FSC
FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, which is an international non-profit organisation founded in 1993 with a mission to create responsible forestry. It is the only forest verification scheme endorsed by leading environmental charities like WWF, the Woodland Trust and Greenpeace.
What is an FSC product?
Essentially, it’s a product or packaging which uses materials like wood, paper and / or other forest materials sourced from FSC-certified forests.
What does FSC-certified mean?
- FSC-certified forests mean that the product adheres to the highest environmental and social standards. This means that:
- The trees that are harvested are replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally. Rare old-growth forest may not be touched.
- Parts of the forest are entirely untouched to protect animals and plants.
- It protects the rights of indigenous people, meaning that sacred sites are excluded from felling.
- The forest owner must employ local workers and provide training, safety equipment and a fair salary.
- Local rivers, lakes and wetlands must be protected.
- The forest owner must support the local community.
- The management of forests must protect water quality, prevent loss of natural forest and restrict the use of highly hazardous chemicals.
- It prohibits the conversion of natural forest for plantations, real estate development or agriculture.
The forest businesses must be economically viable, meaning they are sufficiently profitable without generating profit at the expense of the forest, ecosystem and the local community.
In essence, a FSC certified forest means that the forest is managed in an environmentally friendly, socially beneficial and in an economically viable manner.
The FSC logo is an assurance that all the products are made with, or contain, forest-based materials from FSC-certified forests. This also means that the products won’t have harmed the forests, precious resources we need to protect. So far, more than 400 million hectares of forests have met the criteria, which is about 10% of the world’s working forests.
