FSC® Chain of Custody (CoC) Certification and FSC® Controlled Wood Certification

FSC^® CHAIN OF CUSTODY CERTIFICATION AND FSC^® CONTROLLED WOOD CERTIFICATION Demonstrate the responsible origin of your wood and paper products

The demand for wood, paper and other forest products sourced from well-managed forests continues to grow. Consumers and business partners want assurance that your products come from responsibly managed sources that limit their damage to the forest environment and forest-dependent indigenous communities. Your business must also prove that your goods come exclusively from legal sources as required by the EU Timber Regulation, the Lacey Act in the U.S., or similar legislative requirements.

What is FSC^® Chain of Custody certification?

The Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC) is a non-profit organisation that set standards for forestry practices to promote environmentally responsible and socially beneficial forestry. Wood products such as furniture are given the FSC® COC certification if they meet the high standards set by the organisation. 

To earn the FSC certification, the flow of the wood material – from the forest to the customer – must be monitored to demonstrate its origins. This evidence is known as the Chain of Custody (CoC). There are different processes for the chain of custody certification based on the material being traced. 

Why Is FSC^® COC certification important?

The FSC^® Chain of Custody certification assure customers that your company only uses legal source legally harvested materials and responsibly managed forests for its material. FSC is considered the most rigorous forest certification system. It also takes into account the protection of water quality, prohibiting the cutting of rare trees in the forest, averting the loss of natural forest cover and forbidding the use of highly harmful chemicals.

It enables you to offer your customers better value regarding the origin of the material and the promotion of responsible forestry. For example, a furniture company can raise its credibility in the market. As more customers become aware of the products they purchase, the FSC^® certification can act like a powerful tool that convinces customers. 

FSC^® Chain of Custody  Certification can also open up new business opportunities for your FSC^® Certified products in the markets. Major companies have established that they prefer FSC^® certified products, and consumers are asking for more FSC^® certified products in retail stores. Earning the FSC^® certification can open up new avenues of revenue and provide access to more markets. 

Our FSC^® CoC services

We offer FSC^® CoC services to support your company at every stage of the certification process, from pre-audit throughout the five-year certification cycle.   

Designed for all businesses involved in the supply chain of forest-based products, the FSC^® CoC certifications require ongoing annual audits. We can perform these audits within the five-year certification cycle to monitor how your organisation has implemented requirements for the separation of certified and uncertified material, as well as identifying ways in which they might potentially get mixed.  

Our auditors observe your company’s separation and flow of material, its management systems, and your use of the FSC^® trademarks to ensure you receive your FSC^® certification. The high demand for FSC^® certified hangtags, packaging material like corrugated boxes and paper bags urges more SME’S to get their FSC^® certification in India.

FSC Controlled Wood

FSC^® Controlled Wood covers wood that does not have FSC^® certification but meets the FSC^® Controlled Wood Standard specifications. This includes the legality of the harvest and due consideration to key social and environmental issues.  

FSC^® Controlled Wood can be mixed with certified wood to produce FSC-certified products, provided it has the controlled wood certification and meets individual requirements. FSC^® CoC and FSC^® Controlled Wood systems and certification is a tool to show compliance with the EU Timber Regulation. 

Download our "Procedure for Complaints and Appeals Resolution related to FSC^® Certification" here

How can we help you?

As an internationally accredited Certification Body for the FSC^® CoC (license code FSC^® A000530), TÜV SÜD Czech is a one-stop provider of certification services.

Our trusted audit experts understand all the technical and social complexities of CoC certification for a wide range of industries in wood processing, pulp and paper, packaging, and printing. We can offer FSC^® CoC audits in combination with other audit services such as ISO or other forest certification schemes.

Why choose TÜV SÜD?

TÜV SÜD Czech is a trusted market leader for credible FSC^® CoC certification. We are known worldwide for the high quality of our certifications and the outstanding performance of our auditors. 

Our experts are committed to a fast turnaround on approvals of submitted artwork using the FSC^® trademark, delivering on deadlines as short as two days or even a few hours in the case of printing businesses. 

To become FSC^® Chain of Custody (CoC) certified, companies must be audited to meet the requirements of the CoC Standard, FSC-STD-40-004 and other applicable supplementary standards. 

Frequently Asked Questions