Chain of Custody Certification

PEFC Chain of Custody

Chain of Custody (COC) is a process for tracking forest products from their place of origin through all stages of transfer and production to the final consumer as an end product.

The PEFC ST 2002:2013 Chain of Custody of Forest Based Products - Requirements standard provides a mechanism to track wood from certified forests and from uncertified and/or recycled sources. If the place of origin is certified then a chain of custody can provide an assurance that wood and wood-based products originate from sustainably managed forests.  The PEFC standard also provides an assurance that any uncertified wood is not from controversial sources.

Chain of custody:

• Tracks wood flows at any stage of production – through harvesting, transporting, handling or processing – from the forest through to the final customer;
• Has minimum management system requirements including documentation;
• Identifies the origin of certified content through appropriate documentation;
• Has the ability to track certified content, uncertified content and recycled content in the fibre supply;
• Requires risk assessment for uncertified content to avoid wood from controversial sources; and
• Requires independent third-party audits by an accredited certification body.

Steps in becoming certified to the PEFC ST 2002:2013 Chain of Custody standard:

1. Contact a COC-accredited certification body
2. Complete all the requirements in the PEFC Chain of Custody standard
3. Organize with the certification body an on-site third party audit of all the requirements in the standard
4. Respond to any audit findings of noncompliance to the standard to the satisfaction of the certification body
5. Receive the Chain of Custody certificate from the certification body
6. An annual surveillance audit is required to maintain certification

PEFC Logo and Product Labelling

The PEFC logo for on and off-product labelling is available to organizations that are certified to the CSA SFM standards and/or are certified to the PEFC Chain of Custody standard. Using the PEFC logo on a product is an excellent means for PEFC-certified entities to demonstrate their commitment to responsible forest management and to promote their environmental credentials. It indicates to businesses along the value chain and to consumers that the material used in the product is linked to PEFC-certified forests, recycled and/or controlled sources; and it provides consumers with responsible options when purchasing wood-based products.

Example of on-product labels for PEFC Certified and PEFC Certified and Recycled products.

 

Organizations in Canada wishing to use the PEFC logo must first obtain a PEFC Logo Use Licence from PEFC Canada. Please see the Contacts page for contact information.