Thursday June 28, MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 28 -- International Paper today announced that its U.S. pulp and paper mills and container plants are now third-party certified to ensure their products are made from sustainable wood fiber. The moves are part of the company's commitment to forest stewardship and providing customers a broad range of products made from renewable resources.

"Customers have choices in today's marketplace," said John Faraci, International Paper chairman and chief executive. "We want our customers to know we are committed to making high-quality paper and packaging from sustainable sources. Independent, third-party certification is an important step in demonstrating that commitment."

International Paper now has the following certifications from top independent national and international certification bodies:

- Chain-of-custody certification from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) standard for all 16 of its U.S. pulp and paper mills, which ensures the company has a reliable accounting system for tracking the source of the wood fiber

- Chain-of-custody certification from the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) for all 16 of its U.S. pulp and paper mills

- Wood fiber sourcing certification from the SFI standard for all 65 U.S. container plants, ensuring the wood fiber used to make corrugated packaging comes from a certified source

- SFI standard certification of its U.S. wood procurement systems including landowner education and contractor auditing, to ensure 100 percent of the company's wood fiber comes from trees that have been sustainably harvested

- Chain-of-custody certification from SFI and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards for xpedx, North America's largest distributor of printing papers. xpedx is a business of International Paper.

To further expand its sustainable product offerings and provide customers with more certification options, International Paper will also pursue Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certification. These are the latest in a long history of commitments by International Paper to ensure the continuing health of the world's forests.

"International Paper has been a leader in sustainable forestry and forest conservation for decades," said Dr. Sharon Haines, International Paper's director of sustainability. "By encouraging responsible, sustainable management of forestlands, including reforestation and regeneration, International Paper not only provides the essential paper and packaging products people use everyday, but we also ensure that forests continue to be healthy and abundant for generations to come."