FSC certification certifies sustainable forest management. It applies to a wide range of wood-based products, such as timber, paper, furniture and packaging. It guarantees that these products come from responsibly managed forests that comply with established standards, including the promotion of biodiversity conservation, respect for the rights of local communities and the implementation of sustainable practices in the forestry industry and supply chain.
The FSC certification (Forest Stewardship Council) is a global recognition that certifies that the management of a forest respects rigorous environmental, social and economic standards. Founded in 1993, this non-profit organization aims to promote the sustainable management of forests throughout the world and, consequently, to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of the rights of local communities. Well, but how is it awarded, and to which products is it intended? We’ll look into that further below.
What is FSC certification?
FSC certification “verifies the sustainable sourcing of forest products and ecosystem services at every stage of the value chain, from forest to consumer”. And it is based on principles and standard well-defined. These include the protection of ancient and endangered forests, fair wages and a working environment for those who work there, the conservation of biodiversity and community rights, including those of indigenous peoples. Another important objective it pursues is, of course, to avoid the deforestation.
Who issues the FSC certification? It is not the same as FSC but independent Certification Bodies accredited by Assurance Services International (ASI). As stated on the official website, they are the only ones to be “authorized to evaluate Forest Management and Chain of Custody operations on the basis of the applicable FSC Standards”. To those who ask How much does it cost to have the FSC brand? we can provide an indicative figure of 6000.00 euros in the case of a small company. This figure must be divided over 5 years.
How does FSC work?
Good, but How FSC certification works? In this regard, it is important to know that, in order to receive it, a forest must respect 10 principles and criteria of good forest management, including protection of workers and the populations that inhabit them as well as the conservation of the existing ecosystems and the constant monitoring of the same. To ensure all this, the forests that obtain the certification are divided into areas that allow the cut trees not to be cut again for at least the following 30 years in order to promote their natural regeneration.
How to check FSC certificate?
An FSC certified product can be recognized by a specific label that must show the FSC logo and website, the title of the label itself (which can be 100%, Mixed, Recycled), the type of product (where necessary) and the license code for using the logo.
Per verify an FSC certificate you can access a public control panel reachable through the following link: FSC Certificate Public Dashboard. Once on the site, simply enter the License Code shown on the coupon to see the company’s technical sheet appear, certifying the regularity of Responsible Forest Management. In addition, you can access the Assurance Services International (ASI) website, which contains a list of Accredited Certification Bodies.
What products is it intended for?
FSC certification does not only apply to forests, but also extends to a wide range of wood and non-wood products (all, however, of forest origin and made with materials from well-managed forests and/or recycled sources) which include:
- Timber and derivatives: boards, beams, plywood and other wood products
- Paper and paper products: such as printing paper, cardboard and boxes
- Mobile
- Packaging and boxes
- Kitchen and hygiene paper such as paper towels, tissues and other household paper products
Other important certifications in the field of environmental sustainability to know are BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), which evaluates the environmental sustainability of buildings and LEED, also applicable to buildings (both residential and commercial) which is a voluntary certification program and concerns the life cycle of the building, from its design phase to its construction phase.
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Source: www.greenstyle.it
