FSC Chain of Custody certification ensures that products that are sold with an FSC claim originate from well-managed forests, controlled sources, or reclaimed materials.
Being FSC-chain of custody certified means materials used in a product are tracked - from forest to shelf, through an unbroken chain – to maintain its system credibility. The labelling of products as FSC-certified is allowed only when all companies along the entire chain are FSC-certified. At each stage in the chain of processing and transformation, FSC CoC certification is needed to confirm that FSC certified materials used are kept separate from uncertified materials, or mixed in approved ways, where the flow of certified materials must be controlled – from procurement, to storage and production and to the final sale of the products that carry the FSC labels.
FSC chain of custody certification covers a variety of situations and entities, ensuring that many organisations can demonstrate their commitment to FSC’s requirements. This means that not only single organisations can be certified, but so can groups of independent organisations and organisations with multiple sites. There is even an option for certification of individual projects rather than organisations.
Only organisations in possession of a valid FSC chain of custody certificate are permitted to manufacture, package, or label products with the FSC on-product label and sell FSC certified products with FSC claims on sales documents.
The material used in the FSC chain of custody can come from a variety of sources. While the overwhelming majority comes from FSC-certified forests, the FSC chain of custody requirements also allow the introduction of reclaimed material that would otherwise go to waste, and material that has been assessed as a low risk of coming from unacceptable sources.
The following relevant documents are available to download in the FSC Document Centre:
FSC-STD-40-003 Chain of Custody Certification of Multiple Sites
FSC-STD-40-006 FSC Standard for Project Certification
FSC-STD-40-007 Sourcing reclaimed material for use in FSC Product Groups or FSC Certified Projects
FSC-STD-40-005 Requirements for Sourcing FSC Controlled Wood
FSC-STD-50-001 Requirements for use of the FSC trademarks by certificate holders
