PRESS RELEASE

7th April 2005
Dti Minister Welcomes CHSA Soft Tissue Accreditation Scheme

The Cleaning and Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) has received support for its Soft Tissue Accreditation Scheme from Gerry Sutcliffe, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations, Consumers and Postal Services

Currently, it is not mandatory for ?Away from Home? tissue suppliers to state product dimensions on packaging. This loophole is being exploited by some suppliers which means unsuspecting purchasers are paying up to 20% more than they should for a shorter length product.

Mr Sutcliffe?s comments were made in response to representations made on behalf of CHSA asking that legislation be extended to cover such products.

Mr Sutcliffe has assured the industry that the Government will consider its request if its scheme is unable to curtail rogue traders. CHSA is therefore monitoring the situation and will be presenting its findings to government on a regular basis.

ENDS

For more information regarding the issue of labelling of Away from Home products, please contact CPI?s Director of External Affairs on 07889 441402 or email kabradley@paper.org.uk.

For further information about CHSA, please contact Graham G Fletcher, CHSA General Secretary on 0800 243919 or e-mail: secretary@chsa.co.uk.

Notes to Editor:

The tissue market is worth approximately £1.2bn, with the ?Away from Home? (AFH) market, accounting for £320m of this.

The Soft Tissue Accreditation Scheme, was set up by the industry in 1998. Regulated by CHSA, the body ensures scheme members correctly state the exact product dimensions on all packaging. Members have their products audited at least twice a year to check their compliance levels, and carry the CHSA accreditation scheme logo on packaging as a form of ?quality assurance?

Founded in the late 1960's, CHSA is the Trade Association of suppliers of cleaning and hygiene products and represents more than 200 manufacturers and distributors across the UK. For more information, please visit www.chsa.co.uk.

CPI is the voice of the paper industry in the UK, representing papermakers, tissue manufacturers, corrugated packaging producers, and recovered paper merchants. For further information about CPI, please visit www.paper.org.uk