable forests,
recycled sources, or mixed sources.
How does a product or company get the certification for the label? (What is the
process?)
There are three different FSC labels. For Staples, its FSC 100% label indicates that all
its wood sources originate from FSC-certified, sustainably managed forests. For FSC
Recycled labels, the product originates from recycled material. For FSC mix labels, the
product material originates from FSC-certified forests, recycled sources, or controlled
wood which is not illegally harvested or harvested in violation of traditional,
conservational and civil rights.
Do you think that this label is legitimate? Why, or why not?
The Forest Stewardship Council label is not legitimate, as it causes companies to
charge higher prices for ‘sustainable’ wood products but does not have a significant
impact of tropical deforestation, as shown by the illegal logging incidents in the Russian
Dvinsky Forest, Russian Far East, and Amazonian Forest by FSC-certified companies
such as Xingjia, Inversiones La Oroza and Holzindustrie Schweighofer. (Conniff, 2018)
Furthermore, the non-profit’s decision-making process is labyrinthine and consists of
multiple working groups representing different interests, which means that enforcement
and regulation of FSC certification is often slow and ineffective. (Conniff, 2018) A 2015
study on the impact of FSC certification on deforestation in Mexico also revealed that
FSC certification has a highly limited impact on deforestation and regulatory constraints
to logging in the Mexican forests. (Blackman et al, 2018)
Does the label comply with the FTC’s Environmental Claims: Summary of the
Green Guides? Point out specific points in your summary to which the label does
or does not comply.
The label complies with the use of verifiable and specific environmental benefit claims,
as the FSC sourcing for FSC-certified, recycled and mixed products are specific claims.
However, the label does not comply with the FTC’s certifications and seals of approval
, guidelines, as the basis for the FTC’s sustainable ‘chain of custody’ has been shown to
be flawed, with violations of sustainable sourcing found in the Amazon and in the
Russian forests. (Conniff, 2018) The label also does not comply with the free-of
guideline, as it claims that FSC certified products are free of illegally sourced wood,
which watchdogs have found to be untrue in the case of certain FSC-certified
companies and products. (Conniff, 2018)
Would the presence of this label influence your purchasing decision? Why, or
why not?
The presence of this label would not influence my purchasing decision for a number of
reasons. Foremost, the presence of this label does not guarantee that the company with
the FSC certification is capable of having a verifiable impact in preventing deforestation.
Reference(s)
Blackman, A., Goff, L., & Planter, M. R. (2018). Does eco-certification stem tropical
deforestation? Forest Stewardship Council certification in Mexico. Journal of
Environmental Economics and Management, 89, 306-333.
Conniff, Richard. (2018, February 20). Greenwashed Timber: How Sustainable Forest
Certification Has Failed. Retrieved from https://e360.yale.edu/features/greenwashed-
timber-how-sustainable-forest-certification-has-failed
FSC. (2018, Jan 3). What It Means When You See the FSC labels on a Product.
Retrieved from https://www.fsc.org/en/page/fsc-labels
Staples. (2008, March 10). Staples Is First to Make Forest Stewardship Council
Certified Recycled Paper a Standard Offering in All Copy & Print Centers. Retrieved
from news.staples.com/press-release/staples-first-make-forest-stewardship-council-
certified-recycled-paper-standard-offeri
Label # 2
Product Name: LG Energy Star - certified refrigerators (LG LFCS25426 Residential
Refrigerator model)
Green Label Used: Energy Star
What are the standards associated with the green label?
Label # 1
Product Name: Staples FSC Certified Recycled Paper (FSC 100%)
Green Label Used: Forest Stewardship Council
What are the standards associated with the green label?
The Forest Stewardship Council certification is intended to recognize and independently
certify that products have been sourced in an environmentally sustainable, socially
responsible and economically productive manner. FSC certification allows for use of
virgin tree fibers and does not enforce the use of recycled paper, as long as virgin fibers
used as sourced from a ‘well-managed’ ecosystem. The FSC mandates that its certified
companies pass a ‘chain of custody’ verification process and submit a management
plan to certify that all stakeholders in the supply chain, such as loggers, manufacturers
and retailers, are operating in a sustainable manner and that paper is sourced from
FSC-certified forests, recycled sources or controlled wood. Three different FSC
certification labels indicate whether the paper is sourced fully from sustainable forests,
recycled sources, or mixed sources.
How does a product or company get the certification for the label? (What is the
process?)
There are three different FSC labels. For Staples, its FSC 100% label indicates that all
its wood sources originate from FSC-certified, sustainably managed forests. For FSC
Recycled labels, the product originates from recycled material. For FSC mix labels, the
product material originates from FSC-certified forests, recycled sources, or controlled
wood which is not illegally harvested or harvested in violation of traditional,
conservational and civil rights.
Do you think that this label is legitimate? Why, or why not?
The Forest Stewardship Council label is not legitimate, as it causes companies to
charge higher prices for ‘sustainable’ wood products but does not have a significant
impact of tropical deforestation, as shown by the illegal logging incidents in the Russian
Dvinsky Forest, Russian Far East, and Amazonian Forest by FSC-certified companies
such as Xingjia, Inversiones La Oroza and Holzindustrie Schweighofer. (Conniff, 2018)
Furthermore, the non-profit’s decision-making process is labyrinthine and consists of
multiple working groups representing different interests, which means that enforcement
and regulation of FSC certification is often slow and ineffective. (Conniff, 2018) A 2015
study on the impact of FSC certification on deforestation in Mexico also revealed that
FSC certification has a highly limited impact on deforestation and regulatory constraints
to logging in the Mexican forests. (Blackman et al, 2018)
Does the label comply with the FTC’s Environmental Claims: Summary of the
Green Guides? Point out specific points in your summary to which the label does
or does not comply.
The label complies with the use of verifiable and specific environmental benefit claims,
as the FSC sourcing for FSC-certified, recycled and mixed products are specific claims.
However, the label does not comply with the FTC’s certifications and seals of approval
, guidelines, as the basis for the FTC’s sustainable ‘chain of custody’ has been shown to
be flawed, with violations of sustainable sourcing found in the Amazon and in the
Russian forests. (Conniff, 2018) The label also does not comply with the free-of
guideline, as it claims that FSC certified products are free of illegally sourced wood,
which watchdogs have found to be untrue in the case of certain FSC-certified
companies and products. (Conniff, 2018)
Would the presence of this label influence your purchasing decision? Why, or
why not?
The presence of this label would not influence my purchasing decision for a number of
reasons. Foremost, the presence of this label does not guarantee that the company with
the FSC certification is capable of having a verifiable impact in preventing deforestation.
Reference(s)
Blackman, A., Goff, L., & Planter, M. R. (2018). Does eco-certification stem tropical
deforestation? Forest Stewardship Council certification in Mexico. Journal of
Environmental Economics and Management, 89, 306-333.
Conniff, Richard. (2018, February 20). Greenwashed Timber: How Sustainable Forest
Certification Has Failed. Retrieved from https://e360.yale.edu/features/greenwashed-
timber-how-sustainable-forest-certification-has-failed
FSC. (2018, Jan 3). What It Means When You See the FSC labels on a Product.
Retrieved from https://www.fsc.org/en/page/fsc-labels
Staples. (2008, March 10). Staples Is First to Make Forest Stewardship Council
Certified Recycled Paper a Standard Offering in All Copy & Print Centers. Retrieved
from news.staples.com/press-release/staples-first-make-forest-stewardship-council-
certified-recycled-paper-standard-offeri
Label # 2
Product Name: LG Energy Star - certified refrigerators (LG LFCS25426 Residential
Refrigerator model)
Green Label Used: Energy Star
What are the standards associated with the green label?
