Application and Place of Pulp in our Production

    P&G is committed to keeping forests as forests for generations to come. We source wood pulp for our tissue, towel, and absorbent hygiene products. Trees and the products they provide are an essential part of our daily lives and can play a role in helping address climate change.

    P&G Efforts

    • Wood Pulp Sourcing Policy

      P&G purchases wood pulp for tissue, towel, and absorbent hygiene products. Though we do not own or manage forests, we have a responsibility through our procurement practices to ensure the sustainability of the world's forest resources. As such, we are committed to understanding our pulp fiber sources, transparency in sourcing, and ensuring that sustainable forest management practices are used. To deliver on this commitment, please see P&G’s Forest Commodities Policy which covers wood pulp along with other commodities.

    • 100% 3rd Party Certification

      P&G requires 100% of the wood pulp we source to be certified by a globally recognized certification system (Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) which include criteria related to protecting both environmental and social values of forests. By producing all of our products with 100% certified pulp, we are helping to promote forestry practices that leave a smaller environmental footprint, protect vulnerable species, and make a positive impact on communities that depend on them. These three forest certification systems used by 100% of our wood pulp suppliers include criteria related to the following: 

      For every tree we use, at least one is regrown. 

    • Forest Stewardship CouncilTM (FSCTM)

      FSC is one of the world's most trusted forest certifications, and P&G maintains a preference for FSC certified fibers. P&G has been working directly with our supply chain partners and NGOs to grow the supply of FSC certified materials and pulp. P&G Family Care brands (tissue and towel products) have an ambition to source 100% with FSC certification by 2030.

      P&G has partnered with FSC US and FSC Canada on several project to advance forestry certification. Our commitments include:

      • Funded pilot study to ensure new FSC Canada standard was feasible for pulp suppliers
      • Three-year project with FSC Canada to drive adoption of new FSC Canada Forest Management standard
      • Funded FSC Canada Caribou Studies to build the science to protect caribou better
      • Funded FSC US consumer awareness campaigns
      • Funded FSC US and FSC Canada project to understand the forest carbon benefits of FSC
      • Partnered with FSC US to engage FSC Group Certificate holders and help them grow their FSC Group Certificates acreage.
    • Supplier Policy Compliance

      Though we do not own or manage forests, we have a responsibility through our procurement practices to ensure the sustainability of the world's forest resources. We are committed to ensuring that sustainable forest management practices are used throughout our supply chain. To deliver on this commitment, P&G has:

      1. Included expectations for no deforestation, ensuring the protection of Indigenous Peoples Rights, and stricter forest certification requirements in our Forest Commodities Policy.

      2. Recognizes our responsibility to source wood pulp from suppliers equally committed to protecting forests and the people and habitat within them. We work closely with our pulp suppliers to ensure their conditions and practices adhere to our Wood Pulp Sourcing Policy.

      3. Maintained an avenue for employees to report concerns regarding violations against the law or P&G policies as part of our commitment to a speak-up culture, since 1995. By 2004, P&G expanded the system to allow those inside and outside the Company to raise concerns. You can learn more by reviewing our formal grievance process.

      4. Shared the actions taken against suppliers who have been in violation of our Wood Pulp Sourcing Policy. P&G has a long history of taking actions against those who violate our Wood Pulp Sourcing Policy and do not progress on our FSC ambitions. You may review these actions in our Grievance Tracker.

    • Forest Positive Projects

      P&G and our Family Care brands go beyond responsible sourcing and support efforts to keep forests as forest for generations to come. Some of our reforestation actions that have been established or expanded in the past year include:

      1. Arbor Day Foundation reforestation efforts
        • P&G has been collaborating with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 1 million trees between 2020-2025 in areas devasted by natural disasters. The long-term benefits of trees planted will be seen by generations to come through a restored ecosystem, carbon sequestration and improved air and water quality for local communities. P&G recognizes that together we can make a difference, which is why we joined the Evergreen Alliance, a group of 18 corporate partners making a commitment to help the Arbor Day Foundation plant 100 million trees by 2022.
      2. World Wildlife Fund restoration efforts
        • P&G Family Care, Suzano, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are collaborating on a project in the Atlantic Forest on Brazil’s east coast to produce robust forest landscape restoration and rehabilitation plans and methodologies for several degraded forests and agricultural lands in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
      3. The Nature Conservancy and American Forest Foundation small landowner efforts
        • We work with The Nature Conservancy and The American Forest Foundation to help family forest owners in the U.S. better manage their forests.
      4. Rainforest Alliance Forest Allies Community of Practice
        • Procter & Gamble has been partnering with Rainforest Alliance since 2003 and has now continued our partnership with the Rainforest Alliance by supporting their efforts to develop and launch the Forest Allies Community of Practice. We are proud to be a founding member. Responsible management of forests is beneficial not just for our business, but more importantly, for the environment and people who depend on it. The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization working to create a better future for people and nature. Find out more at ra.org.
      Nature Conservancy, American Forest Foundation, Rainforest Alliance and Arbor Day Foundation
    • Scope 3 Emissions

      For more than two decades, P&G has been committed to harnessing the scientific rigor of the Life Cycle Assessment of its products to understand better the emissions from its supply chain and consumer use of its products. Up to 85% of P&G's Scope 3 emissions are from consumer use of its products. As part of Scope 3 emissions efforts, we are working towards an updated Life Cycle Assessments for our products to help identify progress against and future areas for emission reductions.

      As for forest carbon emissions, P&G is partnering with FSC US and FSC Canada to measure the forest carbon impacts of FSC forest certification. Initial research by Preferred By Nature and others indicates FSC certification positively impacts forest carbon. Notably, the IPCC, 2019: Special Report on Climate Change and Land [P.R.Shukla et al.] addresses sustainable forest management and GHG emissions. The report states on page 55, 'Sustainable forest management can prevent deforestation, maintain and enhance carbon sinks and can contribute towards GHG emissions-reduction goals. Sustainable forest management generates socio-economic benefits and provides fiber, timber, and biomass to meet society's growing needs.'

    Progress & Goals

    2010 Goals

    • 100% Company-wide 3rd party certification
    • 40% FSC for Family Care brands
    • Achieved in 2015

    2019 Family Care Goals

    • 75% FSC before 2025
      • Achieved by end 2021
    • 100% recycled fiber in paper-based packaging by 2025

    2021 Family Care Goals

    • Ambition to achieve increased FSC fiber availability and will work towards 100% FSC before 2030
    • 75% FSC before 2022
      • Achieved by end 2021
    • 95% FSC certified fiber from Ontario and Quebec before 2022
      • Achieved by end 2021

    Data & Metrics

    In our wood pulp supply chain, for every tree used, at least one is regrown.
    21/22 20/21 19/20 18/19 17/18 16/17 15/16 14/15 13/14 12/13 11/12 10/11 09/10
    Total Tons Purchased
    (Millions of ADMT)
    1.54 1.48 1.69 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.65 1.66 1.7 1.6 1.62 1.6
    Sourcing by Country (%)
    United States 29 28 37 28 32 33 38 37 36 38 36 33 34.1
    Canada 31 34 31 35 33 31 27 28 30 29 32 33 32.1
    Latin America 36 34 30 36 35 36 35 35 34 33 32 34 33.6
    Europe 4 4 2 1 0.2
    Metric Tons Sourcing by Country
    United States 448,000 421,000 625,300 364,000 480,000 495,000 627,000 610,500 597,600 646,000 576,00 529,740 545,600
    Canada 472,000 498,000 523,900 455,000 495,000 465,000 445,500 462,000 498,000 493,000 512,000 539,460 513,600
    Latin America 553,000 508,000 507,000 468,000 525,000 540,000 577,500 577,500 564,400 561,000 496,000 550,800 537,600
    Europe 65,000 58,000 33,800 13,000 3,200
    21/22 20/21 19/20 18/19 17/18 16/17 15/16 14/15 13/14 12/13
    3rd Party Program % of Total
    FSC CoC 69 58 51 39 37 33 33 35 36 9
    SFI 6 13 15 35 26 47 47 51 61 52
    PEFC/CSA-SFM 3 2 15 22 30 18 18 14 2 36
    FSC CW 22 27 19 4 7 2 2 1 2
    Unclassified 1
    Canada US Latin America Europe
    P&G percent of virgin wood pulp purchases 3% of pulp produced in Canada 1% of pulp produced in US Less than 2% of pulp produced in Latin America Less than 0.1% of pulp produced in Europe
    P&G percent wood product purchases from trees (lumber, pulp, newsprint, paper, ect.) P&G purchases less than 1% of Canada's wood products
    Source: RISI
    P&G purchases less than 1% of U.S. wood products
    Source: AF&PA
    P&G purchases less than 1% of Latin America's wood products
    Source: RISI
    P&G purchases less than 0.1% of Europe's wood products
    Source: RISI
    Wood Pulp Sourcing Regions Alberta
    British Columbia
    Ontario
    Quebec
    Arkansas
    Alabama
    Florida
    Georgia
    Louisiana
    Minnesota
    Mississippi
    Oklahoma
    South Carolina
    North Carolina
    Texas
    Brazil States
    Bahia
    Espírito Santo
    Minas Gerais
    Paraná
    Santa Catarina
    São Paulo
    Estonia
    Finland
    Poland
    Sweden
    Average age range for tree life expectancy in P&G sourcing areas
    Source: P&G suppliers
    90-150 years 15-35 years 5-10 years 50-120 years
    Average age for three harvest in P&G sourcing areas.
    Source: P&G Suppliers and DovetailTreeFree
    100 years 20 years 7 years 75 years
    2021/22 2020/21 2019/20 2018/19 2017/18 2016/17 2015/16
    Sourcing by Country(%)
    United States 11 14 9 10 11 12 7
    Canada 40 41 45 45 44 41 41
    Latin America 45 42 43 44 45 47 52
    Europe 4 3 3 1
    3rd Party Program- % of Total
    FSC CoC 85 70 49 52 49 49 52
    SFI 8 14 4 18 17 14 19
    PEFC/CSA-SFM 3 2 21 26 25 27 26
    FSC CW 4 14 26 4 9 9 2
    CSA-SFM 1 1
    % 3rd party certified fiber 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

    P&G Perspectives

    • Recycled fibers use
      • The use of recycled fibers is part of P&G's circular economy efforts. Circularity has always been a part of our ongoing conservation and environmental footprint reduction efforts within water, waste and renewable energy. We are committed to develop a more circular end-to-end supply chain by 2030. To achieve this, one of many steps we are taking is a commitment to 100% recycled or recyclable packaging by 2030.
      • Also, P&G Family Care is committed to using 100% recycled fiber in its fiber-based packaging by 2023. Today, we are at 98% recycled fibers. We use recycled paper in our inner cores and paper-based packaging, its best and most efficient use. Why not use recycled fibers in our tissue and towel products? There are significant trade-offs with recycled tissue quality, which causes people to use more product. Also, recycled fiber tissue mills result in considerably larger amount of solid waste, energy usage, water use, and potential contaminants.
      • All premium, at-home tissue brands (the market P&G competes in) sold in the U.S. use 100% virgin fibers. With that said, P&G has improved Charmin's strength and absorbency, so today, people can use less paper per task with our tissue products versus the leading value brand.
    • Forest Sourcing
      • P&G only sources from responsibly managed 'working forests' and plantations. For every tree we use, at least one is regrown.
        • The term "working forests" refers to forestland carefully managed to supply a steady, renewable supply of wood for lumber, energy, paper and packaging, and more than 5,000 items that consumers use every day.
        • Plantation forests are a type of managed forest in which the trees are planted (as opposed to naturally regenerated), of the same age and generally of the same species and are intended to maximize the production of wood fiber. Multi‐purpose plantations, designed to meet a wide variety of social, economic, and environmental objectives, can provide key ecosystem services, help preserve the world's remaining primary forests, and sequester an important proportion of the atmospheric carbon released by humans over the past 300 years. Because forest plantations grow much faster than natural forests, forest plantations are an increasingly important source of timber supply. Plantations make up a sustainable, energy efficient and environmentally and socially friendly source of world round-wood, fiber, fuel-wood and non-wood forest products and provide social and environmental benefits
      • Here is some additional perspective on our largest sourcing regions:
        • Today, the U.S. has about 20 percent more trees than it did on the first Earth Day celebration in 1970. Source: American Forest & Paper Association
        • The Canadian government owns most (over 90%) of the forest land in Canada, and less than 0.5% of Canadian forests are harvested annually and regrown for all industries, including lumber. They mandate these forests to be harvested responsibly without any deforestation. Source: Natural Resources Canada
        • P&G sourcing from Brazil is 100% plantations.
    • Non-Wood and FSC-Certified Fast-Growing Wood Fiber Use
      • The use of non-wood fibers has been part of P&G's development program for more than two decades. This work includes creating products with premium softness, strength, and absorbency while delivering products at scale and with a positive sustainability footprint. The non-woods fibers available today would result in reduced product benefit and consumer experience. We are committed to continued development, so a consumer trade-off is not required. Also, none of the non-wood fibers available today have established supply chains at the scale needed by P&G. With that said, we are committed to continued investment as the work to bring these products to market at quality and scale is significant. And importantly, we aim to ensure that these fibers are responsibly sourced using 3rd party certification systems.
      • P&G is investing in innovation in non-wood fibers and FSC-certified fast-growing wood fibers. Our goal is to discover a non-wood fiber that is 1) consumer-preferred, 2) able to be produced at scale and 3) responsibly sourced using third-party certification.
      • Our recent efforts include:
        • Completion of a second landscape assessment with evaluation of supply chains to understand the availability of non-wood fibers at the scale required by P&G.
        • Continued R&D investments in a supply chain for a non-wood fiber including assessing scale and sustainable sourcing.
        • Ongoing assessments of multiple non-wood fiber types for use in premium tissue and towel products.
    • Canada fiber sourcing
      • The Canadian government owns most (over 90%) of the forest land in Canada. Less than 0.5% of Canadian forests are harvested and regrown annually for all industries. In addition to P&G’s third-party certification requirements, Canada has their own forestry regulations. They mandate these forests be regenerated after harvesting. You can find more information about Canadian forests' health at Natural Resources Canada (Canada Government) Deforestation Myths and Facts and State of Canada's Forest Report
      • Deforestation is low in general in Canada. In 2018, 0.01% of Canada’s forests were deforested. Of the 0.01%, 4% was due to forest road construction. The other 96% was due to mining, oil, and gas; conversion to agricultural lands; and build-up of traditional roads, houses, and commercial developments. (Part 1 of National Inventory Report 1990-2019, Canada’s Submission to the UN Framework on Climate Change)
      • We work closely with our suppliers to ensure that the pulp we source meets our values, commitments, and standards. FSC Canada's forest management standard addresses challenges specific to Canadian forests and includes criteria for managing woodland caribou and its habitat, including additional indicators relevant to all species that may be at risk. The updates also include clarification around "free, prior and informed consent" as defined in the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Peoples. With the increased rigor in the FSC Canada National Forest Management Standard through our demand and increase in FSC-certified sourcing, we are working to protect these important values in Canada and elsewhere. P&G is partnering with our suppliers to become certified to FSC Canada's new Forest Management Standard. 
      • Caribou protection planning is part of the authority of each province. P&G has and will continue to work to influence each province to develop stronger caribou protection plans. To date, P&G has: 
        • P&G was a founding member of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) signed in 2010, a historic agreement covering more than 72 million hectares of public forests. Changing economic realities and heightened public and marketplace concern over environmental issues had created opportunities for Canada's forest industry and environmental organizations. From these challenges came a unique collaboration between 21 major Canadian forest products companies and nine leading environmental organizations. The agreement committed signatories to achieving strategic goals that addressed environmental and economic sustainability in the Boreal forest. Yet, this coalition was not enough. All parties acknowledged that changes are needed to create a more effective and responsive implementation model that will engage proactively with local communities, provincial governments, First Nations, and other non-signatory environmental groups who share our commitment. So while the CBFA is not in existence today, the CBFA continues to be a model for a future cooperative conservation agreement. 
        • Funded pilot study to ensure new FSC Canada standard with stronger caribou protections was feasible for pulp suppliers 
        • Three-year project with FSC Canada to drive adoption of new FSC Canada Forest Management standard 
        • Funded FSC Canada Caribou Studies to build the science to protect caribou better 
    • Forest Certification Requirements

      P&G requires that 100% of the wood pulp we source is certified by a globally recognized 3rd party certification system (Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)) which include criteria related to protecting both environmental and social values of forests. P&G gives preference to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification scheme and accepts fiber from some national standards endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) schemes of which SFI is included. These certification systems include criteria related to many critical areas: 

      • Endangered Species

        All animals and plants play vital roles in the balance of their local ecosystems. If any were to go extinct, ecosystems could have significant negative impacts. It's important to protect those species that are threated or endangered. P&G's requirements for all pulp fiber to be third party certified helps protect and restore threatened and endangered species. FSC's standard directly states that companies "shall protect rare species and threaten species and their habitats" to maintain certification (C6.4). Canada's FSC standard goes even further to specifically develop requirements for caribou (C6.4.5a). SFI’s standard says companies “shall protect threatened and endangered species, critically imperiled and imperiled species, and natural communities, and old-growth forests” (PM4.2). PEFC’s standard says companies should take actions for endangered species "protection and, where relevant, to increase their population." (C8.4.3

      • Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)

        Respecting the traditional rights of communities that reside and rely on forests is very important especially for Indigenous Groups. P&G uses certification standards as important tools to evaluate suppliers’ compliance with our policy commitment that Indigenous Peoples rights are respected through the completion of the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent process. All national FSC standards are required to "recognize and uphold the rights, custom and culture of Indigenous Peoples as defined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" (C3.4). This requires companies to "identify and uphold Indigenous Peoples legal and customary rights of ownership." SFI says companies “shall develop and implement a written policy acknowledging a commitment to recognize and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples”(PM 8.1). PEFC says that national certification standards it endorses should use a framework to ensure Indigenous rights are respected suggesting the use of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and stating that rights which shall not be infringed upon without the free, prior, and informed consent of the holders of the rights, including the provision of compensation where applicable (C6.3.2.2). 

      • High Conservation Values (HCV)

        High conservation values are any characteristics that make an area unique or special. They could be sites of archeological, cultural, and environmental significance. Examples are habitats to protect the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, cemeteries, a watershed that is the source for water for entire communities, or traditional hunting grounds of Indigenous Peoples. P&G's belief in third-party certification standard helps us evaluate our suppliers’ compliance with our policy commitment to ensure HCVs are properly identified and protected. PEFC's standard does not use the HCV definitions, but says certified companies shall "identify, protect, conserve or set aside ecologically important forest areas" (I8.4.2) and "maintain or enhance the economic, ecological, cultural and social values of forest resources" (I8.1.1). SFI says certificate holders “shall manage to protect ecologically important sites in a manner that takes into account their unique qualities” (PM 4.3). FSC's global standard requires certified companies to "maintain or enhance High Conservation Values" (Principle 9). 

      • Replanting Requirements

        The forestry certification systems require prompt action taken to regenerate forest cover to pre-harvest conditions, ensuring the same quality and quantity of the forest resources. FSC directly address regeneration and planting by requiring companies "by natural or artificial regeneration methods, regenerate vegetation cover in a timely fashion to pre-harvesting or more natural conditions" (C10.1). Further, FSC certified companies "shall use species for regeneration that are ecologically well adapted to the site and management objectives" (C10.2). The PEFC standard "requires that successful regeneration shall be ensured through natural regeneration or planting that is adequate to ensure the quantity and quality of the forest resources" (C8.4.4). The SFI standard requires companies to “promptly reforest after final harvest” (PM2.1).

      • Forest Conversion

        Altering forests to non-forest uses, such as housing developments or agricultural fields, should be avoided. The loss of habitat for wildlife is devastating, and the new land type cannot sequester as much carbon as a forest. These conversions also increase forest fragmentation that further breaks up larger forests that some wildlife depend on for their survival. Certification systems used by P&G suppliers heavily regulate forest conversion. FSC does not permit conversion except in extremely limited circumstances (C6.9). The conversion must produce clear and substantial long-term conservation benefits, not take place in HCV areas, and be less than 0.5% of the forest. Lands converted to non-forest land use are not eligible for SFI certification at all (PM1.3). There are exceptions for wildlife food plots or forest infrastructures such as forest roads, trails, and log processing areas. Conversion to housing developments, office or industrial parks, commercial crop fields, or pastures is not permitted under any certification P&G uses.

      • Biodiversity

        Preserving the biodiversity of forests is vital for healthy ecosystems. Forest management activities must maintain or enhance biodiversity. All certification systems consider biodiversity within their standards. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative includes biodiversity in their first indicator saying, “Forest management planning at a level appropriate to the size and scale of the operation, including biodiversity at landscape scales” (PM 1.1.1.d). The Programme for the Endorsement of Certification address biodiversity by “requiring that management planning shall aim to maintain, conserve or enhance biodiversity on landscape, ecosystem, species and genetic levels” (C 8.4.1). Areas of significant concentration of biodiversity are included in FSC’s definition of High Conservation Value areas and need to be conserved or protected (Page 89).

      • Degradation

        The FSC International Generic Indicators give instructions to standards developers in countries around the world that certificate holders should “improve degraded areas, once harvested, to more natural conditions” (C10.1). The Canadian FSC standard says to prevent degradation to waterways and “best efforts are made to maintain habitat features and increase the quality and quantity of habitat features…that have suffered long-term degradation due to forest management activities” (C6.7.3 & 6.6.4). The PEFC standard states that “management plans specify ways and means to minimize the risk of degradation and damage to forest ecosystems” (C6.2.5). Further, “degraded forest ecosystems shall be rehabilitated wherever and as far as economically feasible, by making best use of natural structures and process and using preventive biological measures” (C8.2.1). The SFI system has several objectives and performance measures that cover forest health and biodiversity that support degradation prevention and remediation. For example, SFI standard says “Certified Organizations shall manage to protect forests from damage agents, such as environmental or economically undesirable levels or wildfire, pests, diseases, and invasive species, to maintain and improve long-term forest health, productivity, and economic viability” (PM2.4). SFI certified companies are also to “conserve biological diversity at the stand and landscape level across a diversity of forest and vegetation cover types and successional stages including the conservation of forest plants and animals, aquatic species, threatened and endangered species, Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, old-growth forests, and ecologically important sites” (O4). Other topics detailed above in this section could also support in limiting degradation such as replanting, biodiversity, and endangered species.