Chain of custody consultancy

If you work in the paper, print, timber or woodworking sector and you are looking to achieve Chain of Custody Certification, we have the solution for you.

At Initiative, we have vast experience of developing Chain of Custody systems for businesses across many diverse sectors, ranging from SMEs to multi-site blue chips on a national basis.

The Forest Stewardship Council® and or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) are globally recognised as the symbols of responsible forestry.

Chain of custody certification enables the traceability of wood from forest to end user. Customers of wood and wood products can feel confident that the origin of the products they are buying come from a responsibly managed forest if they see the FSC® or PEFC logo.

What is Chain of Custody?

Implementing Chain of Custody (COC) is a process of tracing a product from source to final destination through all the steps of production.  In the forest products sector we are mainly concerned with ensuring and demonstrating that our product, for example timber, furniture, paper, book etc., has come from a legal and responsible source.  The COC provides a link from the forest to the end user, through sawmilling, agents, merchants, manufacturers and retailers.  All links in the chain must be certified to maintain the integrity of the system – if a company in the chain is not certified, the chain is broken and traceability is lost!

Why Chain of Custody Certification?

Achieving FSC® and or PEFC COC certification enables businesses in the timber supply chain to get transparency into the purchasing and sales of responsibly sourced timber.  In the UK, COC certification is becoming standard practice to demonstrate responsible sourcing and compliance with national and local government procurement policies and many private and multi-national company requirements.

The majority of timber brought into the UK is responsibly sourced, and more than 2000 UK companies have achieved COC Certification. Implementing COC is a straightforward task that relies on everybody in a company taking responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the chain.  This needs to be backed up by record keeping and training of key personnel and clear and concise sales documents.  Once in place companies are authorised to use the FSC® and PEFC trademarks for promotion.

Coupled with extensive experience and user-friendly approach, Initiative can assist your business to successfully achieve and maintain 3rd party registration to FSC® or PEFC Chain of Custody.