What Does FSC Chain of Custody Actually Mean? (And How to Verify a Certificate)
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FSC chain of custody is the certification that tracks wood and other forest products from a certified forest to the finished item, through every company that buys and sells it on the way. Each of those companies must hold its own certificate, issued after an independent audit, for an FSC claim to be valid. You can check any certificate code yourself on FSC's public database in a couple of minutes.
The three FSC labels
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| FSC 100% | All the wood or fibre comes from FSC-certified forests. |
| FSC Mix | A mix of FSC-certified material, recycled material and FSC Controlled Wood. Under the percentage system, at least 70% must be certified or recycled. It is the most common label on engineered boards. |
| FSC Recycled | Made entirely from reclaimed material, pre-consumer or post-consumer. |
How chain of custody works
Chain of custody (CoC) follows certified material from the forest through every processor, manufacturer, distributor and seller to the finished product. For a product to carry the FSC label, or an FSC claim on a sales invoice, every company that took ownership of it along the way must hold a valid CoC certificate; one uncertified link breaks the claim for everyone after it.
Certificates are issued by independent certification bodies accredited to audit against FSC standards, such as RINA, DNV and TÜV SÜD. The current chain-of-custody standard is FSC-STD-40-004 version 3-1, in effect since September 2021. Certified organisations are audited every year and, beyond tracking material, must also commit to FSC's core labour requirements: no child labour, no forced labour, no discrimination in employment, and respect for freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Smaller businesses can share one certificate under FSC group certification, and FSC project certification covers one-off projects such as a single building rather than a whole organisation.
FSC Controlled Wood
Controlled Wood is not FSC-certified material. It is wood that has been checked to rule out five unacceptable sources:
- illegally harvested wood
- wood harvested in violation of traditional or human rights
- wood from forests where high conservation values are threatened by management
- wood from forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use
- wood from forests where genetically modified trees are planted
It rules out the worst sources without confirming good management, which is why it can only make up the non-certified part of an FSC Mix product.
How to verify an FSC certificate yourself
- Find the certificate code. It looks like XXXX-COC-000000, where the first part identifies the certification body, and it should be on the product, the packaging, an invoice or the seller's website.
- Search the code on FSC's public certificate database at search.fsc.org, or through the public certificate search linked from FSC Connect.
- Check four things in the result: the status is valid (not expired, suspended or terminated); the holder is the company the claim is about, or its supplier, as stated; the scope covers the product type, since a certificate for sawn timber doesn't cover plywood; and the expiry date.
A worked example: our Moso bamboo is FSC-certified at source through our supplier's certificate, RINA-COC-001256, where RINA is the certification body. Cherry Grove Craft is not itself an FSC certificate holder: the certificate belongs to our supplier, and we say so rather than imply we hold it. That is the kind of code you should be able to look up for any FSC claim you rely on, including ours.
What FSC doesn't cover
FSC certifies forest products only: wood, paper and other forest-derived materials. Quarried stone such as slate is outside its scope altogether, so no slate can be FSC-certified; see is slate sustainable? for what verification exists for stone.
FSC also isn't a carbon footprint, a durability rating or a statement about how a product can be disposed of. It answers one question well: can this material be traced to a responsibly managed or controlled source? An FSC-certified MDF board still has a resin binder, for example, so it still isn't compostable.
Common questions about FSC claims
Is FSC Mix a weaker certification?
It is a different composition, not a lesser certificate. Every company in the chain still needs a full CoC certificate, and under the percentage system at least 70% of the input must be certified or recycled, with the rest Controlled Wood.
Does "made with FSC materials" mean the seller is certified?
No. A business can buy certified material without holding a certificate itself. It then shouldn't use the FSC logo on its own products, and it should make clear that the certificate belongs to its supplier, as we do.
Why does certified material cost more?
Certified forest management and the annual audits along the chain add cost, which is reflected in the price of certified board. How much more varies by product and market.
Ordering from us
Everything is engraved to order in our workshop in North Wales. Choose a product, add your wording or logo where the listing offers it, and add to basket. Bulk discounts apply automatically at checkout, per product: 10% off 20+, 15% off 50+, 20% off 100+, 25% off 250+, 30% off 500+ and 35% off 1,000+.
All items are made to order. Dispatch time is shown at checkout. UK orders via Royal Mail Tracked 24. International via Royal Mail International Tracked.
Frequently asked questions
What does FSC chain of custody mean?
It is the certification that tracks forest products from a certified forest to the finished item, through every company that takes ownership of them. Each company in the chain must hold its own independently audited certificate.
What is the difference between FSC 100%, FSC Mix and FSC Recycled?
FSC 100% is all certified forest material. FSC Mix combines certified, recycled and Controlled Wood, with at least 70% certified or recycled under the percentage system. FSC Recycled is entirely reclaimed material.
What is FSC Controlled Wood?
Wood that is not certified but has been checked to rule out five unacceptable sources, including illegal harvesting and forests being converted to other uses. It can only make up the non-certified part of an FSC Mix product.
How do I verify an FSC certificate?
Search the certificate code on FSC's public database at search.fsc.org and check the status, the holder, the product scope and the expiry date.
Can slate be FSC-certified?
No. FSC covers forest products only, so quarried stone is outside its scope.
Is Cherry Grove Craft FSC-certified?
No, Cherry Grove Craft is not itself a certificate holder. We use FSC-certified Moso bamboo (certificate RINA-COC-001256) and FSC-certified oak veneered MDF, with the certification held by our suppliers.
Sources
Also see: our materials and sustainability page, who supplies our materials, how to check a name badge sustainability claim, and the FSC-certified wooden gifts and business products range.