New one-pager on ‘How to check certified material’ ready for you to print

If you can ensure the two following things when implementing the UK government’s timber procurement policy you have come a very long way:

Firstly, make sure that the requirement for compliance with the timber procurement policy is passed, not just to you as the main contractor, but that it is also passed on to their suppliers and sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors, the tier 2 and 3s.

Secondly, make sure compliance is checked. It is unfortunately not always enough to specify in contracts or on purchase orders that the timber and wood products have to be from legal and sustainable sources in compliance with the UK government’s timber procurement policy. It is important to also confirm that the requirement is met.

CPET visited Ecobuild at the beginning of March and gave a talk to many suppliers and contractors to the public sector; joineries, various timber traders, door and floor producers and we were struggling to find a company which was not FSC or PEFC certified. It was of course a trade fair with an ‘eco-focus’, but it does reflect the wide availability of verified sustainable products on the UK market which eases the implementation of the policy.

Chain of custody certification ensures that the supplier can supply certified material, but it does not guarantee that everything they supply is necessarily certified. The certified supplier can still supply non-certified products. If you do not specify legal and sustainable timber and wood products in compliance with the policy the supplier can and may supply you with a product originating from an unknown and potentially illegal source. Requesting evidence of compliance retrospectively can be very difficult and in some cases impossible. It is therefore important to check legality and sustainability when you order and receive timber and wood products.

Where your supplier is FSC or PEFC chain of custody certified there are a few things you need to check to ensure that the product is or can be supplied as certified, with so-called Category A evidence. CPET have now summarised ‘How to check a certificate’ onto one sheet ready to print off here. Please feel free to pass the document on.

Where your direct supplier is not certified, alternative evidence, so called Category B evidence, is needed to verify sustainability at the forest source and the full traceability through the supply chain in compliance with the policy.  CPET is available to help public buyers and suppliers and contractors assess Category B evidence.

Please contact the CPET helpline on 01865 243766 or email cpet@proforest.net with any questions or concerns you may have.