PHILADELPHIA,
Feb. 16, 2012
(Business Wire) -
SCA, a global hygiene company and makers of the Tork brand of away-from-home (AFH) paper products, announced today all of its paper towel and napkin products have been deemed "accepted" for commercial composting using Cedar Grove Composting standards. SCA obtained acceptance of its paper towels and napkins from Cedar Grove Composting, a nationally recognized commercial composter and pioneer of compostable testing and product review, to ensure the product lifecycle from development, production, use and disposal remains environmentally responsible. This documentation of all its paper towel and napkin products continues to strengthen SCA's industry leadership in compostable AFH products following the recent certification of Tork Universal and Advanced napkins by the Biodegradable Products Institute in August 2011.
"Verifying that our paper towels are compostable is the latest step in SCA's ongoing commitment to sustainability," said Mike Kapalko, sustainability marketing manager, SCA AFH Professional Hygiene. "As our customers across North America continue to incorporate sustainability into their operations, we want to ensure our products anticipate their needs and give them the ability to safely compost our paper towels and napkins in large scale facilities ultimately helping to lessen landfill waste."
Cedar Grove reviews the materials to ensure they will properly break down in their commercial composting process. Cedar Grove's review verifies that all Tork paper towels and napkins are compostable.
Tork's paper towels and napkins have also received manufacturing related certification from EcoLogo and Green Seal, two premiere certification companies. These certifications in conjunction with compostable capabilities provide even greater focus on the transparency of the products' lifecycle.
"This testing coupled with our previous compostable napkin certification shows how these scientific and independent audits are important examples of SCA's market leadership in innovation that benefits multiple areas of our customers' business while maintaining our value of creating a smaller environmental footprint," said Kapalko.
Resources on Composting for Businesses
For businesses interested in composting, there are resources available to help initiate a program as well as provide support for existing programs. Josh Radoff, Tork® Green Hygiene Council member and founder of YR&G Sustainability, recommends visiting:
The Environmental Protection Agency's Webpage on composting (www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/composting/) for information on state and regional composting programs, specific materials that can be composted and environmental benefits
The United States Composting Council (http://compostingcouncil.org/)Web page for information on programs, advocacy, resources and education
