A LEADING manufacturer of packaging for liquids yesterday outlined a plan to be as environmentally-friendly as possible within five years.

SIG Combibloc, which has its UK operation in Houghtonle- Spring, Wearside, wants to increase the proportion of Forest Stewardship Council labelled carton packs on sale to 40 per cent by 2015.

In its production plants, the company is also aiming to reduce energy use by 35 per cent, waste by 25 per cent and CO2 emissions by 40 per cent.

The firm recently became the first company in the drinks carton industry to meet the standards, proving its cartons were fully traceable to responsibly-managed or controlled sources, at all its production sites worldwide.

In October last year, the firm joined the Global Forest and Trade Network operated by the Worldwide Fund for Nature, in order to actively promote forest management that encompasses social, economic and environmental aspects in equal measure.