Introduction
Neat Concepts is a world-class processor of Medium Density
Fibreboard panels that endeavours to produce work of the highest
standard and observe all regulations regarding the conduct
of its business, which are imposed by Governments of the countries
in which it undertakes business. It achieves this by implementing
the strategies set out in the Company’s Environmental
Policy – Click here for
the full policy.
For its products, Neat Concepts uses, wherever possible, sources
of raw materials emanating from FSC Certified Forests. This
has been independently assessed and certified by BM TRADA
Certification Ltd confirming that Neat Concepts markets both
Certified and Non-Certified wood products. Wood products certified
in this way by BM TRADA Certification Ltd are recognised as
coming from “well managed” forests adhering to
strict environmental and socio-economic standards in accordance
with the Principles and Criteria of the Forest Stewardship
Council.
Chain
of Custody
For
further background information in this environmentally important
area we invite you to read on.
What
is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)?
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 such as BM TRADA Certification Ltd 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 and also see that Neat Concepts fits into the supply
chain.
Trusted environmental organizations
including Greenpeace, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature
Conservancy, Sierra Club, and World Wildlife Fund all support
and encourage FSC certification. Consumers wishing to support
healthy forests and communities should look and ask for the
FSC label when purchasing wood or paper products.
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What
is "certification"?
FSC accredited, independent, “third-party” certification
bodies or “certifiers” certify forests. They assess
forest management using the FSC principles, criteria, and
standards; each certifier uses their own evaluative process.
This allows FSC to remain outside of the assessment process,
and supports the integrity of the standard, and of the FSC
system. Certifiers evaluate both forest management activities
(forest certification) and tracking of forest products (chain-of-custody
certification).
Forest landowners or managers can
contact an accredited FSC certifier if they are interested
in becoming certified. Certifiers engage in a contractual
relationship with the landowner/manager to assess forest management
against the FSC standard approved for the region where the
forest is located. At the close, an assessment summary report
is made public, while at the same time keeping the company’s
proprietary information confidential. If the forest management
operations assessed qualify for certification, the landowner
can choose to sign a certification contract. This event results
in their being “certified” and brings with it
the landowner’s commitment to continue to practice forestry
in a certifiable fashion.
The contract’s duration is
five years, at which point a full assessment will be conducted
again if the landowner wishes to continue being certified.
These five-year audits are supplemented by annual audits to
verify that the terms of the contract are being followed,
and facilitate regular contact between the certificate holder
and certifier.
For those companies who manufacture
or trade certified products, a different form of certification
applies. Again, to assure the credibility of claims on products,
it is important to track materials as they leave the forest
and become products down stream. This “chain of custody”(COC)
certification process is quite simple. Like any inventory
control system, COC allows products to be segregated and identified
as having come from a particular source—in this case,
an FSC-certified forest.
FSC’s model of certification
allows products that flow from certified forests to enter
the marketplace with a credential that is unique. Any FSC
labelled product can be traced back to a certified source.
This aspect of the system is the basis for any credible certification
system.
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BM
TRADA Certification and Chain of Custody Certification
BM TRADA is Neat Concepts chosen certifying partner, whose
purpose is to improve the effectiveness of sustainable forestry
in conserving bio-diversity and providing equity for local
communities, fair treatment to workers, and creating incentives
for businesses so that they can benefit economically from
responsible forestry practices.
Certification of companies
marketing BM TRADA products (e.g., wholesalers, processors,
retailers, brokers, etc...) is granted after chain-of-custody
audits confirm that certified wood is being used in certified
product lines.
Chain-of-custody certification
assures consumers that the certified items they buy were produced
with certified wood or other certified non-timber forest products.
BM TRADA companies are chain of custody certified according
to whether all or some of their wood products come from certified
BM TRADA sources. An "Exclusive" BM TRADA company
sells forestry products made only from wood from BM TRADA
or other FSC-endorsed, certified sources. A "Non-Exclusive"
BM TRADA company sells products from both BM TRADA or other
FSC-endorsed certified sources and other non-certified origins.
We hope you found this
short introduction to Forest Stewardship Council, Certification
and Chain of Custody informative.
For further information
on BM TRADA Certification, please go to www.bmtrada.com
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