FSC – Forest Stewardship Council – certification responds to the ever-growing need for
sustainability. The system certifies the origin of the wood and paper, certifying their origin from forests
managed correctly and responsibly, according to rigorous environmental, social and economic standards.
Gazzotti has chosen to get FSC® certified in order to guarantee the origin of the raw material and to contribute to the growth of the market for sustainable forest products. In fact, FSC® certification helps to understand the risks linked to deforestation and illegal logging, some of the factors causing climate change.
To be FSC® certified also means to offer more benefits to workers, local populations, ecosystems and biodiversity.
FSC® certification
The Forest Stewardship Council is an
international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible forest management. The certification bodies are in turn accredited by the international accreditation body ASI (Assurance Services International).
FSC® certification refers to products of forest origin, therefore to wood, wood-based products and wood derivatives. Non-timber forest products – such as mushrooms, honey, berries, etc. – can also be FSC® certified. The fundamental requirement is that they come from forests correctly managed and certified as such.
FSC® issues three types of certifications:
Forest Management (FM),
Chain of Custody (CoC) and
Controlled Wood (CW).
Forest Management Certification
The Responsible Forest Management certification guarantees that a forest or forest plantation is managed in such a way as to satisfy Standards based on the
10 Principles and 70 Criteria (P&C), defined and kept updated by FSC® with the participation of all interested parties.
The P&Cs are valid worldwide and applicable to different forest ecosystems and management, as well as different cultural, political and legislative fields. Starting from them, the International Generic Indicators were defined, with the aim of supporting the transfer of the P&Cs to a series of indicators adapted to the national context. The objective is in fact to develop National Standards that are in line with what has been established at an international level.
Forest Management certification alone does not allow wood or other non-wood forest products to be sold as certified, nor to be labeled with the FSC® mark. This is why Gazzotti has a
Chain of Custody certification.
Chain of Custody certification
The Chain of Cystody ensures traceability during the various stages of transformation and marketing of materials coming from FSC® certified forests. It is an essential document to be able to apply FSC® labels on products.
Products bearing the FSC® logo may contain, in addition to certified virgin materials, also recycled materials and
controlled wood.
Controlled Wood: guaranteeing high standards for non-FSC® certified material
Controlled Wood is a material that can be mixed with certified wood when making products labeled as FSC® Mixed. It is considered the first step towards full Forest Management certification. The supply of controlled material can also take place through the Forest Management certification for Controlled Wood, with Standards relating to both Forest Management and Chain of Custody.
Only material from FSC® acceptable sources can be used as controlled wood. There are five categories of unacceptable material that cannot in any way be mixed with FSC® certified material: wood cut illegally, in violation of traditional and civil rights or in forests converted to plantations or other non-forestry use. But also wood from forests where High Conservation Values are threatened by management activities or where genetically modified trees are used.
Thanks to FSC® certification, a company like Gazzotti can guarantee the market the origin of the wood used for its products and therefore communicate its active contribution to responsible forest management in a clear, transparent and safe way. In fact, more and more consumers today aim for greater environmental knowledge by seeking product quality and informed purchasing.
