What is the Forest Stewardship Council?
If you work with print, chances are you’ll have seen the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo somewhere, even if you don’t know what it means. Luckily, we’re here to help you see the wood for the trees, and explain exactly what that little tree with a tick logo is trying to tell you.
What is the FSC?
The FSC is an international organisation which has, for over twenty years, encouraged and maintained responsible, sustainable foresting practices so that businesses can use a wide range of wood and paper-based products without causing irreparable harm to the ecosystem.
If the care and maintenance of a forest meets the FSC’s stringent criteria, the forest qualifies for the ‘FSC certified’ mark. If the entire supply chain of timber produced also meets with FSC approval, then all products from that forest can be marked with the FSC logo.
What does it mean to be FSC Certified?
FSC certification is stricter than many other forest stewardships and is the only one endorsed by major environment charities like WWF, Greenpeace, and the Woodland Trust.
To become FSC certified, a forest must be proven to be managed in a way that is:
- Environmentally Appropriate: Timber harvesting should maintain the forest’s biodiversity, productivity, and ecological processes.
- Socially Beneficial: The forest management should provide strong incentives to both the local and global community so they can enjoy long-term benefits of responsible management.
- Financially Viable: Forest operations should still be profitable without the expense of the forest’s ecosystem and affected communities.
What does the FSC logo mean?
You can find the FSC logo products as diverse as garden furniture and decking to wallpaper, pencils, natural latex, cork and bamboo.
There are three types of FSC label. So, the next time you find the FSC logo on your favourite wood or paper-based product, check to see exactly what it means:
FSC 100%: 100% of the timber-based material in this product comes from FSC-certified forests.
FSC Recycled: All of the timber-based material in this product must be pre-consumer or post-consumer reclaimed.
FSC Mix: all of the timber-based material in this product is either from FSC-certified forests, reclaimed or recycled timber/fibre or FSC Controlled Wood
When you use FSC products, you can print FSC logos so you can let people know that you’re committed to sustainable forest management as well. If you would like FSC trademarks or logos on your products, just let us know and we’ll take care of everything for you.
