Print Solutions Magazine - September 2008: Green Scene

Green Scene

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Getting Your Tree Cred

How to obtain FSC chain-of-custody certification

Editor's Note: This is part two of a two-part series. The first part appeared in the August issue of Print Solutions.
Check it out at PrintSolutionsMag.com.

Preparing for the Audit
The best way to prepare for an audit is to put a detail-oriented person in charge of the process, say industry professionals. At Western States Envelope & Label, Milwaukee, the purchasing manager spearheaded the process. At Paramount Printing in Florida, it was Christopher Osborne, who is operations manager. At Datatel Resources in Monaca, Pa., CEO Allen Simon chose the controller and vice president of manufacturing.
Michael Kenealy, regional sales manager for third-party certifier Bureau Veritas Certification, says some prospects are under the mistaken impression that a certification firm can tell them exactly what they should and should not do to meet the standards. That is not the case; providing consulting services would be in direct conflict with FSC and SFI standards, he says. Instead, certification firms can answer basic questions and help interpret the standards for clients.

The main component of certification is "to ensure certified materials cannot be mixed with non-certified materials," says Kenealy. Businesses must be able to prove that they tracked the FSC or SFI paper from the moment it landed at the loading dock, through all phases of production and storage, to shipping and invoicing. Accurate recordkeeping and thorough, written documentation of procedures are keys to certification. Simon describes the preparation as "very do-able" because Datatel has undergone quality audits. Osborne notes that Paramount's participation in lean manufacturing efforts made it easier to integrate the standards. Companies that have not been through any type of audit in the past will have a harder time preparing for a chain-of-custody (CoC) audit, notes Kenealy.

What types of changes do companies typically make to prepare for certification? They label FSC or SFI paper when it gets delivered and create a distinct storage area for it. Since Paramount orders paper on a per-job basis, the firm already had a system in place to track incoming paper. Companies that inventory several types of paper may find that process more burdensome, says Osborne. Finished products need to be stored separately as well. Prograde incorporated a special storage area within the section of its warehouse where it stores secure documents.
You probably will need to redesign internal documents. For example, Prograde had to change its pick tickets, packing slips and invoices to provide a space to print its unique chain of custody number, once approved. You may also need to tweak your computer system to incorporate the number. Prograde made the transition easily by assigning the CoC number to an unused field in its software. Datatel upgraded its internal systems to accommodate the reporting requirements needed to achieve certification. Once firms are certified, they likely will want to redesign promotional materials, including brochures and advertisements, to incorporate FSC and SFI logos.

One of the more complicated aspects of certification involves learning proper usage for the FSC and SFI labels on individual jobs and the respective logos on promotional pieces. It's critical, say manufacturers, to involve prepress in this process. To ensure integrity of their programs, FSC and SFI issue stringent requirements. Kenealy notes that the FSC and SFI labels can never be used together on the same product, but both logos can appear on promotional materials if companies wish to promote their dual certification.

Before undergoing an audit, interested firms are told they must seek approval on the placement and use of the label on every job. Printers contact SFI directly to do so; a representative of FSC certification firms handles that job, which can create a production bottleneck. Some people question whether FSC and SFI will continue to be strict about this requirement, as end users increasingly demand that jobs be CoC-certified.

Advice from Others
Manufacturers who have sought certification say the most time-consuming part of the process involves educating all employees about their roles and responsibilities in processing certified jobs. At the outset of the process, Western States gave a letter to all employees from the CEO explaining the importance of the process, as well as the reasons officials wanted the firm to become certified.

As part of the process, Paramount Printing created a checklist of jobs by department to ensure the relevant work was done. During an audit, companies must show they have trained employees in processes, which can be done by keeping sign-in sheets at training sessions, says Kenealy. Every employee who touches an FSC or SFI job must be prepared to answer questions from the auditor. "The auditor was very adamant about talking to someone from every department," says Osborne. Simon recalls how an auditor walked up to an employee in his shipping department and started quizzing him on how he handled certified jobs.

Says Dave Carlin, vice president of sales, Prograde, Cincinnati, of the entire certification process, "There is nothing we were stymied by; it's just a matter of working through the process." Steve Brocker, vice president of sales and marketing, Western States Envelope & Label, concurs. "It's not a slam dunk," he says, "but it's not the hardest thing in the world either." He adds, "You have to do real work in order to earn [certification]. ...I think the work behind it is commensurate with the value of certification."

The Future of Certification
Interest in certification programs is increasing rapidly. In fact, says Kenealy, all four FSC certification firms in the U.S. are having trouble training enough auditors to keep up with current demand for CoC certification. What's less certain is how long the demand will last. Invariably, industry professionals at meetings, in private and on PSDA's principals-only listserv compare the interest in certification to the demand for recycled papers in the early 1990s. Demand for recycled products dwindled, in part because end users did not want to pay a premium for them.

Brocker thinks "the whole green movement is here to stay." He points to green cars and green buildings as examples of how heightened consciousness about the environment has crept into everyday life. Newspapers, magazines and TV stations regularly report on green efforts. Businesses need "to show that we are environmental stewards and doing good things, rather than pillaging the environment," he says.

Simon thinks it is too early to tell how long interest in FSC and SFI-certified papers and CoC certification will last, but he says, "There are larger corporations that are truly embracing this, and they're really into it. This sentiment is getting into boardrooms." Prograde's Carlin notes it will take time for interest in certification to trickle down to mid-size and small clients. "If you are calling on small clients, you may never need to be certified," he says.

It is important to note that consumers' interest may be swayed by the fact that FSC and SFI certification do not apply only to paper. Because the programs set standards for responsible forestry management, they affect every industry that relies on wood. Among companies seeking certification are suppliers of furniture, hardwood flooring and building materials. For example, a recent Pottery Barn for Kids catalog touted that its outdoor furniture was made from FSC-certified eucalyptus. It's quite possible publicity by the furniture industry and others may help drive demand for certification in the printing industry and vice versa.

--Katherine House

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