Lamport Gilbert consider their responsibility to the environment very seriously and as part of our environmental policy have gained both FSC & PEFC Chain of Custody. The following small report gives some background information the FSC and PEFC Forest Certification Programmes and how using recycled papers and materials from sustainable sources can help our environment.
The Environment
Issues such as quality, price and service have always been regarded as key considerations for us and our customers, however more recently there has been growing concern regarding the materials used for manufacture, their impact on the environment and the requirement to maintain the integrity of these products throughout the supply chain.
Many organisations are becoming more aware of Environmentally Friendly Products (EFP) and their Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) to the environment. Our customers are now frequently asking questions on issues such as the source of raw materials, the credentials of the supplier, the availability of EFPs, the standards accredited to these products and what claims and statements they can make when using them.
Does Recycling Paper Help the Environment?
Recycling paper helps the environment in a number of ways. It reduces the amount of waste paper going to landfill and rubbish dumps, reducing the number of landfill sites we need. It also reduces the amount of natural resources needed to produce paper. Recycled paper does not use wood and the process of making paper from recycled pulp uses fewer resources such as fossil fuels and water.
Why Certify Forests?
Consumers, public and enterprise procurement policies in increasing numbers are seeking evidence of environmentally sound business practices. The most effective way to guarantee that the timber and paper products you sell come from legal and
sustainable sources is by sourcing them from independently certified forests. This is where PEFC and FSC can help you.
The Certification Programmes
There are two main forestry certification programmes, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
The FSC is an international network to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC has developed a system of forest certification that allows consumers to identify wood and wood based products from well-managed forests. To date, 78 million hectares of forest in 82 countries are certified to FSC standards
and with the FSC ‘tick-tree’ logo, it is probably the most widely recognised brand.
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)
The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an independent, non-profit, non governmental organisation founded in 1999 which provides a framework for mutual recognition of national forest certification schemes across the world. PEFC currently covers over 200 million hectares of forest producing millions of tonnes of certified timber to the market place making it the world’s largest certification scheme.
There are few differences between the two schemes, except to say that the amount of forest covered by the PEFC is approximately 2.5 times that covered by FSC. This is because the PEFC is a global umbrella for the assessment and recognition of 32 different national forest certification systems awarded through independent third party certification.
In December 2006, the UK Government confirmed that the PEFC sustainable forest management certification provided an assurance that its certified timber-based products originated from legal and sustainable sources.
Chain of Custody
Any company carrying out material alteration to FSC or PEFC material and want this to be identified as a certified product, need to gain Chain of Custody certification. Chain of Custody provides evidence that products originate from well managed forests and verifies that these products are not mixed with products from uncertified forests at any point in the supply chain. This evidence is provided by FSC or PEFC registration.
The Process & Implications
The process involved for an organisation to obtain FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody is relatively straight forward but extremely important. Systems and procedures need to be put in place to prove that we can separate products produced using certified materials throughout the manufacturing process. This will involve labelling certified material, identifying certified products on all paperwork for example estimates, job tickets, delivery notes, box labels and invoices. In order to do this, we are working with our management information system provider to help us facilitate this process.
There are a number of certification bodies (110 in the UK), many of which are able to audit organisations for FSC and PEFC, however we have found out that BM TRADA are the only UK certification body who can offer an organisation both PEFC and FSC Chain of Custody in one audit.
Corporate and Social Responsibility
As a company, we have a key responsibility to the environment. Following this process gives us and our customers the satisfaction that we are using raw material from a sustainable source, and also enables us to provide proof of this and to promote it.
