Gascogne, the market leader, is continuing its efforts towards sustainable management of the Landes forest which provides the raw materials as well as the energy required for the sustainable development of its business activities. The Group has increased its initiatives for a responsible management strategy, especially in terms of environmental responsibility.
 Extension of quality programmes
The Group has developed an active certification policy to ensure that its products provide the best safety guarantees for end consumers.
Plants serving the food production industry have gained ISO 22000 certification, representing a high european food safety management system standard. The Mimizan plant (sacks) also boasts BRCIOP certification (British Retail Consortium Institute of Packaging), the top UK standard. The Linnich plant is ISO 22000 certified (hygiene).
The group initiated the necessary steps for the implementation of the REACH program (European REACH regulation pertaining to the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemical products) at all its divisions.
Sustainable and responsible forestry management
 Gascogne is involved in protecting and enhancing the value of the Landes forest |
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Gascogne is involved in protecting and enhancing the value of the Landes forest: active policy for the conservation and renewal of the Landes forest, lumber certification effort (lumber: 89% PEFC* certification for Gascogne Wood Products, industrial wood: 81% PEFC certification for Gascogne Paper). |
Campaigner for environmentally friendly timber harvesting: awareness-raising among new woodland owners, to ensure that they comply with the sustainable forest management policy adopted in the Aquitaine region; avail the services of only those forestry companies that adhere to the PEFC technical documentation; good practices codes for silviculture and wood business.
A pioneer in forestry certifications: implementation partner for PEFC accreditation at national level, representative on the PEFC-Aquitaine committee, multi-site PEFC control chain certified by the FCBA (Wood cellulose forest technological institute) that handles all the mobilisation and wood conversion activities for the 7 Wood division industrial sites.
Dialogue and partnerships with local citizens
Gascogne promotes dialogue and partnerships with the local citizens, in particular by organising environment co-ordination groups at Gascogne Paper. 3 meetings are organised per year with representatives from the local council, local associations for environmental protection and users of the area (surfers, hunters), the tourism office and a doctor.
Gascogne regularly raises stakeholders' awareness of its environmental impacts through several educational initiatives, such as plant open days (industrial tourism, National day for paper packaging), forestry-based conferences organization for school students ("Then man and the forest" theme) or participation to the "Graine de forêt" museum in Garein (40).
To promote the Group's sustainable development programme, communication programmes highlighting the benefits of 100% PEFC* certified natural kraft paper sacks were developed in 2008 towards customers and local xxx: 100% PEFC kraft paper manufactured sacks, printed using water-based inks, distributed during faires ("Sustainable planet", "Book Fair" in Bordeaux, Angoulême international comics festival), production of shopping bags (Rip Curl, Mollat bookshop, Graine de Forêt museum, Landes Tourism committee, city halls).
* PEFC: first international certification for forest sustainable management (Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes).
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All its operations are ISO 9001 version 2000 certified (quality management system).