PEFC
PEFC - ensure origin
Wood that is produced in PEFC-certified forests should make its way to the customer with the PEFC mark: The consumers include panel plants, pulp plants, paper plants, printers and publishers. Therefore the harvesting, trading and processing chain and retail trade must be certified in order to ensure the raw wood materials are PEFC in origin: PEFC Chain-of-Custody (CoC) or a product chain certification.
High standards are now placed on the players in the forestry sector. Forestry service companies that are engaged in the harvesting of wood, the delivery of this valuable raw material, forest restoration services and forest management can be certified as per an RAL standard of the Quality control association of forestry and land conservation e.V.". The legal requirements of the business, technical standards, accident prevention regulations and the quality of work are currently evaluated in 3 test areas. The RAL certificate is a prerequisite in some Federal states for participating in calls for tenders in the state forest and serves as credible proof of the quality of work.
Which services do we offer?
- Certification of regions for sustainable forest management as per the PEFC standard
- Certification of wood processing and wood-working plants as per the PEFC Chain of Custody (product chain)
- Certification as per the criteria of the RAL quality control association for forestry and land conservation e.V.
At the European conference of ministers in Helsinki and subsequent conferences for protecting Europe's forests, the following criteria were decided upon for use on the national level.
- Preservation and adequate improvement of the forest's resources and their contribution to global carbon cycles
- Preservation of the health and vitality of forest eco-systems
- Preservation and promotion of the producing function of the forests (wood and non-wood products)
- Preservation, protection and adequate improvement of the bio-diversity in forest eco-systems
- Preservation and adequate improvement of the protective function of forest management (primarily soil and water)
- Preservation of other socio-economic functions and conditions
Contact:
Our experts are glad to answer your individual questions at any time. Just send us an e-mail by clicking on the contact box (top right).
FSC®
Certification of forest and wood products as per FSC®
Good wood – guaranteed!
Ever more consumers are demanding resource-gentle wood products and ethically-correct forest management and further processing of wood. The non-state, non-profit Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) has formulated criteria for this: the organisation focuses on environmentally-friendly, socially-compatible and economically-feasible exploitation of forests. TÜV NORD CERT certifies wood-processing businesses according to the FSC® guidelines, hence allowing these companies to document their commitment to the environment and responsible behaviour. At the same time, wood can be clearly identified in all phases of processing and trade at all times.
Traceable origins – from the forest to the retail trade
The FSC® was set up in 1993 as a result of the Rio environmental summit and is supported worldwide by environmental organisations, trades unions, pressure groups for indigenous tribes as well as numerous companies within the forestry and wood industry. Together, they develop commercial standards and mechanisms for marketing forestry products. The most important instrument is the FSC® marking. Product chain certification according to the FSC® STD 40 004 V2 0 EN standard for CoC Certification 2008 01 relates to the purchase, processing, storage and sale of certified wood. Among other things, this prevents the trade of wood from contentious sources.
Approved symbol taps into new customers groups
Companies such as sawmills, wood dealers, furniture manufacturers, paper manufacturers, publishing houses and printers can have themselves certified. Following successful inspection, they will benefit from the certification on the fulfillment of the stipulations of a globally-recognised standard and can use the FSC® symbol as a powerful marketing tool: they will tap into new customers groups who purchase in an environmental-conscious manner and achieve greater acceptance among consumers demanding certification of the origins of the purchased product. The prerequisites for certification is evidence that the FSC® wood is not mixed with non-certified wood and the disclosure of quantities, vendors and processing techniques.
The way to certification
- Complete a questionnaire
- Introductory audit (optional) and inspection of the submitted FSC® documentation
- Onsite audit focusing on the control system, confirmation of the goods receipt/deliveries from vendors, separation and segregation of certified and non-certified
products, product labelling, output quantities and output products, company processes, documentation, system efficiency
Following a successful report, TÜV NORD CERT issues the certificate for the inspected part of the product chain. It is valid for five years; there are annual monitoring audits.
Association or group certification is also possible, as is a link to the certification of the management system in accordance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
