CERTIFIED WOOD AND SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING
Sustainable forest management serving industry
PEFC France is a member of the international PEFC organisation, which is present in 57 countries. Its mission is to promote the sustainable management of forests through a certification programme with two objectives: to preserve forest ecosystems and to ensure the sustainability of the resource in order to meet current and future wood needs.
In France, more than 84,000 forest owners and nearly 3,400 companies are committed to PEFC certification. More than a third of the forest area in mainland France is now certified. These figures reflect the structuring role of certification in supplying user industries, including the packaging sector.
In response to changing economic, environmental and societal challenges, PEFC France recently revised its standard for sustainable forest management. Over a period of nearly two years, around 100 stakeholders contributed to this update in order to reach a consensus on new requirements applicable in mainland France and French Guiana.
The changes introduced notably strengthen the preservation of forest ecosystems. Chemical weedkillers are now banned in certified forests. The concept of landscape sensitivity zones has been clarified to improve their identification. The authorised size of clear-cuts has been reduced, with the introduction of a mandatory assessment in the event of oversizing, thereby consolidating practices that promote forest regeneration.
The standard also specifies the means to be implemented to contribute to the restoration of the forest-wildlife balance. It introduces specific guidelines for forest conversion, proposing a strict framework that complements existing regulatory measures, particularly with regard to the European regulation against deforestation. High Ecological Value Forest Areas are now better defined to facilitate their identification and preservation. The diversification of tree species is encouraged to strengthen the resilience of forests to climate change, and the number of old or dead trees to be preserved has been increased in order to support biodiversity and soil fertility.
This approach illustrates a multifunctional vision of the forest, integrating its environmental, societal and economic dimensions. As Paul-Emmanuel Huet, Executive Director of PEFC France, points out: ‘PEFC brings people together around a multifunctional and balanced vision of forests and promotes the fragile but essential balance between their environmental, societal and economic dimensions.’
Certified wood, a strategic lever for packaging
At the ALLFORPACK EMBALLAGE PARIS trade show, these issues resonate directly with players in the packaging industry. PEFC-certified wood is a key material in the design of more sustainable packaging that is renewable, traceable and aligned with emerging regulatory requirements.
PEFC France works to develop demand for certified products among public and private specifiers in various sectors, including packaging, furniture and construction. In the wood-paper-cardboard sector, certification promotes the use of raw materials from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources.
The PEFC chain of custody guarantees the traceability of wood from the certified forest to the finished product. In a context marked by the strengthening of national and European regulations on the origin of raw materials and the fight against deforestation, this traceability is becoming a strategic issue for manufacturers. PEFC France is thus positioning itself as an operational tool to support companies in complying with these new requirements.
PEFC-certified packaging can be made from virgin material sourced from sustainably managed forests, but can also incorporate recycled material. These two resources are complementary and essential to the establishment of a material cycle that is consistent with the principles of the circular economy. By committing to certification, companies in the forest-wood-paper sector are contributing to the preservation of forests while developing more circular industrial models.
At ALLFORPACK EMBALLAGE PARIS, this link between environmental performance, industrial innovation and regulatory compliance is fully in line with the thinking behind the exhibition. The issue of materials, their origin and traceability is now inseparable from eco-design and carbon footprint reduction strategies.
A clear framework for promoting commitments
Beyond the technical aspects, promoting environmental commitments is a key issue for exhibitors at ALLFORPACK EMBALLAGE PARIS. Communication about certification must be accurate, verifiable and understandable.
The international standard for PEFC labels strictly regulates the use of the logo to ensure that the information provided is not misleading. The use of the label must correspond exactly to the scope of the certification. A dedicated platform allows certified companies to generate logos accompanied by alternative messages detailing precisely what is certified: the product, the packaging, the print. It is also possible to explicitly name ‘PEFC-certified packaging’.
In a context where the expectations of citizens and professional customers are evolving towards greater transparency, the legibility of the message becomes crucial. ‘As citizens' expectations tend towards more sustainable consumption, it is essential that the message associated with the PEFC brand is clearly legible and understood by the consumer,’ Paul-Emmanuel Huet points out.
By highlighting this partnership, ALLFORPACK EMBALLAGE PARIS is placing the issue of PEFC-certified wood at the heart of strategic debates in the sector. Sustainable resource management, regulatory requirements, the circular economy and industrial innovation are thus converging around a single objective: to develop a more responsible packaging model based on a controlled and traceable resource.
Meet the packaging experts at the trade show ALLFORPACK EMBALLAGE PARIS from 24 to 26 November 2026 at Paris Nord Villepinte
image credit: Joel & Jasmin Førestbird - Unsplash