While the till slip is a relatively insignificant bit of paper in the hands of a shopper, for retailers globally the scale of this paper consumption is huge. The heavyweight impact of Woolworths’ latest ‘responsibly sourced’ commodity announcement to replace their till slip paper with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper involves 211 tonnes of paper per year.
The ever-increasing demand for timber and wood products, if not properly managed, can contribute to deforestation and land use change that negatively affect people, biodiversity and climate.
The Head of Sustainability for Woolworths Holdings Group, Feroz Koor points out that partnering with FSC has been critical in achieving this milestone of responsibly sourced till paper.
“The FSC is the world’s leading organisation when it comes to forest sustainability. Their best-in-class certification system is rigorous and ensures full traceability to the very source. The initiative helps prevent natural forests being destroyed and makes sure that trees are planted to replace those that have been harvested.”
Approximately 70% of the paper and board in Woolworths’ food packaging is already FSC certified, with a wide variety of FSC certified products also available in store including stationary, serviettes, braai briquettes, kitchen and bathroom paper and wrapping paper.
Woolworths fashion brands are also driving the use of viscose made from sustainably managed forests, through partner organisation, Canopy.
As the roll-out of the FSC-certified till slip paper proceeds, consumers will notice the above printed logo as their assurance that the paper has been produced in a responsible way in line with the FSC’s ten guiding principles. For those who do not keep their Woolies till slips, it is important to note that they are recyclable.
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