FSC PEFC - Chain of custody

In June 2012, Artes Gráficas del Atlántico passed the audit for certification in the Chain of Custody Management System in accordance with the international standards FSC and PEF. The certification of the chain of custody is a system which monitors the wood from its extraction on the mountain through all the steps of processing, transport and distribution of the product, until it reaches the end consumer.

The chain of custody certification permits the printer to use the FSC or PEFC label on the commercial products and brands. The certification proves that the supply chain of the raw materials can be traced from the forest to the consumer, including all phases of transformation and distribution.

There are more than fifty forest certification systems that operate at a national and international level. The most well known and most extended are PEFC and FSC.

• PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). This is a system for sustainable forest management. It is a collective brand whose logo guarantees that the forest product originates from a forest that is managed with sustainability criteria.
• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). This is an international initiative for sustainable forest management that takes into account ecological, social and economical aspects. FSC is a product label that allows consumers to recognize which products support responsible forest growth around the world.

Consumers give more and more importance to environmental impact, sustainability of paper, paper products and sustainable use of raw materials. During recent years, the use of forest certification labels has increased within the group of paper products. The PEFC and FSC certification programs only set requirements for the forest management and traceability.

As well as the forest certification systems that are destined to forest owners, the chain of custody certificates are tools that are available to printing presses.

The chain of custody certification permits the printer to use the FSC or PEFC label on the commercial products and brands. The certification proves that the supply chain of the raw materials can be traced from the forest to the consumer, including all phases of transformation and distribution.