UPM Raflatac labelstock to achieve PEFC and FSC Chain of Custody certification

(UPM Raflatac, Tampere, August 31, 2007) – UPM Raflatac has achieved both PEFC and FSC Chain of Custody certification (BMT-PEFC-0355, FSC TT-COC-002359) for a range of labelstock produced at its Scarborough factory in the UK. PEFC, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes, and the FSC, Forest Stewardship Council, are the main certification schemes related to the sustainability of wood used for the production of papers.

The UPM Raflatac range of PEFC-approved products consist of the company’s Vellum, Raflacoat and Raflabrite materials, which target bulk end-uses such as food, retail and logistics labelling.

“A clear chain of custody is crucial to many retailers,” says Jan-Erik Forsström, Senior Vice President, Europe. “When we buy a paper from a supplier we want to make certain that it comes from a sustainable source. This strategy helps everyone in the purchasing chain. Our customers can purchase paper stock knowing that their material comes from well-managed certified forests which are legally logged and not from protected forest areas. Retailers can underline their green credentials to consumers, who in turn can make more responsible buying decisions. This is just one example of how we’re trying to make a difference with our products.”

UPM supports and uses reliable forest certification schemes and has built a global chain-of-custody model to monitor and report the share of certified fibre in its products. The system meets the requirements for both PEFC and FSC. Most of the company’s units, from forestry to production, already have a certified chain of custody system in place.

For further information, please contact:
Mr Simon Boddy, Marketing Manager, UPM Raflatac, mobile +44 (0) 7788 188 974

About UPM Raflatac
UPM Raflatac is a world-leading supplier of self-adhesive label materials for a wide variety of needs in product and information labelling. In addition, the company is at the global forefront in the development and high-volume production of HF and UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and inlays. UPM Raflatac has around 2,500 employees and made sales of approximately EUR 1 billion (USD 1.3 billion) in 2006. The company has a global service network consisting of 11 factories on five continents and a broad network of distribution and slitting terminals and sales offices worldwide. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM. Further information is available at www.upmraflatac.com.

The Chain of Custody (CoC) verifies that the wood used in a product originates from sustainably managed and certified forests.

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) is, by area, the world’s largest forest certification system. PEFC is an umbrella organisation for the mutual recognition of national or regional forest certification schemes which meet internationally recognised requirements for sustainable forest management. PEFC includes forest certification, Chain of Custody and product labelling. Fulfilling the PEFC standard requires independent third-party verification. PEFC members are national or regional forest certification schemes based on inter-governmental processes for sustainable forest management around the world. In Europe these principles were agreed at a conference of European forest ministers. More information: www.pefc.org.

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is an international non-governmental organisation founded in 1993, whose task is to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. Forests certified against FSC standards are located in more than 60 countries. The Council has defined ten general principles of forest management. The actual certification standards are drawn up in accordance with the FSC principles in a national cooperation process. Fulfilling the FSC standard requires independent third-party verification. More information: www.fsc.org.