FSC is an international certification and labeling system dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests.
This means that forests are evaluated to meet FSC's strict environmental and social standards. Fibre from certified forests is then tracked all the way to the consumer through the FSC Chain of Custody system.
FSC certified wood, paper and other forest products are then sold with the FSC logo by certified companies in the marketplace.
FSC was founded in 1993 in Toronto, Canada, by representatives from environmental groups, the timber industry, the forestry profession, Aboriginal organizations, and community forestry groups from more than 25 countries. FSC operates through its network of National Initiatives in 40 countries.
There are over 100 million hectares in more than 80 countries certified according to FSC standards, and thousand of products are produced using FSC certified fibre and carrying the FSC trademark.
For more information, visit the About Us section of the website.
FSC certification is a voluntary and market-based mechanism for ensuring that our forests are healthy. Consumer demand for FSC-certified products encourages forest managers and owners to become FSC-certified.
There are two types of FSC certification:
Forest Management (FM) certification involves the inspection of a forest management unit by independent third-party FSC Certifiers. If the forest complies with FSC standards, it is issued a certificate. FSC-certified forests are managed to standards based on FSC’s ten Principles & Criteria.
Chain of Custody (CoC) certification tracks the path taken by raw materials from the forest to the consumer. This includes all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution.
For more information, visit the Certification section of the website.
Responsible forest management practices aim to strike a balance amongst the environmental, social, and commercial interests in a forest. FSC's vision for responsible forest management is healthy forests providing an equitable sharing of benefits from their use, while respecting natural forest processes, biodiversity and harmony amongst their inhabitants.
All FSC-certified forests worldwide are evaluated against FSC's Principles and Criteria for responsible forest management. FSC's Principles and Criteria form the guiding framework for developing regional forest stewardship standards appropriate to local social, ecological and economic conditions. The on-the-ground impact of FSC certification is that:
For more information on responsible forest management, visit the Forest Certification section.
Our forests provide clean water, purify the air, maintain biodiversity, provide habitat for species, and play a central role in reducing the impacts of climate change. When managed responsibly, forests are also a source of renewable and recyclable products such as lumber, furniture, and paper. Canada's forests are also vital for the livelihood of Aboriginal and other forest dependent communities.
Forests also provide fibre for the 350 million tons of paper and 1.5 billion m3 of wood consumed globally per year. While recycling can reduce the need for fresh wood fibre, there isn't enough recycled fibre to meet society's demands, and the reality is that forests remain the anchor of the wood and paper supply chain.
Your choice makes a difference. Choose products with the FSC logo and know that your product comes from a healthy forest and supports healthy communities.
Buy FSC and keep our forests for all, forever.
As a forest manager, manufacturer or supplier of paper or wood products, by becoming FSC-certified you will receive the following benefits:
For more information on where to find FSC-certified products visit the Products section.
For testimonials from environmental groups and others please visit the Quotes & Testimonials section.
FSC-certified wood and paper products are available through a variety of retailers, distributors, and manufacturers.
To learn more about FSC-certified wood products, visit the Wood Products section of the website or Find FSC wood products near you.
To learn more about FSC-certified paper products, visit the Paper Products section of the website or Find FSC paper products now.
To become Certified:
1. Contact an FSC Certifier
2. Submit an Application to the FSC Certifier and receive a price and timeline quote.
3. A Certifier will visit your company to complete an On-site Audit to ensure compliance with FSC standards
4. Certification approval and receipt of FSC Certification code (XXX-COC-######) and Trademark License Code (FSC-C######).
5. Annual Audit
The length of time between application and receipt of certification will depend on the availability of the certifier, as well as the size and complexity of the operation.
There are two parts to the cost: a certification fee based on the size of the company, which is paid to FSC International; and an audit fee paid to the Certifier for the cost of the certification audit and support. Contact an FSC Certifier for a quote.
Certificates are valid for five years, at which time they may be renewed.
Forest Management certification is applicable to all forest types and ownership structures (e.g. industrial or private forest owners, forest license holders, community forests, government-managed forests). FM certification may be granted to a single applicant, or to numerous applicants under a group certificate.
Chain of Custody certification is applicabale to all companies that take legal possession and are involved in the processing, transformation, manufacturing, converting or distribution of forest-based products must be FSC-certified in order to sell a product with and FSC Claim or FSC logo.
Who needs Certification?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo is your guarantee that the wood and paper products you purchase come from healthy forests and strong communities.
Our Forests provide clean water, purify the air, maintain biodiversity, provide habitat for species, and play a central role in reducing the impacts of climate change. Our forests are also vital for the livelihood of Aboriginal and other forest dependent communities.
FSC certification connects consumers to healthy forests by tracking products from forest to the store shelf through FSC's Chain of Custody system. Third-party Certifiers verify that the FSC label is only placed on products that have been independently verified to come from forests, manufacturers, processors and distributors that meet FSC's rigorous requirements.
Your choice makes a difference. Choose products with the FSC logo and know that your product comes from a healthy forest and supports strong communities.
The FSC on-product label identifies forest products that meet FSC's environmental and social standards.
A printed document can only carry the FSC label or make a claim about the paper being FSC-certified if both the paper AND printing company are FSC-certified.
This is part of FSC's supply chain tracking system whereby fibre is tracked from FSC-certified forests (or verified recycled sources) all the way to the consumer. For paper products this means pulp providers, mills, merchants and printers must all obtain FSC chain of custody certification in order for a product to carry the FSC logo or label.
Only FSC-certified companies may place an FSC label on a certified product, or pass on the FSC claim on invoices.
To have the FSC label placed on a printed document you must:
For more information on Chain of Custody certification visit the Chain of Custody Certification section.
FSC-certified companies may use the FSC trademarks to promote that they are certified, or to promote FSC-certified products that they manufacture.
Non-certified companies may use the FSC trademarks for educational purposes, or to promote finished FSC-certified products if:
FSC-certified companies must get approval for the promotional use of the FSC trademarks, and for the use of the FSC label on products, by sending an electronic copy of the trademark use to their third-party Certifier. The FSC trademarks and labels may be downloaded from the online Label and Trademark Generator. For access to the generator, contact you third-party Certifier.
Non-Certified companies must get approval for the use of the FSC trademarks on promotional materials by filling in an APPLICATION and sending an electronic copy of the FSC trademark use to FSC Canada (E: info@fsccanada.org).
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