Sustainable Forestry

For more than 110 years, International Paper has led the paper and forest products industry in promoting the planting and growing of trees, monitoring forest productivity and protecting biodiversity and habitat in the United States and throughout the world. When forest resources are managed responsibly, they provide an infinite supply of wood fiber for the paper and packaging products our customers and consumers want and need while supporting clean water, diverse wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and aesthetic beauty. 

To ensure a continued legacy of supporting well-managed forests, we strongly support third-party certification of responsible forest management and fiber procurement the efficient use of virgin and recycled fiber in our paper and packaging products. Thanks to the sound management practices by our industry the growth of U.S. forests exceeds annual tree harvesting and nearly a quarter of these forests are certified; less than 10 percent of the world’s forests are third-party certified. This means that consumers of wood fiber, such as our company, must continue to ensure proper use and management of forestlands.  We rely on wise and informed wood purchasing decisions, third-party certification of our wood procurement worldwide and forest management certification to deliver sustainable and renewable products to our customers.

Our company actively promotes research and innovation to continually improve the management of our global forest resources. Within our fiber supply chain (from forest to mill and customers), several key principles drive our commitment to stewardship of the most renewable resources in the world -- the forest. Click on the links to the right to find out more about sustainable forestry, our forestry achievements, and a description of how our fiber supply teams source and deliver wood fiber to our paper mills.