We hold certifications and environmental labels: Format Werk participates in certification programs for the paper and board converting industry (PPV) that are objective, internationally recognized and ecologically meaningful. These include in particular the objectives of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for Endorsement Forest Council (PEFC), the Scandinavian eco-label "Nordic Swan", the EU eco-label and the requirements of the national environmental labels Blue Angel (German ecolabel) and the Austrian Eco-label.

Expansion and consolidation of environmental awareness: Working to conserve resources is a goal of all our employees. To be able to implement our company's environmental philosophy in day-to-day operations fully, all employees of Format Werk must be aware of this. In addition to the annual internal audit, our environmental officer holds specific training courses for individual departments and workplaces, which on the one hand create awareness for ecological factors in raw material purchasing, processing and sales, and on the other hand enable us to react immediately to the constantly changing requirements, such as environmental certificates.

Environmental quality assurance in raw material purchasing, processing and sales:

Format Werk finds itself in a combined system (forestry operations - paper suppliers - paper processing - wholesale/specialist - consumers) Our products are produced from responsibly managed raw materials.  To meet this requirement, we have established a well-functioning environmental system, which is also part of

quality assurance. This way, we can guarantee that the raw materials used by us are of high quality and come from controlled sources, as well as the processing and sale comply. Thus, controls according to our environmental criteria for raw materials, consumables and supplies, processes in production and sales are a daily business.

Commitment to environmental awareness and passing on the ecological idea:

We actively apply our environmental awareness – not only in all our offices or our communication but in the entire external effect: In cooperation with strong partners, we communicate the idea in order to create awareness. But the most critical sign we set about our products themselves. Environmental awareness is transported to target groups in schools and offices in millions of branded articles or contract manufacturing for customers.

The raw materials of our suppliers are subject to strict controls and evaluations.

In summary, we declare not to be directly or indirectly involved in any of the following unacceptable activities:

• Illegal logging or trade of illegally harvested timber or forest products.
• Violation of human rights and civil rights in forest areas
• Destruction of forests whose special protective values are endangered by forestry
• Conversion of natural forests into plantations or areas without forestry benefits
• Introduction of genetically modified tree species in forest areas.
• Violation of the main ILO conventions, which are formulated in the fundamental principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO) as rights at work

The FSC® certificate is a quality mark that guarantees absolute independence. Environmental organisations such as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are involved in the FSC® association.

Our FSC® labelled products provide customers with the assurance that controlled and certified raw materials are used without exception: Forests are managed sustainably, the people there are not exploited, child labour is ruled out.

The obligatory qualitative and environmental requirements are checked annually as part of an external audit. Format Werk is proud to meet the criteria for the FSC® quality mark.