What does FSC mean to the University of Minnesota?

Social responsibility issues are becoming a core component of corporate and educational brands. Dealing responsibly with the University’s environmental footprint cannot only reduce risk, but can enhance our brand if we walk the walk and know how to talk about it. Carrying the FSC-certification logo on the University’s print products tells the state and the world that we support the highest social and environmental standards in our market. Our purchase of FSC-certified paper and print products contribute to conservation, responsible management, and community level benefits for people near the forests that provide the paper.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way.

Landowners and companies that sell timber or forest products seek certification as a way to verify to consumers that they have practiced forestry consistent with FSC standards. Independent, certification organizations are accredited by FSC to carry out assessments of forest management to determine if standards have been met. These certifiers also verify that companies claiming to sell FSC certified products have tracked their supply back to FSC certified sources. This chain of custody certification assures that consumers can trust the FSC label.

Just like other forest products, in order to use the FSC logo as an "environmental claim" on paper, the product must have flowed through the FSC "chain-of-custody" from the FSC-certified forest, to a paper manufacturer, merchant, and finally printer who have FSC chain-of-custody certification.

In 2008, Printing Services was awarded FSC certification as a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Company through SmartWood, an FSC-accredited body. FSC standard sets out the requirements for achieving FSC chain of custody, including:

1. Quality systems
2. Wood and fiber sourcing
3. Production controls and record keeping
4. Labeling
5. Documentation

As an FSC Chain of Custody printer, Printing Services follows strict documentation procedures in order to ensure the legitimacy of the FSC certified paper. To maintain certification, participating companies must undergo an annual on-site audit to ensure chain-of-custody policies and procedures are being followed for the handling, processing, and labeling of certified forest products.

Forest Stewardship Council