SPICERS PAPER
WALKING THE TALK
Spicers Head Office building in Highbrook
Spicers is walking the talk on sustainability. From providing the highest standard, certified eco-friendly paper products to responsible environmental management, this company certainly deserves their Enviro-Mark Gold certification. Paper merchant Spicers has traditionally serviced the commercial print market, but over recent years have diversified through acquisitions and growth. With four branches across the country, they have operations as distributors of paper products and industrial packaging at their core. Spicers manage over 16,000 square metres of warehouse space and deliver over 37,000 tonnes of product each year.
Paper
≠ Bad
Despite common misconceptions, Spicers General Manager Mark Lee, asserts that paper is a sustainable product. Certifications from organisations such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) of which Spicers have both, indicate that a product has satisfied rigorous checks and has been fully audited. Every step of the way in the chain of custody, each company is benchmarked against the same guidelines. Mark likens 10
FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY A U T U M N 2 0 1 9
sustainable forestry to mowing your lawn; the trees grow, are cut down and made into paper, then more trees are grown. “We view our certified paper products as sustainable and environmentally friendly,” he says. There is a stringent process around the environment; the trees are sourced through certified forestry. The water used in the manufacturing process to turn trees into pulp is reused throughout production. It is then cleaned to higher quality standards and returned to the rivers, better than when it came out. These certifications are important to Spicers because there is systematic proof that they are environmentally-produced products. End users can be certain that products with the certification logos, have gone through the strict processes to meet the guidelines. Veronica Pettigrew, Compliance Manager, explains, “We have the option to purchase from mills that aren’t certified, but we choose to purchase from mills that are, so we are assured they have
met the standards and we can provide that product to our customers.”
Compostable range Kylie Taylor, National Manager of Industrial Packaging, cites the environmental good Spicers are doing with the paper side of the business as being the driving force behind finding alternatives for some of their packaging. They have bought in a new range of compostable bin liners and are working to increase their eco-friendly range in as many ways as possible. One of the larger barriers to overcome is public perception and knowledge of compostable products. Spicers are taking care with how they launch and are focusing a lot of time and energy on getting the story out about compostables. They want consumers to understand the benefits and the difference between plastics and compostables. Kylie says, “People want to make a difference, they just don’t understand the differences between all options. Why am I paying more and is there a benefit? Yes, there is.” Kylie further explains that while there are commercial compost facilities, it is difficult getting the products there. “People can simply bury them in the garden, it doesn’t have to be in a compost bin. Their bin liners
