RICHMOND, Virginia -- Global packaging leader MWV today announced it has received chain of custody certifications to the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification scheme (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for its packaging manufacturing facilities in Graz, Austria, and Bydgoszcz, Poland, respectively. The certifications provide third-party validation of MWV’s sustainable fiber sourcing practices, and help assure our customers and consumers of the company's responsible environmental stewardship.

Chain of custody is the process of tracking and recording the possession and transfer of wood fiber from the forest of origin, through manufacture, production and processing stages and, ultimately, to its end use. These certifications help consumers identify those products that meet their environmental demands, and provide trusted third-party validation of the company’s sustainable business practices. The Graz facility received PEFC certification in November 2008, and the Bydgoszcz received FSC certification in January of this year.

“At MWV, we have operated through a sustainability-focused lens for decades,” said Andy Dreszer, vice president, Folding Carton Systems, MWV Europe. “We understand the importance of responsible sourcing to customers and consumers, which is why we take the important steps of achieving third-party certifications. These validations assure our customers that we are a trusted partner to them with a strong commitment to sustainability.”

In April 2008, MWV announced it received Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and PEFC chain-of-custody certifications at its North American paper mills and global integrated converting facilities. The dual certification covers the company’s U.S.-based paperboard mills in Covington, Va.; Evadale, Texas; and Mahrt, Ala., and the company’s sheeting and extruding facilities in Low Moor, Va.; Silsbee, Texas, and Venlo, Netherlands, and twelve of the company’s integrated package converting plants in North America, Europe and Asia.