Mondi Syktyvkar Awarded EU Ecolabel for All Uncoated Fine Papers Produced at the Mill

Mondi Syktyvkar in Komi, Russia was recently awarded the EU Ecolabel for all papers produced at the mill. The EU Ecolabel is a certificate issued by the European Union, which verifies the environmental profile of a product or service. Products and services bearing the EU Ecolabel are certified as having a lower impact on the environment than other products in the same product group. The EU Ecolabel is a purely voluntary scheme enacted to encourage the purchasing of green products and services. It is a means by which customers choose products deemed environmentally conscious based on core environmental parameters.

The main criteria examined by the EU Ecolabel are emissions to air and water, energy use, sustainable forest management, the presence of hazardous chemical substances, waste management, information on packaging, fitness-for use/performance, and information provided about the EU Ecolabel. Specific for paper products, the EU Ecolabel stipulates the use of recycled fibres or virgin fibres from sustainably managed forests.

“Our office and offset papers produced at Mondi Syktyvkar fulfil the demands of the domestic market, where the environmental paper profile is increasingly important and adds value to the product. Snegurochka is recognised as Russia’s number one selling office paper. It now bears the EU Ecolabel in addition to being FSC® certified and part of Mondi’s eco-conscious Green Range,” said Klaus Peller, CEO Mondi Syktyvkar mill.

This year, Mondi succeeded in including all Mondi branded uncoated fine papers in its Green Range. Green Range papers must be FSC or PEFC™ certified, 100% recycled, or totally chlorine free bleached (TCF). Mondi maintains a strong position on sustainable forestry having attained FSC certification for all Mondi owned or leased forests. Moreover, 61% of the company’s total wood supply is FSC (46%) or PEFC (15%) certified; the remainder meets the FSC Controlled Wood Standard, which ensures legal compliance and no deforestation.

Earlier this year, Mondi Syktyvkar won three awards at the 2012 All Russian Awards for Environmental Safety and Ecological Management: nature preservation, technology (BAT), and ecological management. Most recently, Mondi received two WWF Environmental Paper Awards for “Transparency”, having listed 92% of its branded uncoated fine papers on WWF's Check Your Paper database, and “Best Environmental Performance Paper Brands” for 100% recycled NAUTILUS® SuperWhite. Mondi Group was also the recipient of the 2012 PPI Award (Pulp and Paper International) for Environmental Strategy of the Year in the company category.

To communicate Mondi’s achievements in a fun and entertaining manner, the company has launched a Green Range trivia game. For every participant, Mondi donates one euro to the NGO OroVerde’s reforestation project “Guatemala – Tree for Tree”. Participants also have a chance to win eco-friendly prizes. Visit www.mondigroup.com/gogreentrivia