The Wonderful World of Forest Certification
And this Means What to Me?
With so much dynamic “green” activity happening all around the printing industry, it’s easy to see why there can be quite a bit of confusion. Do I get certified at all? Do I choose FSC, SFI or both? And what about PEFC? Will that be a factor to deal with in the future?
The answer lies with your stakeholders. Many organizations have formed new divisions, offices or working groups within the highest levels of the organization. The Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) phenomenon has been a quickly developing trend in both the public and private sectors over the past few years. In some cases, these new corporate or administrative offices have been given unlimited power to redirect decision-making processes to include the Triple Bottom Line.
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.
