Paper policy: Lagardère earns respectable results

Results of the WWF’s PAP 50 survey

The sustainable use of paper, higher recycling rates and the widespread use of recycled and/or eco-certified paper are the three underlying goals of the PAP 50 survey of France’s top 50 companies.

Performed by the WWF and several other associations, the survey ranked Lagardère 13th out of 50 companies (and No. 1 in the media sector) with an overall grade of 43.79. This ranking, based on a questionnaire completed by Lagardère Active plus a memo describing practices currently in force in the Group overall, represents respectable results for the company while highlighting a number of areas for improvement.

The survey reveals that Lagardère’s strength is paper consumption, for which it was awarded the highest score thanks to Lagardère Active’s sustainable printing scheme. Recycling, on the other hand, is a relative weakness, though further progress is expected in future with the implementation of a second waste-management scheme. The group’s policy of sourcing paper from sustainably-managed forests (one of the key environmental commitments made by all Lagardère Active and Lagardère Publishing publishers) is expected to lead to enhanced PEFC certification status. More generally, the survey reveals that, although companies are aware of the importance of paper, few develop general paper policies covering consumption, responsible purchasing and recycling.

Paper is, however, everyone’s business!