FSC group certification program for in-plants will let you get certified at a lower cost

By Vic Barkin

Growing Recognition of FSC

Forest owners, state and local governments, paper mills and environmental non-governmental organizations have been working tirelessly to increase the volume of FSC-certified lands here in North America and other areas worldwide. A few examples of the results of these efforts are demonstrated by the fact that International Paper's Accent, Springhill and Hammermill cut sheets are now sold as FSC certified, which wasn't the case a year ago.

Virtually all major fine printing paper manufacturers (pulp and paper mills) are now certified to make and sell certified paper (including 100 percent of their recycled fiber inputs). Also, all major national and regional paper merchants (with very few brokerage exceptions) are certified to sell FSC paper.

Increasingly more of the major print buyers mandate the use of certified paper: McDonalds, Sears, REI, Kraft Foods, Dell, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the 2012 Olympics, Progressive Insurance, Bank of America, Staples and quite possibly your parent organization.

All of this is leading to wider recognition of the FSC brand as a credible attribute that strengthens any organization's position in the marketplace, no matter where that may be. Why not complete the last step for the benefit of your department, your customers and their stakeholders, which is to promote the certified and recycled attributes of the paper you use and sell in an indisputable, credible and transparent manner?

FOR THOSE of you who know me, you know that being a transcendental, greenie, hippie kind of dude just isn't my style. I'm more pragmatic than that.

To put it in a nutshell, I love forests, I love paper, I love printing, and I love in-plants. I want to see in-plants succeed and economically sustain themselves for their own sakes as well as for the sakes of their parent institutions. As a former in-plant manager, I know your value and believe in your mission. And as you know, innovation is the key to your success.

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Vic Barkin Author's page

Vic Nathan Barkin has more than 35 years of experience in the printing, paper and wood products industries and currently owns a consulting practice specializing in business development, workflow, and technology implementation, focusing on “Green Procurement and Production” practices. Vic is a QMS Lead Auditor certified to ISO 9001:2008 standards, is a consultant for the Rainforest Alliance as an FSC Chain of Custody and Controlled Wood senior auditor, is an FSC, SFI and PEFC lead auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers and SGS North America, and has engaged in more than 700 site assessments and audits.

Group Certification Makes FSC Affordable for In-plants

Group Certification  Makes FSC Affordable for In-plants