Forest Product Manufacturers

All primary and secondary manufacturers must have an FSC Chain of Custody certificate in order to sell their product as FSC-certified. 

Requirements

There are five categories of requirements that auditors will be evaluating for FSC Chain of Custody certification:

1. Quality System requirements

These cover the company's internal procedures, staff training, record keeping, and the scope of the certificate - the groups of products and product lines that are included in the certificate.

2. Wood and Fibre Sourcing

Identification of the materials that can be included in FSC-certified products, the company's written specification for materials, and the requirements for receiving and storing these. Materials used for FSC-certified products must come from one of the following verifiable sources:

• FSC Certified: 100% of material from an FSC-certified forest.
• Post-consumer reclaimed/recycled: Wood and/or wood fibre reclaimed from a product after it has been used for its intended end-use purpose.
• Other reclaimed: Wood and/or wood fiber reclaimed from a product, by-product or co-product during or after manufacture.
• Controlled wood: This wood is not FSC-certified, but has been verified to exclude the following:
• Wood from forest areas where traditional or civil rights are violated;
• Wood from forests where high conservation values are threatened;
• Wood from genetically modified trees
• Illegally harvest wood
• Wood from natural forests which have been harvested for the purpose of converting the land to plantations or other non-forest use.

3. Production Control and Records

Monthly records of FSC production that track the quantity, batch number, the average content of FSC material in each product group, and identify the FSC claim period are required.

4. Requirements for FSC Labeling

FSC labels identify the quantity of FSC, reclaimed, recycled and/or controlled material in the final product. 

5. Invoicing, Sales, and Shipping documentation

All documentation must identify the quantity of product sold, date, client, product description and Chain of Custody certification number.

Documents

Forest Product Manufacturer Chain of Custody certification