Malmberg, our learning company in the Netherlands, has been using 100% FSC® certified paper in its printed learning materials already for some years now. To strengthen its commitment, Malmberg has obtained an FSC® certificate for its school books. As a certificate holder, Malmberg is allowed to use the FSC® on-product label to promote its books and communicate its commitment to sustainable sourcing and environment.

Protecting the climate and environment is one of the key topics in Sanoma´s Sustainability strategy. We promote responsible use of forest resources through paper qualities that originate from trusted certified sources such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®), an international standard for responsible forestry. FSC® certified forests conserve biological diversity, water resources and crucial ecosystems, promoting also social and economic issues in the surrounding communities. To obtain an FSC certificate, the whole value chain – from the forest to the paper mill and onwards to printing our school books – needs to be FSC® certified. The FSC® labelling also requires full transparency of the entire chain of custody.

“At Malmberg, we made a choice to use only FSC® certified paper in our books already several years back, but having obtained the certificate for our own products brings us additional benefits and business advantages. We find it important to communicate to our customers that we create inclusive learning solutions for children in an environmentally sustainable way. The certificate also reflects our commitment to fair and responsible sourcing,” says Filip Obers, Supply chain Team lead at Malmberg.

For Sanoma, continuously seeking to increase the share of certified fibre used in our paper products is key. Safeguarding biodiversity protects wildlife populations and supports adapting to climate change. Already 95% of the paper qualities used by Sanoma originate from FSC® and PEFC® certified sources. Sanoma’s target is to purchase only paper made of certified fibre by 2023. Sanoma aims to be carbon neutral in both own operations and the value chain by 2030, and responsible use of forests supports also this commitment.

This article is part of a story series introducing products and services from our Learning businesses across Europe. Sanoma strives to minimise its environmental impacts across the supply chain in line with our Sustainability strategy.

Malmberg, based in Netherlands, develops learning methods for primary, secondary and vocational education and offers these methods through books and digital learning platforms. Malmberg is part of the Sanoma Learning business unit within Sanoma Group, serving over 20 million students in 11 countries.

FSC is the most rigorous international standard for responsible forestry. FSC certified forests conserve biological diversity, water resources and crucial ecosystems. The FSC standard also upholds worker rights and supports economic prosperity in surrounding communities. The FSC Chain of Custody certification ensures that certified wood products are tracked from forest to final product (and if applicable, that qualified recycled materials are used), adding legitimacy to the FSC claim throughout the supply chain.