Barry Callebaut has announced that it now purchases 95% of its corrugated carton boxes as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified in the EMEA Region. This applies to the carton boxes used by Barry Callebaut in its sites in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, UK, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany and Switzerland. This, the company said, is good progress towards Barry Callebaut’s packaging target as defined under its sustainability strategy “Forever Chocolate” to ensure that all packaging comes from sustainable sources by 2025.

FSC certification ensures that products come from well-managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. FSC certification is regarded internationally as a guarantee of responsible forest management.

In order to make sustainable chocolate the norm, Barry Callebaut has committed itself to have 100% sustainable ingredients in all of its products by 2025 and that includes packaging.

“Annually, we’re talking about 12 million square meters of packaging with FSC certification, the equivalent of 1875 football fields,” said Massimo Selmo, Head of Global Sourcing at Barry Callebaut. “This amounts to 7497 tons. FSC is a recognized standard internationally and part of our continuous efforts to ensure that our products, ingredients and packaging come from sustainable sources.”