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FSC

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international forest certification program.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-governmental and non-profit organization, registered in Mexico as an association of members (‘Associación Civil’, abbreviated ‘A.C.’). The membership consists of a diverse group of representatives from environmental and social groups, the timber trade and the forestry profession, indigenous people's organizations, community forestry groups and forest product certification organizations from around the world.

FSC certified forests meet FSC approved national or regional forest management standards, assessed against the ‘Principles and Criteria for Forest Stewardship Criteria’. FSC Chain of Custody serves as a credible guarantee that suppliers, manufacturers and merchants are selling timber and wood derived products that come from certified forests.

It is now possible for a building project to gain FSC certification, which covers all contractors and enables a verifiable claim that at least 50% FSC timber, or alternatively certain components, have been used. It is administered by FSC accredited certification bodies.

Contact

Tallulah Chapman

Email: tallulah@fsc-uk.org or info@fsc-uk.org

Tel: 01686 413 916

Websites: http://www.fsc-uk.info http://www.fsc-info.org
http://www.certifiedwood.org http://www.fsc.org

Sample certificates

Chain of custody and product labelling

FSC has seven marking options.

FSC Pure

This product group contains 100% FSC certified material. Products come entirely from forests certified as meeting the environmental and social standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). It is achieved by marking and/or separating certified from uncertified timber through all processing stages from the forest to the retail shelf.

It can include solid wood products and assembled solid wood products as well as chip and fibre products and solid wood, chip and fibre assembled products.

This product group contains 100% post-consumer reclaimed material. Products with an FSC Recycled label support re-use of forest resources and contain only post-consumer recycled wood or fibre in accordance with FSC standards.

FSC Mixed

FSC Mixed 2

This type of label includes products with a mixture of FSC certified material and/or reclaimed material and/or company-controlled sources. Company controlled sources are controlled in accordance to FSC standards, to exclude for illegal harvested timber, forests where high conservation values are threatened or there is violation of people's civil and traditional rights, wood from areas which have been converted from natural forest to plantations or non-forest uses and genetically modified organisms.

Products with a Mixed Sources label support responsible forest management. Companies have the option to include a recycling symbol on the label to identify the post-consumer content.

Both Minimum Average Percentage (Threshold System) and percentage in-percentage out (Volume Credit System) can be used to qualify for a mixed sources label.

If using a Minimum Average Percentage system, a company must guarantee that at least 70% of content of the product is being brought in as either FSC certified (100% or Mixed Sources) and/or verified post consumer reclaimed. This is calculated over an annual labeling period with a minimum requirement of 10% over the claim period (usually a year, but can vary). In the FSC Volume Credit system, ‘percent in’ credits are allocated by product group (for example, different dimensions of sawn redwood or various kitchen utensils all made from beech). Credit can only be ‘banked’ for a year.

If you purchase a product that has one of these labels, it is Category A Evidence and is considered to be both legal and sustainable by the UK Government’s definition, provided that a minimum of 70% of the material is from a certified source. However, if you purchase it from a non-certified supplier, the product’s form or packaging cannot have changed from the time that it left the certified supplier.

Further Information on FSC

FSC UK provides a number of services to support companies and the public sector using the FSC system. They have a free basic advisory service able to provide information on the FSC system and details of suppliers of FSC certified products and services. They also have a subscription service for those needing more ongoing support. FSC offers training courses including open training days. Representatives speak at events and seminars by arrangement, and they also offer consultancy services where they work with companies and specifiers on particular projects where necessary.