Environmentally responsible purchasing is often an overwhelming venture for businesses of all sizes. Where do you begin? How do you choose? How do you know your purchases are actually making a difference?

If these questions have dogged you before, you will be happy to know about a new guide recently released by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development titled “Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products.”
The guide is an excellent resource for businesses and organizations that want to buy large amounts of environmentally-responsible wood and paper-based products, but do not have enough time to wade through all of the eco-certifications and lingo surrounding the industry. The guide assists purchasers by:

- Identifying the central issues around sustainable procurement of wood and paper-based products.

- Providing an overview of some of the tools, initiatives, programs and labels, and other resources that have emerged to assist sustainable procurement.

“Many tools, projects, initiatives and labels have emerged over the past few years to aid sustainable procurement;” the guide states, “those new to the subject may find this proliferation of advice confusing. This guide highlights and characterizes, for the first time, a selected number of resources, and it provides a comprehensive overview of the issues central to sustainable procurement.”

The guide identifies ten key issues that must be taken into account: origin, information accuracy, legality, sustainability, special places, climate change, environmental protection, recycled fiber, other resources, and local communities and indigenous peoples. There is a small section for each of the issues explaining why they are important and how they fit into the bigger picture. Following that section is six pages of graphs—‘The Guide to the Guides’—which conveniently compares the varying certifications currently available for solid wood products, pulp and paper-based products, and wood-based products in general. The tables are user-friendly and are hands-down one of the best resources available to compare various eco-certifications in the wood and paper industries.

A glossary is included at the end, as well as descriptions of the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.