The concept of forest certification, which ensures that the forests used to create pulp and paper products will continue to remain environmentally viable after harvest, has existed for more than 20 years. Ecolabels, including Type 1 ecolabels like ECOLOGO® and EU Ecolabel, help consumers easily identify products sourced from well-managed forests.

Paper was one of the first items to carry an ecolabel, in recognition of the many benefits that trees provide. Today, demand for ecolabels as indicators of sustainability has increased significantly. According to the Ecolabel Index, there are more than 450 ecolabels in the marketplace, each highlighting an environmental or social benefit associated with a product’s sourcing or manufacture.

Just as Domtar (Canada) revolutionized the industry when it became the first company in North America to offer Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified copy paper in 2005, the company has become an early adopter of other certifications it recently reported on. For example, the company's Windsor Mill in Quebec meets standards for two well-known Type 1 ecolabels: ECOLOGO and EU Ecolabel.

Studies show that consumers are increasingly enticed by sustainable brands. These brands tend to offer products that are environmentally responsible, socially conscious or manufactured in a way that reduces negative impact, as indicated by the presence of an ecolabel. To address this trend, an entire class of voluntary marks was created, defined by the International Organization for Standardization as Type 1 ecolabels. These marks all share the following traits:

• They are voluntary programs.
• They require compliance with environmental and other relevant legislation.
• They consider the entire product lifecycle.
• They establish criteria that differentiate environmentally preferable products from conventional products.