Tuesday, 01 July 2003
The Paper Chase
Clarifying the Simplicity of Chain-of-Custody
Representatives of East Coast paper merchants, paper manufacturers, and the US government printing office met June 12 with staff from FSC-US, certification bodies, WWF and others to come to a better understanding of FSC chain-of-custody policies and processes. The working session was called and hosted by Balmar, Inc. (a chain-of-custody certified printer) at their Falls Church, VA printing plant. According to Balmar’s Vice President of Sales Joan Weber, “We felt that by bringing these parties together, we could achieve a level playing field of awareness about FSC chain-of-custody (COC) issues, and could arrive at one or more solutions to bridge the current gaps in the chain, making it possible for printers such as Balmar to apply the FSC logo to printed pieces on behalf of our clients."
Following introductions and opening remarks by Joan Weber, FSC-US’ Vice President of Forestry and Marketing Michael Washburn gave a brief overview of the chain-of-custody process and why it is important to maintaining the integrity of the FSC logo. Certifiers Wolfram Pinker (Scientific Certification Systems) and Bob Beer (SmartWood) and Derek Smith of CWPA supplemented the discussion with technical details and information on the cost of certification. In the ensuing discussion, it became clear that participants not only grasped the COC concept, but saw participation in the COC as an obvious decision—“a no brainer," in the words of one participant.
In addition to Balmar and FSC-US, organizations represented at the meeting included:
- Paper merchants Central Lewmar, Expidex, Lindemeyer/Monroe, Frank Parsons, and New Leaf Paper;
- Paper makers Neenah Paper, International Paper, and Tembec Paperboard Division;
- NGOs World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International;
- Certifiers SmartWood and Scientific Certification Systems;
- The Certified Wood & Paper Association;
- The U.S. Government Printing Office; and
- Xerox Corporation.
In the coming weeks, FSC staff and consultants will be stepping up their outreach efforts to paper manufacturers to create a top-down push that will help motivate paper merchants to obtain COC certification. In addition, the “FSC paper team" will be working to organize a similar solution session for west-coast paper merchants.
“This was clearly the most significant meeting about FSC paper held thus far," notes Michael Washburn. “The energy and interaction among the 30 high-level participants provided fertile ground for the exchange of concerns, ideas, and solutions. I believe that everyone walked away with a better understanding of what participation in the FSC chain-of-custody entails. My sense is that we will see rapid movement toward obtaining COC certification among the paper merchants who attended the working session. Joan Weber is to be commended for getting so many of the right people together at the right time," Washburn added.
For more info, contact:
Derek Smith (CWPA) ipbds@aol.com
Wolfram Pinker (SCS) wpinker@scscertified.com
Bob Beer (SmartWood) rbeer@smartwood.org