Why you should look for FSC label while buying wood products
Wood products, one one hand, because of coming from natural sources help us to minimise the usage of plastics in our daily life but on other hand, might result in deforestation, cutting of natural forest and result in depleting the natural environment. The dilemma is solved by FSC certified products that ensure that product is a result of scientific and sustainable forest management. Buying wood products with FSC label guarantees that the #trees that are harvested are replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally.
#Didyouknow – globally, the world is losing 18.7 million acres of forests every year – equivalent to 27 soccer fields every minute!
WWF
The demand for products made from wood is growing along with accelerated economic development and increase in population. This demand for forest related products like timber, pulp, paper and rubber, as well as clearing forests for soyabean and palm oil plantations is resulting in loss of natural forest resources beyond their ability to recover.
The time has come that we meet our needs in a responsible way, while also ensuring that we protect, conserve and restore our forests – for the benefit of people, wildlife and millions of communities who depend on them. You can help change the story of our vanishing forests by supporting FSC certification. Everyone – from a forest owner, to manufacturer, brand or company, and consumer – is a critical link in this chain and has a role to play.
Whats is FSC ?
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a globally recognised certification system with million hectares of forestland certified under its forest conservation standards. FSC uses a voluntary, market-based system in which forests, companies anyway associated to timber related products are audited against principles and criteria of FSC. The performance-based standards encompass environmental, social and economic values, and are framed to ensure that the forests are managed sustainably.
Founded in 1993 after the 1992 UN Conference on FSC 10 Principles Sustainable Development, by business representatives, social groups, and environmental organizations, FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-for profit, membership organization
FSC ensures traceability of products from the forests to the point of sale. Products that are manufactured from responsibly harvested forests are identified with the FSC logo, which is considered the “gold standard” of forest certification by major environmental groups.
FSC does not issue certificates itself. It has an accreditation/certification
system to monitor adherence to FSC standards. Only FSC accredited certification bodies are authorized to evaluate, monitor and issue FSC certificates.
What is FSC Label ?
When any wood or paper product bears the FSC label, it means that its raw material came from a responsibly managed forest, and all the companies in its supply chain adhered to the highest standards of sustainability while producing it. In this way, FSC certification helps keep forests alive and thriving, while also providing sustainable and responsible choices of forest products to manufacturers, brands, and consumers.
FSC is the only wood certification scheme endorsed by the major #environmental charities, including WWF, Greenpeace and The Woodland Trust.
FSC Certificates in India
The FSC provides two certificates in India:
- Chain of Custody Certificates (CoC)
- FSC Certified Forest Management Areas (Ha)
References:
- FAQ’s related to FSC in India: Read FAQ’s
- FSC accredited Certification bodies in India: Read FAQ no. 5
