Many companies are being asked to become FSC certified, so that the FSC logo can be printed on the customer’s product. Whilst printers can use paper from sustainable resources, the proof of this gives the customer both reassurance and the ability to display their concern about using sustainable natural resources.
FSC is a chain of custody system. Every link in the chain must:
Once you have got systems to ensure these and have implemented them, you need to be audited and certified by a certification body who have been accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Note that there is another system which is very similar to FSC. This is PEFC which stands for Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes. Many companies gain certification against both standards.
You will need a list of FSC papers and the certificates that go with these papers. This list will be referred to by estimators and goods inwards personnel and must include the certificate numbers.
I suggest that you create a table with columns headed supplier, paper name, certificate number, FSC content.
Note that you are allowed to use the FSC logo with paper containing less than 100% FSC paper, providing that your documentation covers this. Therefore, it is essential to know the FSC content (ie % FSC) in the paper.
Make sure that the estimating system specifies that any requirement for FSC is reflected in the estimate.
There must be a system that ensures that the need for FSC is specified on the job bag and that FSC paper is specified on the order. If your management information system allows it, you will need to specify the information for the despatch note and invoice. (See “Despatch” for this information.) If your management information system cannot do this, then you are going to have to devise some system that ensures that this is added before despatch. One solution may be to have a large, red FSC stamp for the job bag so that this is immediately apparent to despatch personnel. Note that if you get this wrong, then you have broken the chain and you cannot claim that the paper is FSC certified. At worst, you will have to reprint the job.
The purchasing system must cope with the need to specify only that FSC paper from the materials list on those jobs where FSC paper is required.
When the paper is received, the system needs to specify that goods inwards personnel:
If there is a mismatch, then the system must cover how the paper is rejected and prevented from being used for the FSC job.
Provided you have a robust paper labelling system, it should not be necessary to have a separate FSC paper storage area.
Your printing system must specify the need for press minders to check that the paper supplied is that specified on the job bag and that they sign the job bag to this effect. Once printed, it is not so critical keeping track of the paper as it is inherently identifiable.
Beware of keeping track of part-used packs or pallets of FSC paper left over from an FSC job. You need to identify this or decide to no longer claim that this is FSC paper.
It is essential that the despatch note and invoice specify the following:
You need to introduce, implement and be able to prove that you are following these systems:
This bit can end up being a bit of a headache!
You will need to track what paper you are using as an FSC credit. Whilst your MIS system will do this for individual jobs, it is necessary to also keep a simple table of FSC jobs and the paper used.
You will also need to tell the FSC certification body when you are using the FSC logo both
on-product and off-product. For on-product, it is easiest if you define some product groups, eg A4 folder and stick with the same logo size, etc.
Finally, you need to be in control of your logo. Unlike other wood products, where the label is stuck on at the end, in printing the logo is added upstream, normally by some other organisation.
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