Going green, part 3

Anyone who is involved in any business that uses wood or wood products has heard of the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC monitors forest management worldwide and offers certification to those who meet or exceed their standards for proper forest management. For those of us who are not directly involved in forestry but who manufacture goods using forest products, The FSC offers a different kind of certification.

This from their Web site:

"For those companies who manufacture or trade certified products, a different form of certification applies. Again, to assure the credibility of claims on products, it is important to track materials as they leave the forest and become products down stream. This “chain of custody” (COC) certification process is quite simple. Like any inventory control system, COC allows products to be segregated and identified as having come from a particular source - in this case, an FSC-certified forest.

FSC’s model of certification allows products that flow from certified forests to enter the marketplace with a credential that is unique. Any FSC labeled product can be traced back to a certified source. This aspect of the system is the basis for any credible certification system and is the link between consumer preference and responsible, on the ground forest management."

Our shop is in the process of applying for certification. If your shop is to truly "go green" I believe this is an essential step. Check out the FSC Web site at www.fscus.org/.

D.D.