Preserving Biodiversity and Forests: Xerox and Paper

As one of the largest distributors of paper for office printers and copiers, Xerox recognizes its obligation to responsibly produce and source paper. Through partnerships with our customers, suppliers and key stakeholders, our long-term goal is to support a sustainable paper cycle. Starting with the source of the fiber used to make the paper, through its manufacture and use, Xerox strives to minimize environmental impact while meeting our customers’ exacting business needs.

Paper-Sourcing Guidelines
For companies that provide paper to Xerox for resale, we phased in stringent requirements from 2003 to 2005 that cover all aspects of papermaking, from forest management to production of finished goods. On an annual basis, Xerox suppliers submit detailed documentation that verifies compliance. In 2006, suppliers representing more than 90% of the paper Xerox supplies to our customers met these requirements. Xerox continues to work with our suppliers to increase the rate of compliance to 100%.

Key elements of the requirements include:

	Commitment to compliance with all applicable environmental, health and safety regulatory requirements, including forestry codes of practice and regulations governing legal harvesting of wood.
	An effective environmental management system for mills and objectives for continual improvement in environmental performance above and beyond regulatory compliance.
	An effective procurement process that: Ensures the exclusion of illegally harvested wood raw materials. Ensures the exclusion of wood raw materials derived from forest areas of significant ecological or cultural importance unless certified to a sustainable forest management standard that has been accepted by Xerox. Encourages all suppliers of wood raw materials to practice sustainable forest management.
	Strict limits on the use of hazardous materials, including the exclusion of elemental chlorine, in the processing and content of Xerox papers.

We recognize that one of the challenges paper companies face in meeting Xerox’s requirements will be to demonstrate that they are safeguarding forest areas of significant ecological or cultural importance. Xerox fully supports multi-stakeholder efforts to develop information sources and tools that will help suppliers identify these areas on their own forestlands and in their procurement of wood raw materials from third-party lands. Xerox expects its suppliers to take full advantage of these resources as part of their efforts toward sustainable forestry.

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