Summary
¦ The minimum threshold for FSC Mix is now 70% across all product groups.
¦ FSC controlled wood is forest material that has been risk assessed to FSC standards.
¦ FSC is providing approved country-wide risk assessments, the second of which is for the UK.
¦ FSC is consulting on a revised system of product classifications.

Changes are under way at the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) with the revision and redevelopment of key pieces of chain of custody documentation; some have been made stricter, whilst others are being simplified.

FSC has upped the minimum amount of certified material required in FSC Mix labelled products in line with its ongoing aim to increase the amount of FSC material in products carrying the label. It is also working to simplify standards and provide support to make it easier for FSC-certified companies to fulfil their certification obligations and for, as yet, uncertified companies to enter into the FSC system.

The concept of FSC Mixed Sources, now known as FSC Mix, was introduced in 1997 when the Policy on Percentage Based Claims (PPBC) allowed the inclusion of limited amounts of uncertified forest materials in FSC labelled products.

Minimum percentages of FSC-certified inputs (fibre from FSC forests and/or verified post-consumer material) were reviewed in 2000 and set at 70% for solid timber products and 30% for chip and fibre products. The required percentage for chip and fibre products was increased to 50% in 2005.

Until earlier this year FSC chain of custody standards continued to allow the labelling and promotion of chip and fibre products, such as MDF, which contained a minimum of 50% FSC input as FSC Mix. As of April 1 product groups produced and sold by FSC-certified companies, including those made from chip and fibre, were required to meet the 70% threshold in order for all products within the group to carry an FSC Mix label or be otherwise promoted as FSC certified. An extension until 2015 has been granted to some companies that were unable to meet the new threshold.

In 2000 a major review of the PPBC introduced the concept of “controversial sources” in an attempt to identify and avoid the inclusion of ‘unacceptable’ uncertified wood (such as illegal timber) in FSC labelled products. Certified companies were required to trace uncertified material back to its forest of origin. During 2005, the introduction of a new chain of custody standard and labelling system led the “controversial sources” policy to be reviewed; the FSC Controlled Wood approach was introduced as a safer and more structured way to avoid the use of ‘unacceptable’ materials.

FSC Controlled Wood is forest material that has been risk assessed in accordance with FSC’s Controlled Wood standards and found to be at a low risk of originating in several undesirable categories. This includes timber that is illegally logged or from areas where harvesting practices threaten high conservation value forests or the rights of indigenous people.

Country-wide risk assessments

However, the Controlled Wood assessment process can still be onerous and burdensome for FSC-certified companies to complete and maintain, so FSC and its global network of national offices are working to simplify this process by providing official, approved, country-wide risk assessments.

FSC UK received approval for the assessment of the UK this year. This is the second whole-country assessment covering all forest types and all risk categories to be approved – FSC Australia completed the first in 2009. Partial assessments have also been approved for Chile, Switzerland and Portugal and FSC International is working with other national offices to ensure they can complete their own country-wide risk assessments.

The FSC UK official assessment, to which FSC-certified companies sourcing UK timber can refer, takes away much, if not all, of the need for certified companies to conduct their own controlled wood research and promotes the use of UK timber, enabling small UK forest owners, not yet engaged with the FSC system, to contribute material for inclusion in FSC Mix products.

To reformulate another somewhat unaccommodating aspect of the FSC system, FSC has begun consulting on a revised system of product classifications. The consultation period was recently extended until May 20.

The FSC Product Classification is an addendum of the FSC chain of custody standard and has been used since 2007. It is relevant to all those who use the FSC certificate database. The current categories are based on the United Nations Statistics Division Central Product Classification (CPC) system. FSC is creating new categories (not based on external classification systems such as CPC) combining the technical and marketing characteristics required to ensure the correct and unified classification of certified product groups and the facilitation of market links between producers and buyers.

To contribute to the product classifications consultation contact info@fsc-uk.org to obtain a copy of the draft and comment form.