3.20.2007 - 11:09am ET

(CSRwire) March 20, 2007 - The Rainforest Alliance today commended the commitment by Scholastic Inc., the global children's publishing, education and media company, to use paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in printing the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, which is to be released in July.

For the initial printing of 12 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the United States, Scholastic has committed to making sure 65 percent of the 16,700 tons of paper used is FSC-certified, which means the paper comes from forestlands that are managed in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Totaling nearly 22 million pounds, this is the largest purchase of FSC-certified paper to be used in a single book printing to date. Moreover, all the paper used in the printing will contain at least 30 percent post-consumer waste fiber, with much of that verified by FSC standards as well.

"This is a major milestone for environmental and social responsibility in the publishing industry," said Tensie Whelan, executive director of the Rainforest Alliance. "Using wood products from well-managed forests has a great global impact in conserving biodiversity and improving livelihoods in local communities."

The Rainforest Alliance worked with Scholastic to develop its plan to buy FSC-certified paper and will continue helping the company refine its responsible paper procurement policies.

"We applaud Scholastic's progressive and bold commitment to support responsible forestry practices by buying FSC-certified and recycled papers," said Liza Murphy, senior marketing manager in the Rainforest Alliance’s sustainable forestry program. "We hope that other businesses follow this lead by making commitments to using wood products that come from forests that are managed to be productive, protect soils and waterways, and benefit local communities."

"Scholastic has a long history of caring for the environment, and our commitment to supporting responsible forestry practices will continue to be an important priority for us," said Lisa Holton, president of Scholastic Trade Publishing and Book Fairs. "We realize that publishers can play a significant role in conserving the world’s forestlands by using recycled and FSC-certified papers."

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the global standard-setter for responsible forest management. FSC certification is awarded to forestlands that meet a host of criteria covering biodiversity conservation, worker and land-use rights, and compliance with laws and international treaties. The Rainforest Alliance is the world’s leading certifier of forestlands to FSC standards. We have certified more than 100 million acres (40.7 million hectares) of forestland in 58 countries to date.

The area of FSC-certified forestlands has skyrocketed in recent years. More than 215 million acres (87 million hectares) globally are FSC-certified to date, up from more than 118 million acres (48 million hectares) in 2004. This increase has propelled rapid growth in the global supply of FSC-certified wood products including paper. Several hundred pulp providers, mills, merchants and printers globally have obtained FSC certification, which allows for increasing availability of certified products to consumers.

FSC certification of businesses at each step in the supply chain ensures that wood products from well-managed forestlands are documented and processed as such to verify the legitimacy of claims. The Rainforest Alliance will soon make available a free online resource to help people locate manufacturers and distributors of FSC-certified paper worldwide.

The Rainforest Alliance uses a variety of strategies to support the development of sustainable economies globally. The organization guides companies that are developing procurement policies for sustainably produced forest and agriculture products. Leading retailers including ABC Carpet & Home, Lowe's, Home Depot and IKEA and paper giants like Domtar and Tembec all use products that originate from FSC-certified forests. Increasing consumer interest in FSC-certified products ensures that forest companies have growing economic incentives to manage their lands responsibly.

Scholastic Corporation is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. For more information, visit www.scholastic.com.

The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

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