L.L. Bean is turning to another supplier for paper for the 250 million catalogs it ships each year.
The mail-order company declined to renew its long-term contract with Verso Paper because it wants paper made under certified sustainable forestry practices that contains more recycled fiber content, the company said.
“We made the change because we are looking to increase the amount of recycled content in our paper and we're also seeking to increase the certified fiber within the paper,” L.L. Bean spokeswoman Carolyn Beem told the Associated Press. “It's a contract renewal period, and at this time Verso Paper could not meet the Freeport Companys new standards,” Beem said.
Beem declined to reveal who Bean has chosen for its catalog paper next year. But she said the company could do business with Verso again in the future if its able to meet L.L. Beans requirements.
Some of the paper used in its catalogs can be audited and certified now, but Bean wants to increase that amount. Certification means having a management plan that follows sustainable forestry practices in planting, cutting and logging.
According to L.L. Bean's website, over the past decade the company has actively explored the use of recycled paper as an alternative to virgin fiber in its catalogs. Its order form paper is 100% recycled and contains 40% post consumer waste. The company also invested significantly in catalog selection software that allows it to better target mailings and reduces duplicate mailings and undeliverable catalogs.
In other areas, all of the cardboard used for shipping is made from 100% recycled content and office paper is made from 50% recycled content. In the last five years, L.L. Bean has contributed over $3 million to conservation and natural resource protection.
