The Wonderful World of Forest Certification
Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, like many, I knew about recycled content, federal guidelines for its use, and a few other environmental paper-related preferences such as acid-free options. But I never gave much thought to virgin fiber or the forests from which they were sourced.
As you probably know, EPA guidelines for recycled paper state that for coated stock, the minimum is 10 percent post-consumer-waste (PCW, also termed post-consumer-recycled-fiber or PCRF) and 30 percent for uncoated. All federally-funded projects are mandated to adhere to these minimum standards, and many in-plants, both in the public and private sectors, have adopted them as well.
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.
