UNISOURCE EARNS TOP RATING IN WHOLESALER/DISTRIBUTOR SECTOR OF FORESTETHICS & DOGWOOD ALLIANCE GREEN GRADES 2009 REPORT:
This past week, Unisource received the news that our
company has earned the top rating in the wholesaler/distributor sector from
ForestEthics and the Dogwood Alliance when they released their Green Grades 2009
report. Since 2007, these two environmental groups have collaborated on the Green
Grades office supply report card to inform American consumers and large purchasers
of office supply products about which companies' paper practices safeguard the
environment and the world's forests.
ForestEthics is a nonprofit environmental organization with a stated mission to
protect Endangered Forests and wild places, wildlife, and human well-being.
Dogwood Alliance is an organization that holds corporations accountable for the
impact of their industrial forestry practices on our forests and communities.
Earlier this year, a team of Unisource representatives met with the two environmental
groups to outline our company's corporate sustainability commitment and our
ongoing environmental practices. This information was among the data used by the
group to determine our rating for the Green Grades 2009 report. In commenting about
Unisource's practices, the environmental group said:
"Companies like FedEx Office, Unisource, Office Depot, United Stationers, and
Target have used their purchasing power to stop the purchase of paper from some of
the world's most destructive companies."
Specifically, in reference to Unisource, the reports states:
"Unisource has been the most proactive company in its class. They adopted a paper
policy earlier this year with clear intent to avoid Endangered Forest sources, and are
surveying their suppliers to identify potential concerns. They also committed to
avoiding all controversial Indonesian paper sources, started moving away from tree
plantation sources in the Southern U.S., and are examining their suppliers'
greenhouse gas footprints. The company has more work to do, and is not yet giving
serious preference to recycled or credibly-certified paper (i.e., FSC), even for its own
branded paper. But they're off to a great start."
All Team Members should be very proud of the rating Unisource earned in the Green
Grades 2009 report, especially in comparison to our competitors, and we would like to
share this information with the marketplace. In the next few days, we will be
distributing talking points to our salesforce that can be used in presenting the report
to customers. In the meantime, I would like to encourage you to become familiar
with the report.
