Responsible sourcing

In 2018, Essity updated its sourcing policy for fresh fiber and strengthened its targets. Our target is for our fiber supply to be fully FSC® or PEFC™ certified. We are moving closer to fulfilling our target every year, but because of the high demand for and limited availability of certified fiber, we still need to source fiber that is not certified but nonetheless fulfills the FSC standard for Controlled Wood. This is always the minimum standard for the remaining share of fiber and means that the supplier can show full traceability regarding the origin of the fiber. Goal fulfillment for certified wood-based fresh fiber in 2019 was 79%. The remainder fulfilled FSC’s Controlled Wood standard. Most of Essity’s wholly owned manufacturing units are now certified in line with FSC and/or PEFC Chain of Custody standards.

Around 40% of all fibers used in our tissue products globally come from recycled paper. Essity invests in technology to allow the use of a broader range of paper grades for recycling. In doing so, we extend the types of recycled materials that can be used while meeting the stringent quality requirements of our consumers and customers.

A few of Essity's products contain cotton fibers. The volumes are limited, but as cotton production in certain countries could be associated with sustainability risks, Essity's ambition is that all sourced cotton or material containing cotton fibers should be sustainable. This means that the cotton is certified, organic, recycled or from a low-risk area. Essity is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), the largest sustainability program for cotton. BCI is Essity’s preferred program for more sustainable cotton, though other programs are also acknowledged.