Sourcing & Verification
If you’re buying products made from wood, paper or other materials sourced from forests, such as bamboo, cork, viscose and natural rubber, you (and your clients) may worry about whether they have been responsibly sourced. Suppliers may tell you that their products are from ‘sustainable’ or ‘managed’ sources. But how can you verify this and demonstrate to your clients that you have met their expectations?
How to specify, source and verify FSC-certified materials:
Choose FSC
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Choosing to implement a responsible procurement policy and embedding this within your internal processes, can make procurement more straightforward. A good procurement policy should specify exactly what it covers, e.g. does it just cover timber and/or paper or does it also cover other forest products such as bamboo or natural rubber? It should also make clear how to ensure compliance with the policy, what certifications are accepted and what to do if potential purchases do not meet the requirements. The application of the policy should be monitored and regularly reviewed, allowing any areas of concern to be highlighted and addressed.
Find FSC
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All FSC Certificate Holders are listed on the public FSC database. Each listing details the product classifications within the scope of the supplier’s certification (e.g. ‘wood panels’ or ‘engineered wood products’). You can search by organisation name, licence code, or certificate code. Results can be filtered by country, product classification, species etc.
Ask for FSC
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FSC-certified suppliers may sell uncertified products in addition to FSC-certified products. Some may offer FSC-certified products only on request. Therefore, it is important to tell them that you want FSC-certified products from the outset and that you will need them to make an FSC claim on sales documents.
Note: FSC-certified suppliers may also be able to apply FSC labels to the FSC-certified products they sell to you (even if you don't hold your own FSC certification). If you would like them to apply a label, you must let them know as early as possible.
Order FSC
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Check that your direct supplier holds FSC certification and that it covers the products you are buying from them.
Contact your supplier to ensure availability of products with FSC certification.
Specify FSC-certified products when you place your order.
If applicable, confirm the FSC claim required.
Let your supplier know that you need them to make an FSC claim in sales documents
If applicable, specify that an FSC label should be applied by your supplier
Check it!
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Make sure that the sales documents for the products you receive include an FSC claim and your supplier’s FSC certificate code – this is the evidence that a product is FSC certified. Our ‘Is it FSC?’ Delivery checklist (available from FSC UK) provides more information about what you need to look for on an invoice or delivery note.
Note: If you want to promote the products you’ve bought (or the projects you make with them) using the FSC trademarks or sell them on with an FSC claim, you’ll need to hold your own FSC certificate or Promotional Licence, as appropriate to your requirements.
Specifier’s Guide and Delivery Checklist
FSC UK has produced Choose FSC, a handy, fold-up guide to specifying forest products responsibly, and Is it FSC?, a pocket checklist for verifying deliveries of FSC-certified materials.