The process whereby trees absorb and store carbon is measured in terms of biogenic carbon. Actively managed forests in general remove carbon from the atmosphere at much higher rates than non-managed forests. The updated Carbon Footprint section summarises the role of biogenic carbon when calculating carbon footprints for cartons, and the central role of the cartons’ original raw material, wood fibre, which comes from sustainably managed forests.

The carton industry commissioned IVL, Swedish Environmental Research Institute, to explore the link between the forest and the folding carton and to develop an approach for including biogenic flows of carton products into Carbon Footprinting. IVL’s Report proposes that consumer demand for cartons stimulates demand for timber (wood fibre to make cartonboard) which in turn encourages the sustainable management of forests. IVL suggests that the net biogenic sequestration in the forest (i.e. removals from the atmosphere) is 730 kg / CO₂ equivalents per tonne of cartons. Therefore choosing cartons encourages the capturing of CO₂ to make a renewable material.

The results proposed by IVL for the cradle-to - grave approach can be illustrated:

The approach in the chart shows that the total Greenhouse Gas emissions can be as low as 397 kg/tonne. This takes into consideration a net biogenic sequestration of 730 kg / tonne, versus 1127 kg /tonne of total emissions of Greenhouse Gases. These total emissions are the sum of the fossil carbon footprint published by Pro Carton, which is a cradle-to-gate calculation of 964 kg / tonne of fossil CO2e, together with 163 kg /tonne of Greenhouse Gases from the end-of-life and avoided emissions phases.

For a copy of the updated Sustainability brochure please visit the Publications section of the Pro Carton website, click on the Sustainability sub-section and download the brochure: just click here.

For more detailed information on Cartons and Carbon Footprint , please visit the Publications section of the Pro Carton website, click on the Sustainability sub-section and download the brochure “Cartons and Carbon Footprint – Cartonboard packaging’s approach to fossil and biogenic carbon”: just click here.