Papéis Sanitários Certificados FSC

Paper marketed by RL Higiene is the first to be awarded the FSC Seal in South America

Technical Information Corporate Name: RL Sistemas Higiene Ltda.

Trading Name: RL Higiene Management: General Director: Ricardo Vacaro Sales Director: RogĂŠrio Vacaro Financial Diretor and Founder: SĂŠrgio Vacaro Managers involved in the certification process: Logistics Manager: Sheila Degello Sales & Marketing Manager: Francys Helena Leite Schmidt Number of employees: 60 Field of Activity: Professional Hygiene and Cleaning

Introduction

Paper marketed by RL Higiene is the first to be awarded the FSC Seal in South America This certification warrants that the wood used in the paper production has been selected according to eco-friendly criteria which do not harm the environment and the forests.

A Brazilian hygiene and cleaning company on the market for over thirty years, RL Higiene is the distributor of a wide range of products and services committed to sustainability. Based on this guideline, the company was the first to market FSC certified paper towel in South America since June 2008. The FSC Seal is the most acknowledged green seal in the world, stimulating sales of over 5 billion dollars per year.

This seal is granted by the Forest Stewardship Council warranting the origin of the wood used as raw material in the cellulose production which processes observe socio-environmental principles. The assessment criteria are quite rigorous and the Seal ensures the consumers that the products are the result of a sustainable management, starting from the wood extraction up to the paper production.

The first papers to be awarded the FSC Seal were the Essenz Vert line rolled and interfolded paper towel versions. Other RL Higiene products are already being prepared to be assessed by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Sustainable Cleaning

All papers marketed by RL Higiene are expected to be FSC certified by 2010 Considering the market’s economic aspects, RL Higiene’s commitment is to permanently seek products and procedures always observing Sustainable Cleaning principles (a concept created and patented by RL), i.e.: Products and Procedures capable of protecting the health of people who live in buildings as well as those who clean them by using minimum material resources and warranting the minimum and adequate waste in the natural environment.

Furthermore, RL products and services help its client companies to reduce costs and the waste emission in the natural environment.

By observing the sustainability concept, the company invested heavily in eco-effectiveness, i.e., it markets products and services capable to protect the consumers’ health by using the most economical material resources and ensuring a suitable disposal into the natural environment.

To achieve this, RL Higiene has divided its activities into stages, starting with the identification of its customers’ needs up to the monitoring of the corresponding results. Consequently, it first develops proposals of complete solutions and only then the systems are implemented. The company also offers training and support on the best way to use its products.

The company’s business principle is to invest in processes and products which reduce the demand of water, electric power, packaging, time and transportation. This is how RL Higiene can prevent the contribution to the CO2 emission and to the global warming, besides drastically reducing the waste of natural resources.

Sustainable Cleaning

Concept Brands and Sustainable Products More than 900 customers are already served by RL Higiene on a monthly basis. These customers are from different market segments such as industries, office buildings, schools, etc., who use the company’s products to clean their professional and leisure areas, from production lines to toilets.

In order to meet all requirements, RL Higiene developed three professional hygiene line concepts which names are:

Eco-effective cleaning of production areas

Basic cleaning of toilets with training and products supply

Sustainable cleaning of professional areas such as offices, kitchens, shared areas, high traffic areas, etc.

Besides the so-called concept brands, RL Higiene markets also sustainable cleaning products such as Higindoor (detergents, waxes, cleaners and removers), Giornata (disposable cups, napkins, kitchen accessories) and Sax (selective garbage collection at companies and institutions). It is important to emphasize that RL Higiene does not manufacture cleaning items which are actually produced by third party suppliers.

Awards

Society’s Acknowledgement In 2006, as a result of the above mentioned factors, RL Higiene was singled out as a management model in the GQF Program (Supplier’s Quality Management Program) of Johnson & Johnson Professional Products. In 2007, it was awarded the bronze medal at the Premio Paulista de Qualidade da Gestão Ciclo 2007 (Paulista 2007 Management Quality Award) sponsored by IPEG (Instituto Paulista de Excelência da Gestão – Paulista Quality of Management Excellence Institute) and supported by FNQ (Fundação Nacional de Qualidade – National Quality Forum), of which RL Higiene is a member. During the same year, RL was also granted the ABRAFAC Award (Associação Brasileira de Facilities – Brazilian Facilities Association) for the best project in the Services category.

Paulista Quality Excellence Institute Bronze 2007

ECO Award American Chamber and newspaper Valor Econômico

Paulista Quality Excellence Institute Silver 2008

Brazilian Facilities Association

Paulista Quality Excellence Institute Gold 2009

Supplier’s Quality Management Program by Johnson & Johnson

Profile

The Company RL Higiene was established in 1977 as a small cleaning products dealer with a focus on the quality of its rendered services since the very beginning. The company works only with suppliers who can guarantee the origin of the raw material of their products, supporting as well socio-environmental initiatives. As a member of the “Fundação Abrinq pelos direitos da Criança e do Adolescente (Abrinq Foundation for the children’s and adolescents’ rights), the company is considered an “Amiga da Criança – Children’s Friend”.

With its 60 employees, the company markets today an average of 1,500 tons of toilet paper per year. The company’s innovation rate which measures the sales participation of products launched on the market during the last three years – reached the peak of 60%.

RL Higiene is a member of the distinguished association of the segment, ABRALIMP (Associação Brasileira do Mercado Institucional de Limpeza – Brazilian Association of the Cleaning Institutional Market) and of ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association).

Furthermore, RL’s focus is the hygiene of collective areas, keeping updated with the latest news of the segment, and following and setting trends as well. The company is constantly watchful of the market changes and always had strategic allies, such as DuPont and Plataforma.

Address: Rua Major Paladino, 128 – G.1 05307-000 São Paulo/SP - Brazil Phone no.: 55 11 3839 2500 Fax no.: 55 11 3839 2501 www.rl.com.br