As part of Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) Forest Week, global sustainable packaging provider BioPak is calling on the foodservice sector to take greater accountability for the materials it introduces into the market. The company is highlighting responsibly sourced fibre as an important part of more sustainable food and drink packaging.
Taking place through 27 September, FSC Forest Week 2026 invites organisations and individuals to take practical action for forests under the theme ‘Do one thing for forests’. The campaign reflects growing priorities across food and beverage industry trends, including responsible sourcing, circularity and lower-impact materials.
Saxon Wright, Group Chief Sustainability Officer at BioPak, said responsible procurement supports the company’s wider objective of reducing dependence on fossil fuel-derived plastics and limiting its environmental footprint.
“Today, 74% of our paper and wood products are FSC certified, however our goal is to get that to 100%. For BioPak, the FSC label is more than just a symbol; it provides assurance that the materials we source come from responsibly managed forests, reclaimed materials or controlled sources.”
“When we talk about sustainable packaging, we need to look at the entire journey of a material, including its origin. Forests are critical ecosystems that support biodiversity, communities and the planet’s natural systems and we must protect them. We need to use renewable materials and we also have a responsibility to help protect and restore the ecosystems they come from.”
BioPak’s approach to forest protection extends beyond the fibre incorporated into its packaging range. Since 2012, the business has donated more than $940,000 to Rainforest Rescue to help protect and regenerate the Daintree Rainforest.
Those contributions have helped rescue 41,419 trees and establish a further 66,220 trees. They have also supported the protection or restoration of more than 22 hectares of rainforest across six properties and three restoration sites. Overall, BioPak’s funding has contributed to the equivalent of more than 107,000 trees being planted and protected.
In addition, BioPak works with veritree on reforestation and ecological restoration programs worldwide. The partnership has supported the planting of more than 60,000 trees, including projects restoring areas impacted by wildfires in British Columbia and rehabilitating mangrove habitats in Tanzania.
Guy Brent, CEO of BioPak, said these programs demonstrate the company’s intention to consider the full environmental and resource impacts of its operations.
“BioPak was founded 20 years ago because our founders could see that the way we were producing and using packaging wasn’t working. That same mindset still drives us today.
“Our responsibility isn’t just to develop better packaging. It’s to think about the systems and resources behind it, from the forests our materials come from to what happens to packaging at the end of its life. We’re particularly proud of how that extends to the reforestation work we fund with our partners, Rainforest Rescue and vertiree.”
Wright added that businesses can make a meaningful contribution through the materials they select for packaging and operations.
“There is no single solution to the packaging and waste challenge, but every material choice is a decision. FSC™ Forest Week is a timely reminder to look beyond the packaging in front of us and consider where it came from, how it was made and what we can do to support the ecosystems behind it.”
As BioPak moves into its next 20 years, it plans to maintain its focus on material development, ethical sourcing and programs that protect and restore forest environments. These priorities align with wider food manufacturing trends, food processing technology developments and food and drink sustainability objectives across the sector.
They also reflect changing food distribution trends, food and drink consumer trends and food and drink regulations, as businesses seek packaging solutions that combine functionality, traceability and environmental responsibility. At the same time, food and drink industry innovation and food and drink marketing increasingly depend on credible sustainability claims supported by responsible sourcing practices.
BioPak’s FSC™ product range and certification information are available at: https://www.biopak.com/au/resources/fsc-certification
(FSC™ C110879, BioPak’s FSC licence number)