Two Sides U.S. and the Forest Legality Alliance Collaborate to Promote the Responsible Production and Use of Paper

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Jul 24, 2012) -  Two Sides U.S. has joined the Forest Legality Alliance (FLA), a joint effort of WRI and the Environmental Investigation Agency, supported by the United States Agency for International Development and companies in the paper and forest products sector. With goals to reduce illegal logging and eliminate illegal fiber in paper products, FLA's diverse membership includes organizations such as Staples, Ikea, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Retail Industry Leaders Association.

Forest Legality Alliance staff will help provide training and education services to Two Sides U.S. member companies on topics related to illegal logging and associated trade, including legal requirements in global marketplaces and the sourcing of legal and sustainable paper products. FLA will also provide peer review for Two Sides materials including web content, blogs, printed publications and promotional materials.

"This partnership is a perfect fit for Two Sides U.S. because the FLA shares our commitment to sustainability and to science-based environmental improvement," says Two Sides U.S. President Phil Riebel. "FLA's global reach, expertise in paper-related issues and solutions-based approach to the environment will not only benefit our members, but also will strengthen our mutual efforts to promote the responsible production and use of paper. When fiber is sourced legally from well managed forests and paper is manufactured responsibly, print on paper can be a sustainable way to communicate because it's renewable and recyclable."

About Two Sides:

Two Sides is an initiative by companies from the Graphic Communication Value Chain including forestry, pulp, paper, inks and chemicals, pre-press, press, finishing, publishing and printing. Membership spans Europe, the United States and Australia. Our common goal is to promote the responsible production and use of print and paper, and dispel common environmental misconceptions by providing users with verifiable information on why print and paper is an attractive, practical and sustainable communications medium. For more information about Two Sides, please contact Phil Riebel at 1-855-896-7433 or pnr@twosides.info, or visit the Two Sides U.S. website at www.twosides.us. 

About the World Resources Institute:

The World Resources Institute (www.wri.org) is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action, working with governments, companies and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRI's mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

About the Forest Legality Alliance:

The Forest Legality Alliance (www.forestlegality.org) was launched by the World Resources Institute and the Environmental Investigation Agency, with support from the United States Agency for International Development in 2010. The Alliance is an international, multi-stakeholder initiative designed to achieve better forest governance and biodiversity conservation by reducing demand for illegally harvested forest products and increasing the capacity of supply chains to deliver legal wood and paper.