The sweet side of sustainability: “Eurochocolate” meets sustainable forest management

22 January 2014 News

While enjoying the huge variety of chocolate on show, visitors to the 20th Eurochocolate, an International Chocolate Exhibition held in Perugia, Italy, could clean their hands with PEFC certified paper napkins. 

This ten day event dedicated to 900,000 chocolate lovers took sustainability to heart, with the celebratory 20th edition called ‘Evergreen: The Sweetness of Being Sustainable’.

The paper napkins visitors found on the shelves of all the stands were made from PEFC certified pulp. Lined up end to end, these napkins would reach from the center of Perugia to that of Assisi and back again – a distance of fifty kilometers. In figures, 468,000 napkins, each with the logos of the three protagonists: PEFC, Eurochocolate and BulkySoft (the brand name of the Gruppo Carrara paper mill), with a total weight of about 633 kilograms.

Furthermore, thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding between by Eurochocolate and PEFC Italy, a Green Procurement Policy was adopted and all the printed material used throughout this festival, including posters, brochures, programs, flyers and paper bags, was made from PEFC certified paper.

"This agreement not only helps to reduce the environmental impact of one of the most anticipated events for gourmands from all over Italy, but it also sends a crucial message to the consumers and producers of our paper industry," said Antonio Brunori, Secretary General of PEFC Italy. "It increases the awareness of citizens to the fact that it is possible to combine development and protection of Italian forest resources. It allows the forestry industry to take a step forward on the path of sustainability."

“The reason is simple - it's all a matter of supply and demand,” continued Mr. Brunori. “In the end, when the demand for certified paper increases, paper companies must adapt or they risk losing out in a lucrative market. And consequently, pulp producers and managers of forests must also adapt. This closes a virtuous circle that could make one of the most relevant industries to the future of the country more clean and competitive.”

Moreover, the paper napkin dispensers, created by Gruppo Carrara di Lucca, adopted an innovative delivery system that reduced paper waste by 40%. These savings led to a lower consumption of cellulose fibers and, thanks to the commitments of a PEFC certified paper mill, six trees will be replanted in PEFC certified forests.