3/22/2021

P&G Family Care Accelerates Forest Conservation Efforts

P&G Family Care forestry commitments are ahead of schedule, setting a new bar for the pulp industry

Today, on the International Day of Forests, P&G's Family Care brands provide an update on our 2019 forestry commitments and how we are raising the bar further on forest certification and conservation, transparency and accountability. These actions and accelerated commitments span all P&G Family Care brands, including Charmin, Puffs, and Bounty and help bring to life P&G's Ambition 2030 goal of protecting and enhancing forests.

FSC Landowner Learning Exchange participants hike in Ashdown, Arkansas (file image).

We are accelerating Forestry Certification Goals
P&G's Family Care products are made with 100 percent 3rd party certified pulp sourced from responsibly-managed forests. These forest certification systems — Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification — adhere to multiple criteria for sustainable forest management:

  1. Maintaining Forests: Ensuring forests are responsibly managed. For every tree we use, at least one is regrown.

  2. Respecting People: Respecting the rights of workers and Indigenous Peoples supporting Free, Prior, and Informed Consent from all groups and United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

  3. Protecting Habitat: Protecting, conserving, and enhancing the habitats for wildlife and endangered species that call forests their home.

P&G prefers the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification, the most trusted forest certification system. This standard has been recognized by many non-government organizations or NGOs for protecting forests, biodiversity, and habitat to the highest level available. Yet, the availability of FSC-certified wood pulp is insufficient to meet demand. For more than five years, P&G has worked with experts to increase the number of forest acres that are FSC-certified in the U.S. and Canada. As part of this effort, we committed to nearly double our FSC-certified fiber use to 75 percent across all P&G Family Care brands by 2025.

Now, we are years ahead of schedule and can share that:

  • P&G Family Care will meet our 2025 commitment of 75 percent FSC commitment by the end of 2021, three years ahead of our goal. As part of this accelerated progress, 95 percent of wood pulp we source from Ontario and Quebec, an area of focus for caribou protection, will be FSC certified before 2022.
  • P&G Family Care will set a new ambition to deliver 100 percent FSC by 2030, setting a new bar for the pulp industry.
  • Currently, P&G Family Care uses 98 percent recycled fiber in our fiber-based packaging. We remain dedicated to using recycled fiber where it has the most impact, so today, we are accelerating our goal of achieving 100 percent recycled fiber in our fiber-based packaging before 2023, two years ahead of our original goal. Paper fibers can be re-used 5 to 7 times* in cardboard and paper packaging. Also, recycled fibers can be used efficiently in cardboard and paperboard products, with less waste in the manufacturing process than when used in premium tissue products.
Local FSC Certified Landowner Bill Fischer pictured in Ashdown, Arkansas (file image).

We have strengthened Sourcing Accountability
Though we do not own any forests, we have a responsibility through our procurement practices to ensure the sustainability of the world's forest resources. We demonstrate that responsibility by committing to sustainable forest management practices throughout our supply chain.

To deliver on this commitment:

  • P&G has strengthened our Wood Pulp Sourcing Policy clarifying expectations for no deforestation, ensuring the protection of Indigenous Peoples Rights, and stricter forest certification requirements.
  • We have a grievance mechanism to report violations against our Wood Pulp Sourcing Policy.
  • P&G will now share actions taken to remediate violations against our Wood Pulp Sourcing Policy.
Participants of a pre-2020 tour of a forest outside of Ashdown, Arkansas hike through the forest.

We have increased Sourcing Transparency and Disclosure
Transparency across our sourcing and supply chain is simply part of P&G’s business. We track and report annually the amount of wood pulp purchased from suppliers certified under each forest certification system. We now have the highest level of transparency in our industry on sharing data regarding sourcing volume, regions, certification systems, the relative size of sourcing, tree harvesting age, and more. This information can be found via our new ESG Investor Portal.

Picture of pine needles from a tree in the Ashdown, Arkansas forest (file image).

We are expanding our Forest Positive Programs
P&G and our Family Care brands go beyond responsible sourcing and support efforts to keep forests as forests for generations to come. We have partnered with Arbor Day Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, American Forest Foundation, and Rainforest Alliance to advance the protection of forests.

  • P&G is planting over 1 million trees between 2020-2025 in areas devasted by natural disasters with the Arbor Day Foundation.
  • In partnership with World Wildlife Fund, we are focusing on forest landscape restoration and rehabilitation planning efforts in the Atlantic Forest on Brazil’s east coast.
  • We are working with family forest owners in the U.S. to better manage their forests through the Nature Conservancy and the American Forest Foundation.
  • P&G is partnering with the Rainforest Alliance, with whom we've worked since 2003, by investing in developing and launching the Forest Allies Community of Practice. The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization working to create a better future for people and nature. Find out more at ra.org

Learn more here: us.pg.com/mapping-our-impact

P&G remains committed to the responsible sourcing of wood pulp and has increased the pace, scale, and rigor of our efforts. We share these actions and commitments to help keep forests as forests for today and for generations to come. We've been stepping up for more than 180 years and will continue to push ourselves to do more.

*TAPPI, How is Paper Recycled? (Paper U, Earth Answers: 2001). https://tappi.org