So this was my husbands question on Saturday when I got in the car excited after I fought the crowds at Target. Normally I would get in the car cranky (and yes this does mean my husband sits in the car while I fight the Saturday crowds at Target & Trader Joes, although he never skips going into Whole Foods), but FSC certified recycled. WOOHOO!

Yes, I know, am I seriously so crunchy I get excited about FSC symbols on target gift card envelopes, the answer my friends, YES. First, look what I do for a living, I am vice president of Franklin Goose, very crunchy. Second, I am a vegetarian. Third, I have been raised by descendants of farmers who didn’t make anything unless it was from scratch, never used chemicals and always taught us never to be wasteful (which explains why my grandma’s sister figured out how to make rugs out of plastic grocery store bags twenty years ago before recycling was mainstream).

So then the question, “What is the deal with FSC anyway?” I looked at him, my husband, the one who tolerates my conveniently forgetting to buy paper towels so he can’t use them, the one who has to listen to me complain about clothes shopping because everything comes from China and the one who loves meat, everything meat who sat through Food, Inc in the theatre and then listened to me rant for weeks, how can he not know?  And so I respond with, “huh?” He says, “Seriously, what is FSC?”

To which I reply, “How can you not know this? Okay, FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council. They have the strictest regulations for environmental responsibility, they enforce social responsibility and economic viability. It is a world wide organization that has established the highest level of certification for timber.” “Oh,” he says. “Okay, for me it means we are guaranteed there are no chemicals, there is no slave labor and there is no depletion of natural resources or harm done to the humans or the planet where this wood is grown. FSC certified recycled means that in an industry where there is not necessarily any oversight FSC recycled provides the highest vigor in recycling. There must be a certain amount of recycled and post consumer waste used.” “Ohh,” he says, “Well that is cool.”

But, to me, it is so much more. It means that more and more people are paying attention and trying to make a difference by making the right choice, or at least they are trying to impress those of us who pay attention and really care. Either way, it means less chemicals, and better treatment for people and our planet. And that my friends means a little less cranky on a hectic Saturday morning.

-Sheri

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Tags: recycled paper, shopping